A fun and fact-filled look at footwear that will find its audience.
The history of what nearly everyone wears on their feet.
This brisk account moves from a description of ancient woven bark sandals discovered in Oregon in 1938 to the use of latex by Mayan and Olmec peoples to the incorporation of rubber into the soles of shoes for croquet players to footwear endorsements by athletes like Michael Jordan. Bright colors feature throughout the exuberant cartoon drawings along with plenty of sidebars and photos spotlighting diverse people, both famous and everyday. Drimmer covers the history of familiar brands and logos—the rivalry between the Dassler brothers, who founded Adidas and Puma; the development of Blue Ribbon Sports into Nike; the reason that Converse shoes carry the name Chuck Taylor. She avoids discussing economic, human-capital concerns about the manufacture of what are often hugely expensive and collectible shoes. An intriguing chapter on future developments for sneakers mentions the sound-absorbent sneakers that T’Challa wears in Black Panther and a real-life attempt at making a similarly quiet pair. The narrative is a bit thin (and neither source notes nor suggestions for further exploration are offered), but overall, it’s a clear, close-up look at an invention (versatile, comfortable shoes) that captures affection and loyalty, plus an exhortation to young innovators to think about their own spin on the product. It’s also an interesting examination of the ways that professional athletics and personal exercise have evolved over the last century.
A fun and fact-filled look at footwear that will find its audience. (timeline, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781454944966
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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