A stirring tale of perseverance.
In her debut picture book, Lari, the first figure skater to compete internationally while wearing a hijab, tells her story.
After watching Disney’s Ice Princess, young Zahra dreams of taking to the rink herself. Family and friends express skepticism, but she responds to comments such as “You don’t know how to skate” with “Not yet.” Family members point out that she’s too old to start training, that she lacks access to skating rinks in the United Arab Emirates, that it’s cold out on the ice, and that figure skaters don’t look like her. As Zahra’s “Not yet” shrinks into a whisper, her father hears its soft persistence and takes her to get a pair of skates. Though Zahra’s first time on the ice doesn’t meet her expectations, she refuses to give up, and her aspirations and skill continue to grow. The authors’ notes in the back are delightful, emphasizing the power of realizing one’s dreams. While the text focuses on the internal and familial barriers Lari faced, the backmatter discusses the obstacles she encountered when wearing her headscarf on the international stage. Alfageeh’s illustrations capture contemporary and cultural designs, clothing, and landscapes of the UAE along with characters’ cartoonish comedic facial expressions. Young Zahra’s scarf flows with fantastic joy in many spreads, while the adult Zahra is depicted wearing sportswear hijabs.
A stirring tale of perseverance. (illustrator’s note) (Picture-book memoir. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781338865202
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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