Enjoyable and educational.
Explore the lives of young people who have changed our world.
Readers will recognize a few names in this collective biography that samples from a range of backgrounds and disciplines, including visual arts, science, activism, drama, and music. The book is divided into five topical sections. Within, each young subject is profiled in a double-page spread that delves into their life and accomplishments. Colorful illustrations are scattered across each spread, often joined by photographs when possible. The diversity in passions is matched by the diversity in geography, time period, and race; several had or have disabilities. Readers will discover contemporaries (Greta Thunberg and Marley Dias) as well as young people who made an impact long ago (Pocahontas and Blaise Pascal). The language throughout is straightforward, and analogies and explanations are written with an age-appropriate tone. For example, when explaining the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in a piece on Dutch environmental activist Boyan Slat, the text relates, “Ocean currents constantly move the waters in the seas around the world. Rubbish gets carried by these currents but ends up gathering together in a few calm spots on the planet, a bit like all the rubbish in your bedroom ending up under your bed”—a simple and child-friendly explanation. Sadly, some facts, such as Pocahontas’ real name, Matoata, are omitted. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.5-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Enjoyable and educational. (timeline, glossary, index) (Collective biography. 9-12)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8515-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
An introduction to ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings. The authors begin with how archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, then move back 3,000 years to the time of Thutmosis I, who built the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finally they describe the building of the tomb of a later Pharaoh, Ramses II. The backward-forward narration is not always easy to follow, and the authors attribute emotions to the Pharaohs without citation. For example, “Thutmosis III was furious [with Hatshepsut]. He was especially annoyed that she planned to be buried in KV 20, the tomb of her father.” Since both these people lived 3,500 years ago, speculation on who was furious or annoyed should be used with extreme caution. And the tangled intrigue of Egyptian royalty is not easily sorted out in so brief a work. Throughout, though, there are spectacular photographs of ancient Egyptian artifacts, monuments, tomb paintings, jewels, and death masks that will appeal to young viewers. The photographs of the exposed mummies of Ramses II, King Tut, and Seti I are compelling. More useful for the hauntingly beautiful photos than the text. (brief bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7223-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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