Flaws aside, this monograph will appeal to young readers who are dedicated basketball fans.
Bowen, children's sports columnist for The Washington Post, shares the history of the National Basketball Association.
Avid basketball fans will eagerly drink in this narrative nonfiction account of the game’s evolution. Starting with a look at the sport’s humble peach-basket beginnings in 1891, the book goes on to cover the development of the 24-second clock, the establishment of the National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association, the creation of the Olympic “Dream Team” of 1992, and more. Frank discussion of racial segregation and the integration of the NBA in 1950 provides an opportunity for children to discuss some of the sport’s less noble history. With a list of league information, current at the time of printing, and an index included in the backmatter, this book can answer some quick trivia questions. Unfortunately, gender inequality and the WNBA are never mentioned. While providing ample information about multiple teams and several impactful individuals, the lack of a consistent hero, villain, or narrator might make some young readers lose interest. Ransome's painterly illustrations are primarily portrait-driven, giving life and character to past icons such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Red Auerbach, and more. Younger readers may only home in on some of their favorites, like Stephen Curry, who appears toward the end.
Flaws aside, this monograph will appeal to young readers who are dedicated basketball fans. (lists, index, bibliography, additional resources) (Illustrated nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6043-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
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
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