A stirring tribute to an unjustly overlooked group of heroes.
Nicholson chronicles the important but little-known alliance between the United States and Mexico during World War II
The neatly designed account is accessible and well-organized, telling the story in a chronological series of double-page spreads. Historic photographs throughout highlight the significant contributions to the war effort by these Mexican pilots and their hardworking ground crew as they protected U.S. troops in spite of the blatant discrimination they initially faced. Providing protective cover for U.S. Navy ships, Mexico’s Air Fighter Squadron 201 kept the ships safe from kamikaze pilots. The Aztec Eagles took out Japanese targets while flying very long range missions from Manila to Taiwan (700 miles). They were awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal for heroism and in recognition of the fact that during their 96 combat missions in the Philippines, no civilians or American military were injured or killed due to friendly fire. The highly decorated squadron “remains the only Mexican military force to see overseas combat.” Perhaps the greatest tribute to the Aztec Eagles was the school built in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico, at the request of one of the crew members, Ángel Bocanegra del Castillo. Inaugurated in 1945 by Mexican President Ávila Camacho and the entire squadron, the school’s classrooms are still filled by children who will always be grateful to the men of “El Escaudrón 201.”
A stirring tribute to an unjustly overlooked group of heroes. (glossary, pronunciation guide, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60060-440-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
Washington remains an historic hero despite flaws and defeats. These are recounted in far more accomplished biographies, and...
By the age of 15, George Washington had written out a list of precepts taught to him by his teachers, the “Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation,” by which he lived and was guided throughout his life.
Excerpts from this little-known historical document appear throughout this stolid picture-book biography of our first president, in which Washington describes some salient details of his life and career in the first person. The rules are worthy, but readers will note that there is usually no relationship between them and the facts presented on the same page. While the volume is stirring, there is no cohesion to the narrative, and it will not even serve report writers, as most dates and events go unmentioned, as do many highlights of Washington’s story. Only the notes to the artwork provide some factual context. Young readers wondering if Washington ever faced any setbacks will find no evidence of them here. What emerges from these pages is a larger-than-life icon with no warts. Wimmer’s paintings are masterful and dramatic, though some seem stiffly posed. The cover portrait is certainly rousing.
Washington remains an historic hero despite flaws and defeats. These are recounted in far more accomplished biographies, and children will be better served by reading about the real man elsewhere. (author’s note, artist’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 8-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5482-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
Reductionist history in an unnecessary novelty format.
A miscellaneous collection of factlets about three pre-Columbian civilizations are presented on board pages suggesting a Mesoamerican step pyramid in this latest title in the publisher's “shape book” series.
Each section includes a map and mentions an important archeological site—the Maya Chichén Itzá, the Aztec Templo Mayor and the Inca Machu Picchu—but provides no dates. Readers may be intrigued by Maya beauty ideals, the Aztec ball game and Inca goldwork. Maya and Aztec calendars are shown, as well as pictures of Aztec and Inca warriors and weaponry. Ružicka describes the end of the Aztec and Inca empires at the hands of Spanish conquistadors but ignores the collapse of the Maya. There is a recipe for Maya hot chocolate that neglects to say when the almonds listed in the ingredients should be added and a description of Tenochtitlán that does not mention that it underlies the center of present-day Mexico City. Kleinová’s illustrations range from moderately realistic pictures of people at work and play to cartoonlike glyphs. No sources are actually provided for any of the information or illustrations. Readers curious about this history will find much more in Peter Lourie’s Lost Treasure of the Inca (1999), Mystery of the Maya (2001) and Hidden World of the Aztec (2006).
Reductionist history in an unnecessary novelty format. (Informational novelty. 8-11)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55407-933-9
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
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