An inspiring celebration of passion, dedication, and success.
At 30, Shaesta Waiz became the first woman from Afghanistan and the youngest woman ever to fly a single-engine aircraft around the world.
Born in an Afghanistan refugee camp, Shaesta moved to the United States as a baby with her family. As a young child, Shaesta declares she “will do great things!” After graduating high school, inspired by a trip to Florida and “the view from above,” Shaesta dreams of becoming a pilot. Although many try to discourage her, Shaesta’s determination leads her to graduate college (the first in her family to do so) and to get her pilot’s license. She doesn’t just travel—she meets with children all over the world to “get them excited about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math to chase down dreams of their own!” Referring to her subject by her first name throughout, Pimm introduces Waiz as a baby and chronologically traces her growth into an adult who can make her own decisions. Bye’s colorful illustrations emphasize Waiz’s excitement, occasional fear, and determination. One early spread juxtaposes life at home, with her family speaking Farsi and Pashto, against school, where “she learned to be American,” implying at home she is un-American—an unfortunate misstep. Overall, however, the narrative succeeds in introducing readers to a role model worth knowing. An author’s note describes Waiz’s Dreams Soar foundation, and a note from Waiz herself closes the book. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-17.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56.8% of actual size.)
An inspiring celebration of passion, dedication, and success. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5064-6468-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.
The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.
Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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