“Sam was born excited. He did stuff. He tramped and skylarked and poked his shovel into whatever tripped his fancy.” If that sounds like how the fictional character Huckleberry Finn would describe his creator, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), then author Burleigh has at least nailed Huck-speak in this unorthodox picture-book biography for older Twainophiles. The “editors’ ” “Warning to the Reader” about the impending “ain’ts” and potentially confusing folksy expressions only calls attention to the dicey premise and begs the question, “Who is this for?” That said, Blitt’s lovely, lively pen, ink and watercolors inventively illustrate Huck’s affectionate, time-traveling, tour guide’s view of Twain’s life. A giant-headed Huck looks through a window, Ghost of Christmas Past–style, examining 11-year-old Sam, who’s gazing forlornly at a picture of his late Pap, for instance. Huck journeys from Twain’s Mississippi-loving, school-phobic boyhood years to his steamboat days to his “honest-to-goodness writer” career, to his family life, through hard times when he was “dead-for-earnest broke,” to his death. At the end is another “editor’s” note and timeline: “Since Mr. Finn’s manuscript contains no dates and leaves out some important details.” Huck says this “ain’t intendin’ to be some windy bioografy,” and it isn’t. It’s a breezy homage to Twain’s life and literary world that will please some, aggravate some and utterly baffle others. (Picture book/biography. 10 & up)
Pub Date: March 8, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-689-83041-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A beautiful, powerful reflection on a tragic history.
In spare verse, Lowry reflects on moments in her childhood, including the bombings of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.
When she was a child, Lowry played at Waikiki Beach with her grandmother while her father filmed. In the old home movie, the USS Arizona appears through the mist on the horizon. Looking back at her childhood in Hawaii and then Japan, Lowry reflects on the bombings that began and ended a war and how they affected and connected everyone involved. In Part 1, she shares the lives and actions of sailors at Pearl Harbor. Part 2 is stories of civilians in Hiroshima affected by the bombing. Part 3 presents her own experience as an American in Japan shortly after the war ended. The poems bring the haunting human scale of war to the forefront, like the Christmas cards a sailor sent days before he died or the 4-year-old who was buried with his red tricycle after Hiroshima. All the personal stories—of sailors, civilians, and Lowry herself—are grounding. There is heartbreak and hope, reminding readers to reflect on the past to create a more peaceful future. Lowry uses a variety of poetry styles, identifying some, such as triolet and haiku. Pak’s graphite illustrations are like still shots of history, adding to the emotion and somber feeling. He includes some sailors of color among the mostly white U.S. forces; Lowry is white.
A beautiful, powerful reflection on a tragic history. (author’s note, bibliography) (Memoir/poetry. 10-14)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-12940-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
PROFILES
This inspired collaboration adds a heightened poetic dimension to readers’ understanding of Chagall’s life and art.
U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Lewis and the prolific Yolen team up for a celebratory picture-book biography in verse of the 20th century painter and designer Marc Chagall (1887-1985) that may quickly become a favorite of art-loving families and museum docents.
This handsome book is amply illustrated with archival photos, spot art from Chagall’s oeuvre and, most importantly, 14 full-color reproductions of Chagall’s affecting, mystical, sometimes surreal re-imaginings of his Jewish childhood in Eastern Europe, paintings that swell with touching imagery of joy, loss and beauty. Most of the book’s two-page spreads include an evocative poem (by either Lewis or Yolen) inspired by or reflecting upon the painting on the facing page. These spreads also feature informative, telling biographical briefs that anchor the art and beautifully crafted poetry to Chagall’s long, incident-rich life and artistic career. Details about each painting’s size, medium, date and provenance also add interest. Chagall’s work is represented in over 40 museums in North America, and teachers and parents often find his work particularly accessible and appealing to children who readily and eagerly decode his imagery, making this book useful as well is beautiful.
This inspired collaboration adds a heightened poetic dimension to readers’ understanding of Chagall’s life and art. (Picture book/poetry/biography. 11 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-56846-211-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
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