As a young lad, Abraham Lincoln learned the importance of an honest wage, and his work ethic garnered results. From Lincoln’s transition from law into politics, Thomson succinctly describes slavery’s impact in the Civil War and the president’s resulting actions. Lincoln’s nuanced personality comes through clearly in his direct quotations, well-chosen and reproduced in a colored type within the text, revealing both the man’s humor and conviction. Commenting on his unfavorable looks when called two-faced, Lincoln replies, “If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?” These lighter moments are effectively contrasted against Lincoln’s monumental decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, which concludes this selection and is appropriately complicated both within the account and in an expanded note in the backmatter. Ransome portrays the president with an exaggerated stature, stretching out Lincoln’s elongated limbs even further at times for emphasis. His double-page paintings are most effective when depicting a solitary Lincoln, reaching out to the American people. A solid introduction, although source notes are lacking. (timeline, author’s, illustrator’s notes) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-084819-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Collins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Strong rhythms and occasional full or partial rhymes give this account of P.T. Barnum’s 1884 elephant parade across the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge an incantatory tone. Catching a whiff of public concern about the new bridge’s sturdiness, Barnum seizes the moment: “’I will stage an event / that will calm every fear, erase every worry, / about that remarkable bridge. / My display will amuse, inform / and astound some. / Or else my name isn’t Barnum!’” Using a rich palette of glowing golds and browns, Roca imbues the pachyderms with a calm solidity, sending them ambling past equally solid-looking buildings and over a truly monumental bridge—which soars over a striped Big Top tent in the final scene. A stately rendition of the episode, less exuberant, but also less fictionalized, than Phil Bildner’s Twenty-One Elephants (2004), illustrated by LeUyen Pham. (author’s note, resource list) (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-44887-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2005
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