This valuable compilation shows that Earth’s salvation lies in the diversity of its people.
Conservation biologist Rao introduces 20 “environmental defenders” who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, inspiring young readers and environmentalists.
When Rao entered the environmental field decades ago, she didn’t encounter many people who looked like her. But, she writes, “my culture and my passion for the earth are linked,” and she shows how that is the case for the defenders she interviewed for this book. Indonesian Muslim urban designer Nana Firman had limited results talking about “sustainability” and “conservation” with communities; when she identified Islamic foundations for stewardship, she found language that connected people to the cause. Oakland native Rue Mapp founded Outdoor Afro to connect African Americans to nature by holding space for the histories of injustice and exclusion Black Americans have experienced in outdoor spaces and using a social justice lens to create safe and welcoming outdoor experiences. These environmental defenders hail from all over the world and vary greatly in ethnicity, culture, age, and religious background. The ways in which they protect the Earth vary too, but their messages echo each other with hope in what can happen when people come together and make small changes that add up. Each short biography, enhanced by attractive color photographs and engaging sidebars, also illustrates how the defenders came to their chosen paths—thought-provoking reading for young people figuring out their own contributions.
This valuable compilation shows that Earth’s salvation lies in the diversity of its people. (glossary, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1886-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author.
Deaf, trans artist Man meditates on his journey and identity in this brief memoir.
Growing up in conservative central Pennsylvania was tough for the 21-year-old Deaf, genderqueer, pansexual, and biracial (Chinese/White Jewish) author. He describes his gender and sexual identity, his experiences of racism and ableism, and his desire to use his visibility as a YouTube personality, model, and actor to help other young people like him. He is open and vulnerable throughout, even choosing to reveal his birth name. Man shares his experiences of becoming deaf as a small child and at times feeling ostracized from the Deaf community but not how he arrived at his current Deaf identity. His description of his gender-identity development occasionally slips into a well-worn pink-and-blue binary. The text is accompanied and transcended by the author’s own intriguing, expressionistic line drawings. However, Man ultimately falls short of truly insightful reflection or analysis, offering a mostly surface-level account of his life that will likely not be compelling to readers who are not already fans. While his visibility and success as someone whose life represents multiple marginalized identities are valuable in themselves, this heartfelt personal chronicle would have benefited from deeper introspection.
Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-22348-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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