Marginally informative and painfully superficial.
Arizona is more than a desert, and its desert is more than sand.
From the Grand Canyon to a rich array of wild plants and animals, this Southwestern state is brimming with nature’s treasures. Basic identifying information, such as the state flower and motto, is introduced in tandem with popular tourist attractions, such as the food and the Four Corners Monument. This entry in the Welcome to… series celebrating the states offers detailed, whimsical illustrations to accompany the scattering of pertinent factoids across the pages. (Companion titles on California, Florida, and Texas publish simultaneously.) Regrettably, the humans depicted are all greeting-card cute and identical in their stylized, round faces; racial difference is indicated only via skin color and hair color and texture. Also concerning is the design decision that places a Diné (Navajo) family producing traditional crafts (with nary a modern convenience in sight) directly after the dinosaurs and before Grand Canyon wildlife. The saguaro is featured, but there is no mention of the Tohono O’odham who have been harvesting the fruit for millennia—with the exception of a brief inclusion in a laundry list of Native peoples. Traditional Mexican/Mexican American and Native foods are displayed on a double-page spread with absolutely no allusions to the peoples or cultures. The underlying dismissal of Arizona’s rich pre-Anglo history is implicit in both design and execution. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Marginally informative and painfully superficial. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17821-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pass.
The traditions and history of one of Mexico’s most important holidays are introduced in this latest of Eliot’s Celebrate the World series.
From setting up the flower-festooned altars to decorating the calaveras, the preparations depicted involve entire communities over several weeks. Characters in cowboy hats, sombreros, and baseball caps place the final touches on skeletons in full lucha libre regalia or spangled mariachi outfits. However, instead of accurately using Mexico’s name for the holiday, Día de Muertos, Eliot uses the English back-translation, “Día de los Muertos,” as is common in the U.S. even though the story evidently takes place in Mexico. Also, aside from stating that the celebration “is an ancient tradition,” there is no mention of its Indigenous, pre-European/Christian roots nor does the book actively distinguish between Día de Muertos and Halloween. The first-person narration vacillates between child and adult perspectives. “We do all this to celebrate the beauty of life and death rather than mourn it.” Gutierrez’s mixed-media illustrations are convulsive, crowded panes of frenetic activity. Exaggerated facial features border on stereotypical caricatures—snouts and bug eyes abound. Contributing to the crowded page design is the unfortunate choice of board rather than picture-book format. Consequently, the initial perception is that this series is geared toward toddlers, when it is the school-age child who would most benefit from the information in this book.
Pass. (Board book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1515-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty.
Miriam is pivotal in the story of Moses and the Exodus.
A 7-year-old girl narrates the details of the day that she heeds “God’s voice,” places her baby brother in a basket, sets him adrift in the Nile River to save him from “Pharoah’s men,” and then watches as Pharoah’s daughter rescues him. That baby boy will grow up to be Moses, and his sister is the prophet Miriam. In her author’s note, Yolen explains that she has taken this story from Exodus and from the Midrash, tales that interpret the Torah. Miriam’s story is interwoven with miracles associated with water, ranging from that basket on the Nile to the parting of the Red Sea and the life-giving water flowing from a rock that sustains the Jews wandering in the desert, but there are relatively few children’s books that place her at their center. Many celebrants of the Passover Seder sing a song honoring Miriam and will welcome a book that celebrates her childhood. It is Le’s illustrations that truly shine, however. The vibrant blues and oranges reflect both calm and swirling waters dotted with a multitude of plant life. Elegant storks wade in the water as hippos and crocodiles swim nearby.
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4400-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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