A lavishly illustrated biography of the Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator is long on discussion of her work and short on life details. The text rather cursorily covers Burton’s childhood and youth, only kicking into high gear after Burton’s marriage to painter and sculptor George Demetrios and their move to Cape Ann in Massachusetts, where they established an idyllic, art-filled household. What follows is a substantial and cogent discussion of Burton’s artistic contributions, emphasizing her innovative integration of design principles into both the art and the text of her children’s books. One chapter is devoted to her community of textile designers, the Folly Cove Designers, which, under her demanding instruction, attracted considerable attention and acclaim in the mid-20th century. Photographs and reproductions of Burton’s work, frequently in full color to illustrate its points, accompany the text. Elleman (Holiday House: The First 50 Years, 2000, etc.) clearly enjoyed a close relationship with her subject’s surviving family—the book is dedicated to Burton’s two sons—and the treatment of her subject is, perhaps as a consequence, chirpy to the point of gushing. “One gets the impression that a special excitement existed wherever she was—an effervescence that enlivened all she touched.” Any negative events in Burton’s life are either swiftly glossed over—the story of her mother’s abandonment of her family or an allusion to marital strife, for instance—or entirely elided, so that the author’s assertion that one of Burton’s enduring themes, “survival through change,” sprang from her own experiences is a little hard to credit. Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of The Little House, this offering indulges in considerable cheerleading for the publisher it shares with Burton—the name of which appears rather more frequently than seems necessary—and in fulsome coverage of the enduring popularity of Burton’s books. Although one might wish for a little less gushing and a little more discussion of Burton’s influence on subsequent illustrators, the close examination of Burton’s own work makes this a valuable contribution to the literature of children’s literature. (Biography. Adult/professional)
Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-00342-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
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