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 fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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