A poetic, worthy ode to a trailblazer.
A biography of Black country artist Charley Pride (1934-2020), who crossed the color line.
Fittingly, Iker’s first book for kids employs text that could pass for lyrics to a country song (albeit one that doesn’t pay much attention to meter). As a child in Mississippi, Charley loved to sing, and he taught himself to play the guitar. It upset him that people were polarized by race and religion; he wanted to “ride the clouds outta Sledge, Mississippi, / with his rich, ringin’ rhymes / and change the world one ditty, one ditty, / one ditty at a time.” As an adult, Charley performed in clubs at night and played baseball by day until an injury forced him to focus on his music. He eventually became country music’s first major Black star, though he met with resistance from those averse to change (“Not everyone was happy to see / different kinds of people in Charley’s crowds”). Although the text skimps on biographical details that might have interested young readers (e.g., that Pride played baseball in the Negro Leagues goes unmentioned), Iker’s style is well suited to capturing their subject’s emotional life, which included periods of despair. (An author’s note touches on Pride’s struggles with bipolar disorder, which he was open about before doing so was commonplace.) Milien’s cartoonish digital art brims with enthusiasm.
A poetic, worthy ode to a trailblazer. (sources, photo references) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)Pub Date: June 9, 2026
ISBN: 9798217003693
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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