by Becky White & illustrated by Megan Lloyd ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 2011
A bit of bibliography and a stronger admission that this is not history (or herstory) but legend would make this a stronger...
A historical fable, told in very few words, prettily illustrated and rather wonderful in its elegant brevity—except there is almost no evidence to support the Betsy Ross myth.
The text is minimal and often rhymes: “Betsy ripped. / Rip, rip. // Seven rich, / Crimson strips.” Betsy Ross is shown cutting and dyeing and pinning this country’s first flag, with its 13 alternating red and white stripes and its blue field behind a circle of 13 stars. Lloyd has used fabric appliqué sewn and fused, stamping and stitching to make the illustrations, lovely in their simple graphic shapes and clean design. Her illustrator's note explains her fascinating process. An author’s note simply says, “According to legend,” and goes on to cite the stories of George Washington’s pencil sketch for the first flag and Betsy’s change of his six-pointed star for her five-pointed one but does not explain that there is no historical evidence for any of it. The Betsy Ross legend did not appear until late in the 19th century, nearly 100 years after the supposed events. Ross was, however, an upholsterer, and such folk did indeed make flags and other items. An appendix illustrates how to make a five-pointed “Betsy Ross Star” with one cut on a properly folded piece of fabric or paper.
A bit of bibliography and a stronger admission that this is not history (or herstory) but legend would make this a stronger book. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1908-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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by Martin Luther King III ; illustrated by AG Ford ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2013
An effective title to introduce young readers to Dr. King’s message of peace and equal rights; though it’s hardly the only...
His oldest son remembers the civil rights leader with affection and pride.
Called Marty as a child, Martin Luther King III spent his childhood learning difficult lessons about segregation, jail and protest marches. He and his sister were eager to go to an amusement park until their parents finally told them that it was only for white people. When he and his brother received toy guns for Christmas, they were told that guns are destructive weapons and watched as their parents burnt them in a bonfire. In the third grade, the author reluctantly integrated a school and faced taunts, relatively mild in the book, as the only African-American in his class. As importantly, Dr. King was a loving and playful father to his children. Adults sharing this title with young readers can make a connection between the words of Dr. King’s landmark “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28th, 1963, and their own family memories. Ford’s full-page color paintings bring to mind photographs of the period in their depiction of family scenes and civil rights marches. Final art not seen.
An effective title to introduce young readers to Dr. King’s message of peace and equal rights; though it’s hardly the only picture book about the slain leader, the child’s-eye view is a valuable one. (afterword) (Picture book/biography 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-028075-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Amistad/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
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by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw ; illustrated by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2015
A gentle introduction to environmental activism for the very young.
A nature lover called Butterfly saves a redwood by living up in the tree for 738 days.
Basing her story on the actual experience of forest activist Julia Butterfly Hill, a young adult whose tree-sit took place from December 1997 to December 1999, Kostecki-Shaw reimagines it as the tale of a young girl and a tree with bright eyes and loving arms. Aided by friends who provide supplies and take away her waste, Butterfly braves a storm and the changing seasons, imagining the appreciation and support of the tree they call Luna. Butterfly shares her experience with the world through letters and radio broadcasts. She climbs to the treetop, explores every branch and meets the other tree-dwelling creatures. One dramatic spread shows a cave within the tree’s trunk, where she finds ferns, berries, birds and even a fox. The mixed-media illustrations use acrylics, watercolor, salt, pencil and collage. Vignettes and panels suggest the passage of time, and penciled comments provide a soundtrack as well as imagined conversation between girl and tree. Two spreads require that the book be turned; these emphasize the tree’s height. In spite of the title, the narrative is in the third person, perhaps reminding readers that this is based on an actual experience described in the author’s note.
A gentle introduction to environmental activism for the very young. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 12, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9976-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2015
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