An effervescent first flyover.
An upbeat, country-by-country tour of European sights and sites.
Beginning with the U.K. and circling around counterclockwise to end up in Iceland, Lerwill maintains an upbeat tone that only rarely falters as he squires young armchair tourists through five geographically based itineraries. If his facts aren’t always up to snuff—no, the telephone and TV were not born in Scotland, though their inventors were—and his chatty prose doesn’t always sparkle, he does manage to give each country a distinctive character by finding different combinations of food, festivals, historical figures, and natural features to highlight. He mentions the current war in Ukraine, but other references to past or present conflicts and contentious issues are rare and generally oblique. De la Prada provides stylized regional maps and small images of wildlife and notable physical and architectural marvels; she also gives depictions of residents and visitors alike a notably diverse quality: Alexander the Great and Alexandre Dumas, for example, join many other dark-skinned figures placed in settings ranging from a Shakespearean stage to an annual Serbian trumpet festival. “So grab your passport,” writes the author, “and let’s get exploring!”
An effervescent first flyover. (flags, index) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9781536250107
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
A pleasingly lucid look at a complicated relationship, it should prove revelatory to an audience unaccustomed to such nuance.
Though John Adams and Thomas Jefferson “...were as different as pickles and ice cream,” they were able to work together to fight for America’s independence—for a while.
In the late 1770s, they developed conflicting ideas about government and aligned with opposing political parties. When John Adams was elected as the second U.S. president, Jefferson was elected vice president. This exacerbated their rocky relationship, and when Jefferson was ultimately elected president over Adams, their friendship ended. Over a decade would pass before they spoke again. The team that created George Did It (2005) now brings to light both the trials and tribulations of these two notable leaders and the turbulence of early American politics. Energetic watercolor-and-pencil drawings accurately represent the late 18th century, showing the dress, style and architecture of the period. Feisty narration paired with amusing illustrations makes light of sticky situations, as when Jefferson physically restrains an angry Adams from assaulting King George and Adams moves himself out of the White House in the dead of night. Although quotations are not specifically sourced, the selected bibliography reveals a wealth of research, including several primary sources.
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-525-47903-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fragmentary memoir, but warm, humorous and engaging overall.
Anecdotal paintings and reminiscences of two childhood years spent in China, by an artist now in her 90s.
Following up Once Upon a Full Moon (2007), an account of her family’s journey from Canada to Kwangtung province, Quan recalls 17 experiences or incidents during the stay. These include feasting on New Year’s Day (“Mama steamed a whole chicken inside a winter melon and made sweet red and green bean paste…”), gathering to watch a teen relative take a bucket shower (“We all laughed with glee”), and welcoming both a new piglet and, later, a new baby brother. Opposite each memory, a full-page, loosely brushed watercolor in a naïve style adds both cultural and comical notes with depictions of small, active or intent figures in village dress and settings. It’s a sunny picture, but there are references to the real dangers of pirates and brigands, as well as a comment about the author’s beloved Popo (grandmother) walking to church on bound feet. These, along with a final parting made particularly poignant since the baby, being foreign-born, had to be left in China for several years, keep it from becoming a sugary nostalgiafest.
A fragmentary memoir, but warm, humorous and engaging overall. (afterword, with photo of Popo) (Illustrated memoir. 6-9)Pub Date: March 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-77049-383-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2013
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