Insofar as the reading level of the book for adults is on a par with this effort—for the most part, only the substance has...
This distillation of the best-selling Killing Jesus: A History (2013) retains the original’s melodramatic tone and present-tense narration. Also its political agenda.
The conservative pundit’s account of Jesus’ life and, in brutal detail, death begins with a nonsensically altered title, an arguable claim to presenting a “fact-based book” and, tellingly, a list of “Key Players” (inserted presumably to help young readers keep track of all the names). Like its source, its prose is as purple as can be, often word for word: “There is a power to Jesus’s gait and a steely determination to his gaze.” Harping on “taxes extorted from the people of Judea” as the chief cause of continuing local unrest, the author presents Jewish society as governed with equal force by religious ritual and by the Romans, and he thoroughly demonizes Herod Antipas (“he even looks the part of a true villain”). Alterations for young readers include more illustrations, periodic sidebars, far fewer maps and a streamlining of context so that the focus is squarely on Jesus, with less attention on the historical moment—an unfortunate choice. Assorted notes on 16 various side topics, from a look at Roman roads to the rise of the cross as a Christian symbol, follow. A mix of 19th-century images, photos of ancient sites and artifacts supplement frequent new illustrations (not seen) from Low.
Insofar as the reading level of the book for adults is on a par with this effort—for the most part, only the substance has been simplified—it’s hard to see the value of this iteration. (source list, recommended reading) (Biography. 12-15)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9877-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
Two Jasons share their singular experiences with all those who value art.
An artful collaboration; a love story.
In the early aughts, acclaimed writer Reynolds and accomplished artist Griffin shared a first name, a college dorm room, and a plan to move to New York City to pursue their overlapping dreams. This mixed-media art project and collection of poems is the result of their striving and struggles and the strength of their friendship. A number of entries focus on differences, for example, between Griffin’s red hair and Reynolds’ black curls. By way of contrast and juxtaposition, this is a story of connection between visual art and poetry, between dreams and real life in Brooklyn, and between two young men who eschewed many cultural expectations regarding what two men can mean to one another and how they should express their emotions and creativity. Their history is illustrated in bold colors, and the printed words are complemented by hand-lettered text. While the unevenness of the textual and visual presentations can at times present more as an uneasy distraction than a cohesive narrative—like when Reynolds’ well-grounded anxieties about New York or the precarious health of his mother are set against Griffin’s art-world ambitions and passions—the creative effort forces readers to constantly give attention to form, process, and relationships of all sorts.
Two Jasons share their singular experiences with all those who value art. (Poetry. 12-15)Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7823-7
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A collective biography showing flight careers as normal, exciting, and attainable.
Brief biographies of female pilots and astronauts to encourage young would-be aviators.
Glossy minibiographies describe the childhoods and professional trajectories of women working in careers such as pilot, astronaut, balloonist, and businessperson. Though some are famous (Sen. Tammy Duckworth, for example, and all of the astronauts) and some are groundbreaking (such as Puerto Rican Olga Custodio, who was the U.S. Air Force’s first Latina military pilot), others are everyday women who chose cool jobs. There’s Brooke Roman, a pilot for an oil company in Alaska, and Edgora McEwan, a hot air balloon pilot from Uzbekistan who works in the United Arab Emirates. Other than McEwan and Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian woman astronaut, the subjects are American, and the majority are military, a career path that is presented positively. A passion for aircraft permeates the whole, and the strongest of the sidebars delve into the mechanics of aircraft. The women of color (comprising about half the subjects) are almost invariably identified by race, while the White women are not, situating Whiteness as a default. Some achievements are presented as notable firsts, though most of the sexism and racism the women have experienced are sanitized and situated firmly in the past. Despite some awkward turns of phrase, this is an accessible volume highlighting women in fields where they remain underrepresented.
A collective biography showing flight careers as normal, exciting, and attainable. (notes) (Nonfiction. 12-15)Pub Date: July 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64160-589-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
