A memorable life—a forgettable presentation.
Baseball’s No. 42 strikes out.
Even as a babe in his mother’s arms, Robinson is depicted wearing his Brooklyn Dodgers baseball cap in this latest entry in the Ordinary People Change the World series. He narrates his childhood alongside cartoon panels that show him as an expert runner and thrower. Racism and poverty are also part of his growing up, along with lessons in sharing and courage. Incredibly, the Negro Leagues are not mentioned beyond a passing reference to “a black team” with a picture of the Kansas City Monarchs next to their team bus (still looking like a child in the illustration, Robinson whines, “Gross! Is this food or goo?”). In 1946, Branch Rickey signs him to play for the Dodgers’ farm team, and the rest, as they say, is history. Robinson concludes his story with an exhortation to readers to be brave, strong and use their “power to do what’s right. / Use that power for a cause that you believe in.” Meltzer writes his inspirational biography as a first-person narrative, which risks being construed and used as an autobiography—which it is not. The digitally rendered cartoon illustrations that show Robinson as a perpetual child fall sadly short of capturing his demeanor and prowess.
A memorable life—a forgettable presentation. (photographs, timeline, sources, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8037-4086-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2014
This may inspire little yogis, but for accurate examples of the asanas, consult an actual instruction book.
The popularity of yoga for kids guarantees a market for this lesson book, based on the author’s website of the same name.
The premise is simple, but it’s also a bit didactic. Like first-time author Russo, Bunny wants to share the joy of yoga with his friends. Alas, Lizard is too angry and tired, Fox is too busy, and Bird has the hiccups. None will try yoga. Sadly, Bunny tells himself that “doing yoga alone is better than not doing yoga at all.” Two little mice imitate Bunny's warrior pose, which inexplicably prompts a change of heart for Bird and Fox. Even Lizard joins them for the resting pose. Russo's animals are drawn with spare simplicity but lack expression. The uncluttered white pages with just a hint of grass and little pink flowers under each animal's feet ground the images and mirror Bunny's inner calm. The 32 illustrations that decorate the endpapers show Bunny in rather un-rabbitlike postures. Though they are undeniably cute, it’s peculiar to think of a rabbit doing “happy baby” or “butterfly,” much less a “bound side angle.” The chubbiness of the rabbit makes that last pose and others very difficult to parse visually. Russo also calls the plank posture a “pushup,” which implies effort—which is counter to yoga philosophy.
This may inspire little yogis, but for accurate examples of the asanas, consult an actual instruction book. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-242952-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Another pointless entry in a series intended to inspire more than inform.
The brilliant 20th-century scientist exhorts readers to keep asking questions.
Meltzer presents Einstein from birth through childhood and adulthood as one who always thought carefully before speaking and loved his head of hair. Apparently, one of the white-haired, mustachioed tot’s first sentences was: “My hair is so AWESOME!” As a young boy, he decides to figure out “Why did the universe behave the way it did?” From there, it is a fast trip to playing the violin, studying math and the famous equation E=mc2, which is not well-explained in the text. Of far greater importance is the exhortation that readers should value curiosity, difference and learning—all of which could lead to inspiration. There is no backmatter and no sourcing for a concluding quotation, but two pages of photographs are credited. The author provides no additional biographical information about Einstein’s incredibly multifaceted life. Eliopoulos’ digitally rendered cartoon illustrations are caricature more than representation. As in previous titles in the series, Einstein has a large, round head; his is adorned with the scientist’s signature mop of white hair and full mustache from birth. It is an oxymoron to include his life in a series about “ordinary people.”
Another pointless entry in a series intended to inspire more than inform. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8037-4084-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
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