A pedestrian addition to a crowded field.
Intended to help teens—whether they’re aspiring artists or distracted doodlers—develop through exploring and expressing themselves.
The book’s four sections—“About Being Playful,” “About Me,” “About Feelings,” and “About Knowing Yourself”—feel somewhat arbitrary and redundant; for example, prompts for drawing about apologizing and about making mistakes, though related in theme, are in separate sections. The prompts appear in small text boxes on otherwise blank double-page spreads. Some of the 68 invitations included are so open-ended they’re barely suggestions: “You can draw a picture using your favorite colors,” and “You can draw or illustrate a story.” Some very general or abstract prompts—such as those about a user’s hypothetical wish, superpower, inspiration, or sources of support—could be conversation starters. Other prompts ask for an artistic response to how you feel when you wake up in the morning, what you’re thankful for, or an issue you care about. A list of feelings precedes requests to depict stimuli or situations that produce them. The author also includes a helpful list of coping skills, as well as an endorsement of the power of artistic expression. Created by a licensed art therapist, this book may be a useful tool to support the “healing benefits of art making and creativity”; art therapy books and online resources are plentiful, however, and nothing particularly distinguishes this one. An introductory author’s note explicitly urges those suffering from serious mental health symptoms to seek professional counseling.
A pedestrian addition to a crowded field. (Workbook. 12-17)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781685557317
Page Count: 152
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
© Copyright 2026 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.
