Roman successfully puts another pin on the map in this educational, engaging story about diversity and understanding other...
In the latest installment of Roman’s successful If You Were Me and Lived In… series, young readers can travel to Peru to learn about their peers’ lives and culture.
Having previously whisked elementary age readers to France, Mexico and India, among other countries, Roman’s series sets out for Peru with the aim of helping kids learn about the similarities and differences between their lives and the lives of Peruvians. First, the book situates Peru in South America and describes the capital city, Lima, which Roman notes “comes from an old Indian word, limaq (li-mack), which means ‘talker.’ ” As usual, Roman writes in a straightforward, engaging manner, exploring everyday life in Peru from the perspective of a child. For example, readers learn details such as what kids call their parents—“You would call your mommy, Mami (Mam-mee). When you see your daddy, you would call him Papi (Pap-pee)”—and what games they play: “You would love to play the game sapito (sa-peet-o) with your friends. You would place a palm-size toy frog in the center of many boxes and try to throw a coin into its mouth. Whoever got the most coins in the frog would win.” Roman describes other aspects of Peruvian culture, like the cuisine (ceviche, fried guinea pig, potatoes) and Carnival (a February festival in which “everybody has squirt guns, water balloons, and buckets of water,”) as well as tourist attractions like Machu Picchu. The story features colorful images and photographs of Peru that depict scenes from the text and help kids further understand what they’re reading. For instance, when Roman asks if readers can figure out what a “muñeca” is, the next page has a drawing of dolls, and a book-ending pronunciation key includes its definition. With such a focus on kid-friendly topics, it’s easy to see how young Americans and Peruvians aren’t that different from each other after all.
Roman successfully puts another pin on the map in this educational, engaging story about diversity and understanding other cultures.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1499640694
Page Count: 30
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a world of high-tech medical care, Meador makes a compelling argument for the simplest of diagnostic tools—listening to a...
An intriguing account of 19 medical mysteries and the true-life medical detectives who solved them.
Over his 50-plus years of practicing medicine, Meador (Puzzling Symptoms, 2010, etc.) has seen many unusual illnesses that defied traditional diagnosis. In his latest book, he recounts the most fascinating—and downright bizarre—of these cases, in which patients experienced troubling medical symptoms with no apparent cause. The cases involve both Meador’s and others doctors’ patients. All, however, are solved using the same method: medical deduction rooted in careful listening. The book begins with a dedication to the late Berton Roueché, who popularized the medical-detective genre as a staff writer for the New Yorker. The first chapter, “Dr. Jim’s Breasts,” revisits an interesting case involving a 76-year-old man who suffers from the ailment of the title. Without giving away the ending, through much inquiry, the cause of the man’s breast enlargement is discovered—and it is a curious cause indeed. This and other cases illuminate a consistent theme, which is that patients, with a doctor’s guidance, are often their own best medical detectives. In the chapter “Two Cases of Pneumonia: Two Different Causes,” two unexplained incidents of chronic pneumonia are solved by an infectious disease specialist who teases out patient histories with careful listening and questioning and by “involving a family member in the search for clues.” Other chapters, such as “A Paradoxical Suicide Attempt” and “A Near Death from Hexing,” provide striking examples of the mind’s ability to create profound physiological responses and the need for physicians to take this into account. The author’s suspenseful, Sherlock Holmes-esque retelling of each case will keep the pages turning. But this is more than just a collection of entertaining anecdotes. In an age of technology-driven, impersonal medical care, Meador provides a powerful reminder of the need for meaningful dialogue between doctors and patients.
In a world of high-tech medical care, Meador makes a compelling argument for the simplest of diagnostic tools—listening to a patient.Pub Date: June 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475037289
Page Count: 102
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A smart, funny read for anyone who enjoys a sharp satirical portrait of society.
Kral’s series of satirical vignettes tells of a town called Idiotville and its inhabitants.
These short stories—some enthralling, some baffling—work together to reveal the full scope of hilarious events in Idiotville. Kral’s skills as an inventive new author shine when describing the citizens’ antics, as simple moments twist into absurdist, fantastical scenarios, highlighting both the author’s imagination and his talent for drawing in readers. For instance, in “A Really Poor Use of a Time Machine,” time-traveling Bruce surprises Lisa with a visit to “the time of Christ” for Valentine’s Day. Lisa has an understandably anxiety-filled response: “Of course Bruce was worth it….He was smart, very smart. Sometimes too smart. Sometimes so smart he seemed retarded.” Kral captures the dissonance while remaining true to his narrator, an impressive skill that underlines the vignettes. In “The Sports,” the main character is the beleaguered father of a cheerleader. Kral uses this scenario to meditate on the sometimes absurd world of sports and competition. Kral doesn’t shy away from satirizing religion either: In “The Churches,” he adopts a riotously wild tone when describing the practices of the town’s church—the Church of Bob. Most memorable perhaps is the invented commercial in which a mother tells her children, “Drink up! There’s Blood of Bob in thirty delicious flavors, including orange, grape, root beer, and my favorite raspberry kiwi!” Her son answers, “Mommy, I want more so I can see God.” Most readers with a keen sense of humor will be able to discern that Kral’s writing is all in good fun, but sensitive readers could find the parody a bit distasteful. That’s both the strength and weakness of Kral’s writing: He pushes to the outer limits, exposing the surreal in our everyday lives.
A smart, funny read for anyone who enjoys a sharp satirical portrait of society.Pub Date: March 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468095746
Page Count: 172
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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