A vibrant read about the connections between fashion, culture, and social justice.
A celebration of clothing, cultural pride, and fashion activists.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t usually see high heels in men’s sizes? Do you remember when darker shades of makeup finally became easier to find? Are you curious about Muslim fashionistas? This book is for anyone who wants to explore the ways in which clothes, hairstyles, makeup, hats, and other sartorial decisions communicate who we are to the world. A person’s style can be powerful, as it enables the wearer to make a statement, giving them the opportunity to express cultural confidence, body positivity, and self-acceptance. Allaire (Ojibwe), a Vogue fashion and style writer from the Nipissing First Nation Reserve in Ontario, celebrates the way diversity is changing the world of fashion. Beginning with an introduction about the importance of representation, the author transports his readers to a place of pride. His writing questions norms and encourages young people to resist the status quo and not allow others to limit their creative expression. With sections dedicated to natural Black hair, gender nonconformity, cosplayers, Indigenous designers, and more, he brings fashion colorfully to life with photographs and history lessons. The book is made stronger by personal touches, for example passages about the ribbon shirt made by his mother and aunts that honored his Ojibwe culture and ancestors.
A vibrant read about the connections between fashion, culture, and social justice. (index, further reading, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77321-490-0
Page Count: 100
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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