It’s got a few gaps, but it’s stimulating reading nonetheless for upcoming activists and rebels.
A consciousness raiser about who makes and enforces life’s written and unwritten rules.
Noting at the outset that “power is neither good nor bad; it totally depends on how it is used,” five British writers begin by very briefly laying out a general picture of how adults, bullies, and political leaders wield influence over others. Subsequent sections explore types of said influence—from race, “Rainbow Rights,” and “Different Bodies” to war and money—and offer suggestions for self-empowering activities. Though these last are at least relatively low-risk (i.e., self-esteem–building exercises, making signs and petitions), embedded profiles of activists such as Emmeline Pankhurst, Mohandas Gandhi, Che Guevara, and Alan Turing make it clear that bucking the powers that be can carry a high price tag. The authors pose wonderfully perceptive what-ifs, such as invitations to identify things that might be acceptable today but not OK in the future and to think about Snow White falling in love with Cinderella. These add needed depth and scope to a discussion that occasionally takes a simplistic turn (“the US civil rights movement…eventually ended segregation across America”) and glosses over a number of relevant topics, from terrorism and religion to confirmation bias. The illustrations add a carefully inclusive mix of celebrated figures and generic, mostly young activists pointing and posing around the blocks of text.
It’s got a few gaps, but it’s stimulating reading nonetheless for upcoming activists and rebels. (glossary, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78240-927-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Ivy Kids
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
A solid base hit, with guidance on the great American pastime—and life itself.
Actor Renna, best known for his role in the 1993 film The Sandlot, offers baseball-themed anecdotes and affirmations.
Heartfelt reminders that life’s a marathon, not a sprint, may be familiar, but many young readers will find them revelatory. The author also stresses that failure is just as much a part of life as success, encourages children to embrace individuality and work hard despite being the underdog, and emphasizes that practice shows commitment and “prepares you for the big game or the test.” All these lessons will be relatable to young people, and many are supported by real-life stories: basketball superstar Michael Jordan’s short-lived stint in minor league baseball, an unexpected victory during Game One of the 2015 World Series, and Renna’s willingness to swallow his fear when, as a young teen, he was handed a new script just an hour before shooting a pivotal scene in The Sandlot. Each tidbit stands alone, but taken together, all 20 tenets provide a lively road map to life. The colorful spot art features images of diverse young baseball players, plus some visually appealing double-page spreads filled with movement and action. White space is used thoughtfully, allowing readers to reflect on how these words of wisdom might apply to them.
A solid base hit, with guidance on the great American pastime—and life itself. (Informational picture book. 7-11)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593754870
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
An enthralling historical account.
Rentetzi tells a lesser-known but inspiring story of science and politics.
In 1958, the U.S. donated two mobile labs to the International Atomic Energy Agency to demonstrate how, in the wake of World War II, nuclear power could be used for good. The vehicles visited four continents, providing global scope to the project. From the book’s first spread, which refers to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and includes an image of a mushroom cloud), Rentetzi’s clear, concise text, translated from Dutch, explains the hope that the labs would allow scientists to make advances in agriculture, medicine, and industry. Scientists “with or without lab coats, with or without shoes” attended training sessions and applied what they’d learned to local challenges. De Decker’s precise, powerful line-and-color artwork—a mix of vignettes and full-page spreads, some recalling classic Northern European art—depicts people, landscapes, monuments, transport vehicles, local animals, and the inside of a science lab in the late 1950s. Details from the text are artistically integrated, like a world map and the painted flags that record the countries the mobile labs visited. While the tone is overall positive, Rentetzi acknowledges the complex political undercurrents of the project, noting that the U.S. government sought to make scientists around the world dependent on American technology, thus giving the U.S. an edge over the Soviet Union.
An enthralling historical account. (more information on the mobile labs) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890632456
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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