An unusual and satisfying collection, and who will quibble with the Chicago Cubs’ “Lesson Learned”: “Believe you will...
If at first you don’t succeed, then at least enjoy the epic failures of others, for as well as the pleasures of schadenfreude, there are lessons to be learned.
Boyer presents 128 pages of whopping failures, flubs, and snafus—and even a few unexpected winners—in this fizzy selection. It’s busily designed, with squibs of text, photos, bright colors, speech balloons, and a boxed item for each failure with timeworn words of encouragement: “Lesson Learned.” Some of the examples are just plain flops (does anybody really miss the Segway?), but some are dangerous, too, as in those weighted, spiked lawn darts. “Nearly 5,000 kids wound up in emergency rooms.” (There is no “Lesson Learned” for that fiasco.) There are also failures that turned into winners—Slinky started life as a stabilizer for sensitive battleship equipment, which it didn’t stabilize—and happy accidents, such as the birth of the Popsicle after its 11-year-old inventor noticed his drink had frozen overnight. Then there are the perils of time and publishing. “The Chicago Cubs baseball team once seemed unstoppable,” back in 1907 and 1908, “[but] they haven’t won a World Series since.”
An unusual and satisfying collection, and who will quibble with the Chicago Cubs’ “Lesson Learned”: “Believe you will succeed!”? (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2548-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
As the reteller states in his preface, “Myths allow us to recognize our proper role in the web of life,” but this anthology...
Twelve folk tales from various Amazonian cultures are retold, but their audience is unclear.
A full-bleed illustration opens each myth, with greens, browns, oranges and golds predominating. The short myths and pourquoi tales feel fragmentary, although the longer stories are just as confusing. Perhaps the convoluted publishing history is to blame. Popov, the Russian illustrator, created the intricately dreamlike gouache and India ink paintings for an academic collection of Brazilian tales. (Humans wear few clothes, as is natural in this region.) Groundwood and a Brazilian publisher wanted to reuse the illustrations and invited Munduruku to present selected tales in a voice that is unquestionably authentic but will probably feel unfamiliar to North American readers, particularly young readers accustomed to European-American storytelling voices. Eight different groups are represented, but the book doesn’t provide information about the different cultures; strong relationships among the region’s flora and fauna and its indigenous groups are revealed. There is no map, but there is an excellent glossary. Readers hoping for drawings of the many local animals and plants mentioned will be disappointed.
As the reteller states in his preface, “Myths allow us to recognize our proper role in the web of life,” but this anthology will require an intermediary who can creatively make the connections between the text and its readers. (Folk tales. 9-12)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-55498-185-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
These messages, combined with the limited but practical fashion advice, will help preteens feel prepared for their next...
For preteens confused by fashion and style, this informative guide will help introduce some basic concepts with a healthy dose of encouragement and self-discovery.
This lightweight work, filled with black-and-white illustrations, quotes from fashionable celebrities, quizzes and “real girl” stories, encourages readers to become Expressionistas, letting their personal appearances match their inner selves. This is achieved through Fashion Personas: “your personal identity as it relates to and is expressed through fashion, style and design.” Walker and McKuen identify only five Fashion Personas—Classic, Natural, Romantic, Dramatic and Trend Tracker—devoting a chapter to each persona. After determining their Fashion Personas, readers can learn about accessorizing, organizing their closets and how to shop for pieces to fit their personas. An epilogue gives a final pep talk for budding Expressionistas, followed by several appendices. Although some claims strain credulity (such as a better understanding of Fashion Personas leads to improved relationships with others), the positive messages will probably resonate with the target audience.
These messages, combined with the limited but practical fashion advice, will help preteens feel prepared for their next shopping trip. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58270-429-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Beyond Words/Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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