by Dan Gutman ; illustrated by Allison Steinfeld ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 14, 2021
Not a standout on the Earhart shelf.
Unexpected facts and fun trivia pepper a new biography of Amelia Earhart.
Siblings Paige and Turner, who both present Black, challenge each other’s Earhart knowledge as they share information about the famous pilot. There is no narrative as such. Written as a conversational exchange of facts between the two, the book covers aspects of Earhart’s life including her daredevil youth, a timeline of her impressive flight achievements, her unorthodox marriage to publisher G.P. Putnam, and her life as a celebrity. Even readers who are already well versed in Earhart lore may learn something new, such as the fact that astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s father helped prepare Amelia for her solo flight across the Atlantic. Young readers will enjoy the entertaining antics and background on her childhood, and lively illustrations complement the text. The infodump format moves readers from topic to topic briskly, providing an overview of Earhart’s life and career rather than an in-depth analysis. Many details are packed into a short book, which means that some heavier aspects of her story get a brief treatment that borders on irreverent. Gutman chose to include facts about Earhart’s first car, which she named “Yellow Peril,” in a section of additional facts; this racist term is glossed over rather than addressed with readers. (The reference to the car’s name will be removed in subsequent printings.)
Not a standout on the Earhart shelf. (Biography. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-324-01562-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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by Bill Scollon ; illustrated by Adrienne Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2014
A squeaky-clean biography of the original Mouseketeer.
Scollon begins with the (to say the least) arguable claim that Disney grew up to “define and shape what would come to be known as the American Century.” Following this, he retraces Disney’s life and career, characterizing him as a visionary whose only real setbacks came from excess ambition or at the hands of unscrupulous film distributors. Disney’s brother Roy appears repeatedly to switch between roles as encourager and lead doubter, but except in chapters covering his childhood, the rest of his family only puts in occasional cameos. Unsurprisingly, there is no mention of Disney’s post–World War II redbaiting, and his most controversial film, Song of the South, gets only a single reference (and that with a positive slant). More puzzling is the absence of Mary Poppins from the tally of Disney triumphs. Still, readers will come away with a good general picture of the filmmaking and animation techniques that Disney pioneered, as well as a highlight history of his studio, television work and amusement parks. Discussion questions are appended: “What do you think were Walt Disney’s greatest accomplishments and why?” Brown’s illustrations not seen. An iconic success story that has often been told before but rarely so one-dimensionally or with such firm adherence to the company line. (bibliography) (Biography. 8-10)
Pub Date: July 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9647-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
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by Gabriel Martín Roig ; illustrated by Fátima García ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2017
Apart from the peculiar posthumous narration, a useful addition to the artist-biography shelf.
This Spanish import describes well-known events in van Gogh’s career
Readers first see him as a child and then as an assistant in his uncle’s art dealership, followed by a brief spell as a minister, during which he witnessed and drew mining families living in terrible poverty. Constantly dogged by disapproval and humiliation in the provincial towns, the painter moved to Paris. Here he was exposed to contemporary art movements that were central to the evolution of his distinctive style. His removal to the Arles countryside, the inspiration for many of his most famous works; his complicated friendship with Gauguin; and his eventual descent into madness and suicide are described and illustrated with García’s soft watercolor illustrations and a few reproductions. Sidebars provide background information about art movements, places, and people that influenced van Gogh. The entire book, including the concluding timeline, is in the first person. This is potentially confusing for children who have a limited understanding of chronology. Some of the statements seem particularly jarring owing to this choice of narrative voice. The timeline states: “in a moment of despair, [I] shot myself in the chest. Two days later, I died.” It will be obvious to most readers that he could not be writing when dead, and this adds a layer of absurdity that derails the otherwise factual tone.
Apart from the peculiar posthumous narration, a useful addition to the artist-biography shelf. (list of paintings, websites) (Biography. 8-10)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-59572-770-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Star Bright
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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