Spare text and intriguing illustrations bring this philosophical contemplation to life.
An illustrated exploration of intangible elements of daily life.
Imagine if concepts were embodied physically—what might they look like? This translated title from Colombian artist Liévano invites readers to consider the unseen, using images to convey insights into five abstract parts of life: happiness, memories, dreams, gravity, and reality. The full-color artwork, sometimes formatted in comic panels, sometimes taking up a full page or a two-page spread, is accompanied by brief, enigmatic statements that invite readers to reflect; for example, “The impossible purpose of memories is to fill a gap that can never be filled…and is forever filling up.” These statements seem to ask readers not necessarily to fully understand or even agree with the author but to consider everyday ideas in a new light or from a different angle. Rereading this work will bring deeper insights and connection. The abstracted silhouettes of solid-colored, male-presenting figures convey a calm consideration of ideas and relationships, without emotional intensity or a dramatic narrative. Liévano’s color palette and artistic styles vary, from solid red, yellow, orange, blue, black, and white forms and lines that evoke a surreal landscape for happiness to diffuse, ethereal shapes on cream, white, and black backgrounds for memories. Fans of graphic design, or those fond of Edwin A. Abbott’s 1884 classic, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, will likely enjoy this unique investigation of the impalpable.
Spare text and intriguing illustrations bring this philosophical contemplation to life. (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9781592704354
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Unruly
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
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 fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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