Worthy of theme but lacking in execution.
A prolific Mongolian storyteller’s original legend of how the distinctive dwelling known as the ger came to be invented.
Adapted into spare and stately English by renowned storyteller Pellowski, the story is punctuated by quarrels. Once, all living things lived peaceably in “a big house called the earth.” But fights began, and all went to find homes of their own—including a man who, being “very old” and “very intelligent,” instructs his seven sons to gather willow branches, rope, and fleeces to construct a sturdy round shelter. But the house blows down after the old man dies because his sons have ignored his command to “work together and tighten the ropes that keep our home on the ground.” Perhaps to counter the all-male cast of the narrative, Vidal adds silent feminine figures in a few scenes. However, aside from the occasional Bactrian camel or golden eagle, her grassy settings have a generic look, and though each of the sons wears a differently colored robe, in face and feature they are indistinguishable. Moreover, aside from those plain robes there are no decorations or possessions of any sort, culturally distinctive or otherwise, to be seen, and though Pellowski appends a description of how gers are typically furnished, the illustrator’s one glimpse inside shows just empty space.
Worthy of theme but lacking in execution. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-937786-81-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Evocative, though light on factual detail.
A tribute to the playful, creative husband-and-wife team who, as icons of midcentury modern design, brought us tiny tables and bent plywood chairs.
Rather than lay out specific biographical details, Yang focuses on the overall approach and sensibility that architect Charles Eames and painter Ray Eames brought to their artistic careers. Charles liked to work with structures; Ray was sensitive to color and shape. Together, Yang writes, “they made a perfect team.” They were “always looking for a problem to solve.” “Is there a way to make hanging up your clothes fun?” “Why do tables have to be big?” “How can we make toys both kids and adults will love?” Many of their designs are still manufactured, but the formfitting modern chair (which will probably always be their best-known work) gets pride of place as the product of a long process of trial and error that suggests how much hard work goes into the seemingly simple design of common objects. Incorporating colors and forms associated with their work, Yang depicts the couple as hands-on sorts, fiddling with wire, balls, and blocks in bright, airy workspaces or, in one scene, lying flat on the floor to appreciate a painting suspended from the ceiling. Readers may come away with an inkling of the Eameses’ artistic methods but will need to look elsewhere for more than a handful of actual examples of their creations.
Evocative, though light on factual detail. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9780593404829
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
It’s 1775 and the people of North Carolina want freedom from England’s rule, but “[w]hen sixteen-year-old Betsy Dowdy heard Papa talk about war approaching, she felt as helpless as a ghost crab skittering along the sand.” The legendary Betsy of Currituck (her existence has never been proven) isn’t helpless, though. She promptly saddles up her pony Bess and rides all night—50 miles over hill and dale—to warn General Skinner’s militia about the incoming redcoats. In what may be the most Fauvist depiction of colonial America ever, Priceman’s splendidly untamed gouache-and-ink spreads reflect the menacing inevitability of war with fiery oranges and the red-cloaked Betsy’s phantasmagorical nighttime ride in deep blues and purples. Perspectives are distorted, buildings topsy-turvy, eyes of human and beast are wild and wide—even the sharp-toothed river fish look agitated, as in a crazy nightmare. The muddled story—more odd, atmospheric drama than history lesson—may just end up unsettling readers, though, despite the trumpeting clarity of its made-for-radio-voice refrain: “She couldn’t fight as a soldier. But she could ride.” (stylized map, author’s note) (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4169-2816-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2010
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