by David Conway ; illustrated by Jude Daly ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2008
For weeks, the sun has beaten down on Lila’s Kenyan village. To survive, all the people need is rain. One day, Lila’s grandfather tells her an old story about a man who knew how to call the rain: “You must climb the highest mountain and tell the sky the saddest thing you know.” The following morning, Lila sets out for the mountaintop, where she describes the saddest things she can, until finally she cries out that she doesn’t know what to do. The well is dry, and how can the village live without water? The sky rumbles, and Lila runs home to find her village celebrating the falling rain. Daly’s fine, precise acrylics present readers with an implacable yellow sun lowering over a sere landscape; Lila’s slim, stylized form conveys a wealth of emotion. An author’s note on the culture and on drought would have added considerably, but still, this is a beautifully illustrated tale that will easily serve as an introduction to the importance of water and a catalyst for discussion of water shortages in Africa. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: May 15, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-84507-407-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2008
Share your opinion of this book
More by David Conway
BOOK REVIEW
by David Conway & illustrated by Melanie Williamson
BOOK REVIEW
by David Conway & illustrated by Charles Fuge
BOOK REVIEW
by David Conway and illustrated by Roberta Angaramo
by Buzz Aldrin & illustrated by Wendell Minor ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2005
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
Share your opinion of this book
More by Buzz Aldrin
BOOK REVIEW
by Buzz Aldrin & Marianne Dyson ; illustrated by Bruce Foster
BOOK REVIEW
by Buzz Aldrin and illustrated by Wendell Minor
by Michael Tyler & illustrated by David Lee Csicsko ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2005
An earnest but energetic tribute to diversity, done up with postmodern arrays of smiling, stylized, lozenge-headed children paired to a rollicking celebration of: “Your coffee and cream skin, / your warm cocoa dream skin . . . / Your chocolate chip, double dip sundae supreme skin! / Your marshmallow treat skin, / your spun sugar sweet skin . . . / your cherry topped, candy dropped, frosting complete skin.” Tyler also urges readers to think about the commonality of “The skin that you laugh in; / the skin that you cry in; / the skin that you look to / the sky and ask, ‘Why?’ in.” Though he changes his tone and plies a verbal mallet to drive his point home in the last several verses, the earlier wordplay more than compensates—while glimpses of one child in a wheelchair, and another held by a biracial couple, expand the general theme to encompass more than skin color alone. A sonically playful, if just a bit overlong, alternative to Sheila Hamanaka’s All the Colors of the Earth (1994). (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-9759580-0-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chicago Children’s Museum/IPG
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2005
Share your opinion of this book
More by Linsey Davis
BOOK REVIEW
by Linsey Davis & Michael Tyler ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming
BOOK REVIEW
by Linsey Davis & Michael Tyler ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.