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PHARAOH

LIFE AND AFTERLIFE OF A GOD

A beautiful encapsulation of a pharaoh’s duties, from life to death and beyond. Concentrating on the New Kingdom period of Egyptian history (1550-1070 BCE), readers see the death of Seti I, his funeral preparations, what his journey through the afterlife entails and the rise of his son Ramesses II. Kennett deftly weaves religion, war, trade and the floods of the Nile into a succinct but complete examination of life in Ancient Egypt. Lush acrylics portray everything from sweeping panoramas of cultural centers and soaring temples to intricate hieroglyphics and canopic jars. Beginning the book with the death of one ruler and the rise of the new allows Kennett the freedom to start with some of his most interesting material (mummies and the Book of the Dead) and from there lead child readers into some of the more basic aspects of daily life in Egypt at that time. Some captions on the smaller pictures would not have been amiss, but on the whole this is an impressive offering, three years in the making. (glossary, index, map) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: April 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-8027-9567-0

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Walker

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2008

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WHAT JEWISH LOOKS LIKE

A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world.

This wide-ranging collection of short biographies highlights 36 Jewish figures from around the globe and across centuries.

Explicitly pushing back against homogenous depictions of Jewish people, the authors demonstrate the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of Jews. Each spread includes a brief biography paired with a stylized portrait reminiscent of those in Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo’s Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (2016). A pull quote or sidebar accompanies each subject; sidebars include “Highlighting Jewish Paralympic Athletes,” “Jewish Stringed Music,” and “Ethiopian Jews in Israel.” Kleinrock and Pritchard’s roster of subjects makes a compelling case for the vastness and variety of Jewish experience—from a contemporary Ethiopian American teen to a 16th-century Portuguese philanthropist—while still allowing them to acknowledge better-known figures. The entry on Raquel Montoya-Lewis, an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court and an enrolled member of the Pueblo Isleta Indian tribe, discusses her mission to reimagine criminal justice for Indigenous people; the sidebar name-checks Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. The bios are organized around themes of Jewish principles such as Pikuach Nefesh (translated from the Hebrew as “to save a life”) and Adam Yachid (translated as the “unique value of every person”); each section includes an introduction to an organization that centers diverse Jewish experiences.

A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world. (resources) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024

ISBN: 9780063285712

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

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FARMER GEORGE PLANTS A NATION

A pleasing new picture book looks at George Washington’s career through an agricultural lens. Sprinkling excerpts from his letters and diaries throughout to allow its subject to speak in his own voice, the narrative makes a convincing case for Washington’s place as the nation’s First Farmer. His innovations, in addition to applying the scientific method to compost, include a combination plow-tiller-harrow, the popularization of the mule and a two-level barn that put horses to work at threshing grain in any weather. Thomas integrates Washington’s military and political adventures into her account, making clear that it was his frustration as a farmer that caused him to join the revolutionary cause. Lane’s oil illustrations, while sometimes stiff, appropriately portray a man who was happiest when working the land. Backmatter includes a timeline, author’s notes on both Mount Vernon and Washington the slaveholder, resources for further exploration and a bibliography. (Picture book/biography. 8-12)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59078-460-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2008

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