An inspiring, kinetic look at an unconventional act of activism.
In 1976, comedian and activist Dick Gregory ran from coast to coast to advocate for those without enough food to eat.
“What would you do if you knew someone who goes to bed every night without having supper?” The authors pose that question before explaining Gregory’s “wild idea” of running from the City of Angels to the Big Apple—seven million steps total. By consuming nothing but “fruit juices, vitamins, water, and maybe sunflower seeds,” he plans to raise awareness about food insecurity. Written in second person from the perspective of an elder addressing a child, the text places readers in Gregory’s sneakers as he runs 50 miles a day seeing “America from different angles.” People diverse in age and skin tone start to run alongside Gregory—“a cavalcade of support” that includes Indigenous “brothers and sisters” and boxer Muhammad Ali. When the run gets tough, hazy images of faces appear in the clouds as if to cheer Gregory on, “step by grueling, glorious step.” This collaborative picture book—cowritten with Gregory’s son—joyfully brings its subject’s voice to the mic and tracks the stops along the run where Gregory would address onlookers. The work’s final question becomes a moving call to action—both to the Black child seen next to Gregory and to readers themselves. Morrison’s dynamic artwork is a feast for the eyes, with detailed brush strokes rendering bodies in motion, gorgeous scenery, and expressive faces.
An inspiring, kinetic look at an unconventional act of activism. (more information on Dick Gregory, authors’ notes) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063357525
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Amistad/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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