Stanley, in her usual style (Michelangelo, 2000, etc.), gives a brief, lavishly illustrated account of this famous Muslim leader who united his people against the Christian Crusaders of the 12th century. Saladin was a Kurd who joined the army of the Turkish Sultan Nur al-Din at the age of 14. Propelled quickly to a powerful position through courage, charisma, and chance, he was a popular leader who was well known even to the Christians for being merciful. The story that Stanley tells is one almost entirely of battles and plays for power (as, one would assume, the records of the time allow us). Though it will appeal to the young reader who already enjoys battle stories, her somewhat dry text may lose more generally interested readers. Each page of text is illustrated with a border and faces a full-page painting. Stanley’s richly colorful scenes are decorated with Persian-influenced patterns, making this inviting to page through. (Curiously, everyone in her illustrations has the same relatively pale tone of skin.) A short author’s note and postscript frame the story in its historical context. A glossary and bibliography of adult titles conclude the work. Though this will leave readers with some questions (Stanley provides no references for some of the more interesting tidbits that they may be curious about), it brings this hero to light for a young audience, who may only be familiar with this period from the Christian history. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-688-17135-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2002
Based on a journal and an unpublished manuscript, a brief, surprisingly lifeless account of the boyhood of one of Indianapolis's first settlers. Among other activities, Elijah Fletcher leaves home to attend a new school as a boarder; rescues his brother, who has inadvertently stowed away on a paddlewheel boat; and goes to the Marion County Fair. Unfortunately, the text jumps from one episode to another, each so sketchily narrated that it's hard to develop either much interest in Elijah or much understanding of what his life was really like. Henry does provide information like the name of the man who had the first brick house in Indianapolis—a person who doesn't figure otherwise here and, like the book, isn't likely to interest most young readers. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: March 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-02-743671-3
Page Count: 39
Publisher: Four Winds/MacMillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1992
Step-by-step directions for creating 12 paper projects and magic tricks. The projects include a shaggy tree, Jacob's ladder, a popper, a snowflake, and a whirligig; the directions given in the text and in the soft blue and black illustrations are fairly clear. For the magic tricks, McGill explains what materials are needed, ``what you appear to do,'' and ``what you really do,'' providing magician's patter as well as practice tips. The tricks include sleight of hand and tricky paper-cutting; some, like the ``number mindreader'' and the ``Chinese compass,'' may require much practice. Approachable format with a slick permabound cover, glossy interior pages, and excessively wide margins. An adequate choice for budding magicians. The ``further reading'' is too limited to be useful. Index. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1992
ISBN: 1-56294-136-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1992
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