Superb versions for reading alone or for sharing with audiences large or small.
Oft-told tales retold with uncommon verve and outfitted with resplendent Art Deco–style portraits.
Napoli opens with the rise of the “mother force” Gaia to bring order to the whirling elements of Chaos and closes with the devastation of the Trojan War (“the doing of gods with too much time on their hands”). In between, she introduces over two dozen immortals and heroes—including Hestia, Helios and Selene among the better-known Olympians and their mortal offspring. While somehow managing to keep all the sex inexplicit (Aphrodite is born, for instance, from the “foam” produced by an unspecified body part ripped from her father Uranus), she lays out clear family lines. She pays close attention to her narrative’s tone and sound, capturing the nature of each god or mortal with vivid turns of phrase: Peaceable Hestia considers Zeus a “frightful maniac,” Orion grows up to become “an insufferably pompous nitwit” and Selene is left to pine, “silver sweet, and soft, and sad,” for her eternally sleeping lover, Endymion. Applying rippling strokes of intense color, Balit opens with a shimmering family tree of Olympians, heads each chapter with a stylized full-body image of a mythological figure with associated emblems and symbols and also contributes interior illustrations and thumbnail portraits for the closing summary cast list.
Superb versions for reading alone or for sharing with audiences large or small. (Mythology. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4263-0844-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
This lighthearted overview may well lead readers to further research.
Nine illustrated chapters loosely trace the various ways cultures around the world have dealt with keeping their bodies clean—or not.
The introductory chapter, “Eight Myths About ‘Clean,’ ” includes such clever hooks as a warning to the squeamish about references to “poop, bodily fluids...and other shocking subjects.” Indeed, the text abounds with such tidbits as the propensity of rats to nibble on gentlemen’s unwashed wigs. The chapter on “Ancient Grime” briefly summarizes The Odyssey, using it to discuss the importance of washing and bathing in 12th century B.C.E. Sidebars tell of bathing in the Indus Valley in 3,000 B.C.E., as well as washing habits in ancient Egypt and China, while the primary narrative then revisits Greece (including Athens versus Sparta) and introduces Roman baths. (Readers may find Ashenburg’s alternation of dates and centuries confusing as they navigate this nonlinear history.) The text successfully shows the influences of religion, class distinctions, geography, individual thinkers, and advertising on cleanliness behaviors throughout centuries and over most continents, ending with current practices in Canada and the U.S.—including the ongoing debate about antibacterial products. Colorful pages brim with sidebar anecdotes related to bathhouses, soap, toilets, and surprised international travelers. There are some liberties taken to keep the text simple and accessible, but the myth-shattering is well-documented.
This lighthearted overview may well lead readers to further research. (sources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-55451-790-9
Page Count: 108
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
A fascinating chronicle of the longtime role of trickery in warfare.
In this companion to Top Secret (2006) and The Dark Game (2010), his books on secret codes and spying, respectively, Janeczko examines how subterfuge has been used in warfare for thousands of years.
In an engaging, informative narrative, Janeczko chronicles how such deceptive techniques as concealment, camouflage, planted false information, double bluff, ruse, and more have been used to great success in battles and campaigns in the Civil War, world wars I and II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. Carefully defining these terms of military art and beginning with the biblical account of Gideon, Janeczko explains how “demonstration” (false military preparations) and “feint” (distraction) were used to defeat the Midianites. A feigned retreat led to William the Conqueror’s victory in the Battle of Hastings. Confederate Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson’s masterful use of deceptive strategies made him one of the most successful Civil War commanders. The invasion of Normandy is the quintessential example of deception in extent and overwhelming success. Janeczko explains that, although principles of deception in warfare have changed little over time, the technology behind fooling the enemy has evolved dramatically. He also examines evolving attitudes about the use and effectiveness of duplicitous strategies. The narrative ends abruptly, with discussion of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf’s use of deception techniques in Operation Desert Storm.
A fascinating chronicle of the longtime role of trickery in warfare. (maps, photos, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6042-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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