An engaging, vividly illustrated tale that will seem new to many youngsters.
Aire’s text-heavy picture book describes the life of a prince born in the Malian village of Niani in the 13th century.
Sunjata is born around 1217 as a prince in his village. It’s prophesied that he will one day rule, even though he’s not directly in line to inherit the throne. He’s initially unable to walk due to pain in his legs, and he works hard to strengthen them. Sunjata’s father dies when Sunjata is 7, and the boy doesn’t become king. When his brother sees him as a potential rival, Sunjata, with a few close advisors, leaves the village. While traveling, he learns what it means to be a leader of the people and eventually regains control of the Mali Empire. Aire’s text is a bit overlong and extremely detailed: As such, it would likely be best for elementary-school-aged readers and above. Shabelnyk’s illustrations are lifelike and colorful, giving readers a cohesive look at the setting as well as at the clothing of the era. The well-known story of Sunjata is uncommon in North America, and this work’s research and illustrations may be a breath of fresh air to many readers. The book offers extensive backmatter, references, an author’s note, and a brief discussion of Sunjata’s disability.
An engaging, vividly illustrated tale that will seem new to many youngsters.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-7782502-0-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Our Ancestories
Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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