Macdonald (First Facts About the Ancient Romans, 1997, etc.) attempts to explain past history through the experiences of children from various cultures and time periods, noting that the details of their lives did not always merit recording or preserving: “They had little money and hardly any power, so few writers or artists thought it worthwhile to record their lives.” Every spread, arranged roughly chronologically, describes a different topic or culture, e.g., “Ancient Egypt,” “Toys and Games,” “The Children’s Crusade,” “Benin,” “The French Revolution,” etc. A sidebar covers a particular child from that place and time, among them, Princess Amat al-Aziz of Baghdad, a.d. 758, who “had the deepest desire to do good”; Egil Skallagrimsson, a young Icelander who killed his playmate at age six; Nathan Field, an actor with Shakespeare’s troupe; and Anne Frank, who may be the most famous child of WWII, an era otherwise given sparse treatment. Full-color drawings by five artists, historical photographs, and thumb-sized world maps accompany a text that runs between understatement and exaggeration; Macdonald’s idea is certainly a good one, but it may be that the coverage, attempting uniformity where none exists, is simply too uneven. (chronology, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81378-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another well-researched, well-written entry in a recent spate of books (Jennifer Armstrong’s Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World, 1999), articles, and exhibitions about the amazing survival of the crew of the Endurance. As in the Armstrong book, Kimmel recounts the efforts of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s team, who set out in 1914 to cross the Antarctic continent, but ended up trapped in the ice in a ship which was slowly crushed, then made a painful journey to rescue across ice floes, storm-tossed seas, and a mountain range said to be impassable. With larger photographs and typeface—and fewer novelistic flourishes—than the Armstrong book, this version is appropriate for the middle-grade audience. Kimmel tells the exciting story well; the riveting adventure may inspire further interest in history and exploration. (index, not seen, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 26, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-91524-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A somber, useful study in how cultures both continue age-old traditions and change, given new circumstances. In her first book, Hazen-Hammond documents that combination of tradition and change among the Indians of the Nambe Pueblo of New Mexico, focusing on Thunder Bear Yates, an eight-year-old, and his family (his grandfather, Herbert Yates, is the spiritual leader of the Nambe Pueblo, a role Thunder Bear’s father, Ben, will assume, as will Thunder Bear). Thunder Bear is a contemporary child who likes baseball and computers, and a member of his tribe, learning the old ways. The author recounts the history of the Winter People, who, in the early 19th century, traveled each winter to the plains to hunt the ko, or buffalo. By 1860 the buffalo became scarce, greatly changing the life of the Winter People. Mere decades ago, Herbert Yates established a buffalo herd on Pueblo land, and renewed the old traditions. Tawny gold light fills the photographs of daily life, the buffalo and the charm of their young, the dignity of the people, and the incongruity of the smooth adobe walls with decorative bear tracks and a roof that sprouts a television antenna. A captivating photo essay, handsomely presented. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-525-46013-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf