A lackluster attempt at introducing readers to two extraordinary partners.
The lives of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are condensed and stylized into a pictorial biography in this translated title from Spain.
The historical context in which Kahlo and Rivera worked, redolent of new freedoms in post-dictatorship Mexico, is glossed over, and for readers to be denied more than a teasing glimpse at this rich cultural shift is somewhat frustrating. Rather more attention is paid to tracing the lives, careers, and thematic signatures of both artists as individuals. Kahlo’s desire to escape the confines of her earthly self through art is gently juxtaposed with Rivera’s expansive, revolutionary ideals, but these underlying complexities, too, are given short shrift, as are the nuances of their eventual partnership. The text hints at explosive passion, mutual respect and admiration, and a balance of independence and artistic symbiosis that cannot be contained within this format, which comes across almost as the elevator pitch to a much more developed story. Some of their contemporaries are introduced along with notable events and figures of the time. Where this book excels is in its illustrations, which imbue the figures depicted with all of the vibrant, eccentric verve that their real-life counterparts carried. Several pages include quotes from each artist, but no sources are provided for them or for any of the facts presented.
A lackluster attempt at introducing readers to two extraordinary partners. (glossary, timeline) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781914519833
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Orange Mosquito
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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