Staub (Herons, p. 957) has produced a concise photo-essay for the World's Children series (Children of Guatemala, p. 1776, etc.), featuring several dozen appealing youngsters from this unique Central American country, the former colony British Honduras, where English is the official language, the toucan is the national bird, and the various ethnic groups are descended from Maya Indians, Spanish explorers, African and West Indian slaves, and British pirates. There is little about Belize in print for younger readers outside of encyclopedias; this is a fine introduction. Staub travels the country from end to end, visiting rain forests, Mayan ruins, cane fields, and fishing villages, photographing the children who live in each region and work in enterprises ranging from eco-tourism to Mennonite furniture manufacture. Following the series format, narrow columns of text accompany 60+ full-color photos. In a warm and respectful touch, the names of the people in the photographs are always given. A simple map shows all the places mentioned in the text. Unlike some other volumes in the series, this one does not include a ``fact box'' of population, area, languages, etc.—instead, that information is incorporated into the text. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Dec. 23, 1997
ISBN: 1-57505-039-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1997
Assuring readers that “you’re not the first to have a time out, you’re not the worst,” Lucke presents 14 of the badly behaved from history—including Cleopatra the “Phighting Pharaoh,” Isabella the “Not-So-Clean Queen” (she claimed to have bathed only twice in her life) and the “Armée Brat” Napoleon: “He looked at Germany and said, ‘Mine.’ He saw Italy and said, ‘Mine.’ ” Unfortunately, she wastes her promising premise by skipping over nearly all of the actual details (“In 1717 Bach was given a time out for ‘stubbornness’), and by not checking her facts carefully—no, Rosa Parks did not become an activist after she was arrested, and no, she did not receive the Congressional Medal of Honor (she did win the Congressional Gold Medal). The painted gallery of recognizable figures scowling, pouting, having tantrums and sitting in corners can’t compensate for the anemic text; steer readers instead to titles in the Horrible Histories series. No source citations, either. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: April 8, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-2829-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2008
Stating that “democracy is a messy business and it’s our job to sort it out,” Goodman takes a simplified route through the electoral process in this country, with special reference to presidential elections. Her anecdotal history starts with ancient Athens, closes with ways that readers too young to vote (in national elections, at least) can become politically involved and in between covers styles of campaigning, vice presidents, assassinations, dirty tricks, the Electoral College, hanging chads and related topics. Smith’s cartoon illustrations crank up the presentation’s light tone with comical views of candidates and voters, along with free-association riffs on donkeys vs. elephants, Congress, campaign financing and more. All in all, the team that produced The Truth About Poop (2007) and Gee Whiz! All About Pee (2006) treat their timely and (more or less) new topic with the same engaging informality. Readers will come away a little more informed about how elections work, and perhaps motivated to make their own voices heard. (resource list, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: May 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-59990-285-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2008
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