by Guido Visconte & illustrated by Bimba Landmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2004
The 13th-century Italian saints Francis and Clare of Assisi continue to inspire: Francis with his love for all creatures and Clare, who saw visions on her windows, as a possible patron saint of the Internet. Visconte weaves their stories lightly together, as they were in life. Francis was a rich man’s son who dreamed of glory and found it by giving away his wealth and caring for the very birds of the air; Clare was a noblewoman who fed the poor and cured the sick. Francis led Clare to her vocation and Clare nursed him through his final illness. Visconte tells a complicated story gracefully, allowing the longing for the divine into the tale. Landmann’s illustrations take inspiration freely from Giotto, from the Siennese school, and from Byzantium. Her use of flat space, lapis and gold, and a powerful modern sense of pattern create the spiritual milieu in which this story of belief and devotion can be understood. While not for very young children, middle-graders will be able to grasp sanctity so clearly delineated. (Picture book/biography. 8-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-8028-5269-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2004
Share your opinion of this book
by Peggy Thomas & illustrated by Layne Johnson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2008
A pleasing new picture book looks at George Washington’s career through an agricultural lens. Sprinkling excerpts from his letters and diaries throughout to allow its subject to speak in his own voice, the narrative makes a convincing case for Washington’s place as the nation’s First Farmer. His innovations, in addition to applying the scientific method to compost, include a combination plow-tiller-harrow, the popularization of the mule and a two-level barn that put horses to work at threshing grain in any weather. Thomas integrates Washington’s military and political adventures into her account, making clear that it was his frustration as a farmer that caused him to join the revolutionary cause. Lane’s oil illustrations, while sometimes stiff, appropriately portray a man who was happiest when working the land. Backmatter includes a timeline, author’s notes on both Mount Vernon and Washington the slaveholder, resources for further exploration and a bibliography. (Picture book/biography. 8-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-59078-460-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2008
Share your opinion of this book
More by Peggy Thomas
BOOK REVIEW
by Peggy Thomas ; illustrated by Stacy Innerst
BOOK REVIEW
by Peggy Thomas ; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
BOOK REVIEW
by Peggy Thomas
by Jacqueline Woodson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2014
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Google Rating
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2014
New York Times Bestseller
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winner
National Book Award Winner
A multiaward–winning author recalls her childhood and the joy of becoming a writer.
Writing in free verse, Woodson starts with her 1963 birth in Ohio during the civil rights movement, when America is “a country caught / / between Black and White.” But while evoking names such as Malcolm, Martin, James, Rosa and Ruby, her story is also one of family: her father’s people in Ohio and her mother’s people in South Carolina. Moving south to live with her maternal grandmother, she is in a world of sweet peas and collards, getting her hair straightened and avoiding segregated stores with her grandmother. As the writer inside slowly grows, she listens to family stories and fills her days and evenings as a Jehovah’s Witness, activities that continue after a move to Brooklyn to reunite with her mother. The gift of a composition notebook, the experience of reading John Steptoe’s Stevie and Langston Hughes’ poetry, and seeing letters turn into words and words into thoughts all reinforce her conviction that “[W]ords are my brilliance.” Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned.
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-25251-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jacqueline Woodson
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by Leo Espinosa
BOOK REVIEW
by Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by Rafael López
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.