Red-card it.
Let’s talk about the most amazing soccer stars ever!
Billioud’s list of 40 is fair, but its struggles with format, content, and illustrations mean that it may be treasured by only the most die-hard fans of the sport. Information on each player covers one page, which is divided into seven text boxes, with additional trivia added to an illustrated image of the player on the facing page. The information provided is superficial and may leave readers with more questions than answers; for example, the section on French player Zinédine Zidane mentions his infamous head-butt in the 2006 World Cup final but neglects to provide any context for the action. The brevity of the text makes no allowance for readers fully unfamiliar with the game. Cristiano Ronaldo’s section mentions his “succession of drag-backs, step-overs, and nutmegs,” but the book fails to define any of these terms. Almasty’s illustrations feature a collection of digitally created characters that are akin to tall, sporty versions of LEGO minifigures. With little subtlety in palette and detail, many of the players appear to be an interchangeable lot. Is that man Cha Baum-Kun of South Korea or Diego Maradona of Argentina? Without the uniforms as a guide, it’s hard to tell. Finally, in the history of soccer, surely more than four women have risen to the top of anyone’s list.
Red-card it. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: May 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78603-142-6
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
A spirited biography untangles the accretion of myth and story around Pocahontas and makes clear what little is actually known and what fragments of the historical record are available. The text is rich in illustration and in sidebars (on longhouses, colonial diet, weaponry and so on) that illuminate the central narrative. Whether Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life directly or as part of an elaborate ritual might not matter, argues Jones. Pocahontas and her people were certainly responsible for keeping the English settlement of Jamestown from starvation. Relations between English settlers and Native people were uneasy at best, and the author traces these carefully, relating how Pocahontas was later kidnapped by the British and held for ransom. When none was forthcoming, she was converted both to English ways and the Christian religion, marrying the widower John Rolfe and traveling to England, where Pocahontas saw John Smith once again and died at about the age of 21. An excellent stab at myth busting and capturing the nuances of both the figure and her times. (glossary, bibliography, source notes, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4027-6844-6
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
While the historical record is regrettably light on this Shoshone teenager, Berne stitches together a compelling narrative from what is known, taking care to bust myths along the way. Sacagawea had been kidnapped by the Hidatsa and sold or given to Toussaint Charbonneau as a wife before she was 14. Because she knew both the Shoshone and Hidatsa languages, she was seen as an invaluable link for communication to the Lewis and Clark expedition, which hired her French-Canadian trader husband. During the 16-month journey (1805-06), she acted as translator, located edible food and was a visible symbol of peace (no war party would have a woman), all the while carrying and nurturing her baby son, Jean-Baptiste. The author stresses the paucity of information even as she extrapolates what she can; Sacagawea's kindness and resourcefulness are evident from the Lewis and Clark records, for instance. Sidebars and illustrations enrich the account (about Native-American baby care, trade goods, Lewis’s Newfoundland dog, Seaman). Some repetition could have been edited out, but this is still a good addition to this biographical series. (glossary, bibliography, source notes, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4027-6845-3
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
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