An informative profile of a trailblazing legislator that will inspire children to work for justice.
This introduction to the Title IX civil rights law highlights major events in the life of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress.
Narrated in straightforward—if at times dry—text, the story highlights the role of family obligations and Japanese cultural traditions in Mink’s upbringing as well as the many obstacles she overcame. Growing up in Hawaii as the grandchild of Japanese immigrants, young Patsy learned much from observing her father work hard to make a better life for their family. As a teenager, she courageously fought against the internment of Japanese Americans after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Barred from entering medical school and later denied employment as a lawyer due to her gender, Patsy nevertheless fought tirelessly on behalf of her fellow students and citizens and ultimately helped create the Title IX federal law that prohibits gender-based discrimination in educational institutions. The Japanese proverb “fall down seven times, stand up eight” is used as a motif throughout the text to underscore Mink’s determination. Nakamura’s digital illustrations are bright and colorful with a varied palette of both pastel and bold tones. However, at times, characters are portrayed in a cartoonish manner that detracts from the solemnity and poignancy of Mink’s efforts. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An informative profile of a trailblazing legislator that will inspire children to work for justice. (author's note, timeline, bibliography, notes) (Picture book biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-295722-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
A book to share that celebrates an immigrant and his abiding love for his adopted country, its holidays, and his “home sweet...
A Jewish immigrant from Russia gives America some of its most iconic and beloved songs.
When Israel Baline was just 5 years old, his family fled pogroms in the Russian Empire and landed in New York City’s Lower East Side community. In the 1890s the neighborhood was filled with the sights, smells, and, most of all, sounds of a very crowded but vibrant community of poor Europeans who sailed past the Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbor to make a new life. Israel, who later became Irving Berlin, was eager to capture those sounds in music. He had no formal musical training but succeeded grandly by melding the rich cantorial music of his father with the spirit of America. Churnin’s text focuses on Berlin’s early years and how his mother’s words were an inspiration for “God Bless America.” She does not actually refer to Berlin as Jewish until her author’s note. Sanchez’s digital illustrations busily fill the mostly dark-hued pages with angular faces and the recurring motif of a very long swirling red scarf, worn by Berlin throughout. Librarians should note that the CIP information and the timeline are on pages pasted to the inside covers.
A book to share that celebrates an immigrant and his abiding love for his adopted country, its holidays, and his “home sweet home.” (author’s note, timeline) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)Pub Date: June 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-939547-44-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An excellent biography that will inspire young readers, especially girls, to do what they love
A picture-book biography of a humble genius who excelled in a career once out of reach for most African-Americans.
The 2016 film Hidden Figures tells the story of three black women who began working as human computers in the early 1950s for the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, which later became NASA. This book focuses on the life of one of those women, Katherine Johnson. From an early age, Katherine loved numbers and counted everything. Skipping three grades in school, Katherine was ready for high school at age 10, but her hometown in West Virginia allowed only white students to attend the high school. Her family moved to Institute, West Virginia, to enable Katherine to attend a black high school—from which she graduated at 14. Becker emphasizes Katherine’s tenacity, competence, creativity, and intellectual curiosity as she gains the trust of the astronauts whose safety and success depended on the work of the human computers. Phumiruk’s stylistically varied, colorful illustrations feature mathematical computations and notes in the backgrounds, emphasizing Katherine’s passion for numbers. Becker makes good use of the title, playing on different forms of the word “count” throughout the story, as when Katherine says, “Count on me” to calculate the Apollo’s flight paths.
An excellent biography that will inspire young readers, especially girls, to do what they love . (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-13752-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
© Copyright 2025 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.
