A positive attempt at a difficult subject, this book will probably be most useful in situations where caring adults can help...
In many communities, children will notice people living on the street and start to ask questions.
Carefully written for both U.S. and Canadian audiences, with references to organizations operating in both countries, this slim book combines photos with realistic watercolor illustrations of diverse children asking questions about adult and child homelessness, mental health, poverty, child abuse and neglect, access to education and health care, and refugees. In introducing poverty in both countries (with a focus on urban situations) and then expanding the focus to include international poverty, today’s refugee situation, the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the authors (a Canadian child psychologist and Google’s “Chief Education Evangelist,” who himself grew up in urban poverty in New York City) may have created a book that is too broad in its reach, but astute adults can help navigate the information. The emphasis here is to help children of some privilege gain empathy and understanding about children and adults who lack these services. This is not a book for children who are living in conditions of poverty themselves. Suggestions about helping people through local, national, and international organizations are provided. The information provided about each topic is limited in scope due to the age range, but the writing is clear and accurate.
A positive attempt at a difficult subject, this book will probably be most useful in situations where caring adults can help children understand and work through their feelings about the topic. (authors’ notes, resources) (Nonfiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1617-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
While this book and its companion appear to be meant for the lower elementary grades, these British imports will require too...
With this series entry, Roberts attempts to help readers understand that their peers in many parts of the world are suffering and becoming refugees because of “wars, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism.”
The book also speaks about migrants as people who “leave for a happier, healthier life, to join family members overseas, or because they don’t have enough money and need a job.” This effort aims to educate child readers, reassuring them that “most people have a safe and comfortable home to live in” and while “it can be upsetting to think about what life is like for refugees and migrants,” kids can do something to help. Some practical suggestions are provided and websites included for several aid organizations. Companion title Poverty and Hunger, by Louise Spilsbury and also illustrated by Kai, follows the same format, presenting a double-page spread with usually one to three short paragraphs on a topic. A yellow catlike animal with a black-and-white striped tail is found in every picture in both books and seems an odd unifying feature. Mixed-media illustrations in muted colors feature stylized children and adults against handsomely textured areas; they exude an empty sense of unreality in spite of racial diversity and varied landscapes. By trying too hard to make comparisons accessible, Roberts ends up trivializing some concepts. Speaking about camping and refugee camps in the same sentence is very misleading.
While this book and its companion appear to be meant for the lower elementary grades, these British imports will require too much adult intervention to be very useful. (bibliography, websites, glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4380-5020-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
“Booyakasha!” Readers can be ninjas just like the heroes on the half shell.
“It’s Turtle Time!”
Master Splinter, the mutant, adult-human–sized rat sensei of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, invites readers to study the way of the ninja. He first presents a series of lessons with the help of the Turtles and their friends. Splinter narrates the lesson on tradition. Leonardo, the Turtle leader, takes up discipline. Raphael handles strength, Donatello, technology, and Michelangelo, creativity. Stealth, friendship, and teamwork follow. Each lesson is composed of two to four pages of admonitions, platitudes, and pictures. Then ensues a catalog of TMNT enemies. Each is described in a paragraph or two with several pictures and tips on defeating them; these tips reference the previous lessons. Finally, there are a couple “missions” that focus on stealth. Many chapters feature a cheeky comment scrawled in orange ink by Michelangelo in the margins (“I can do science stuff, too. I’m great at dancing the robot”). Conti does a good job channeling the characters’ voices in few words. The bright, abundant artwork is right out of the Nickelodeon television show now in its fifth season. It’s a slim book, but the elevated vocabulary makes this best suited to middle graders. Reluctant readers who love the Turtles will likely read and reread and use the ninja tips to sneak up on family members.
“Booyakasha!” Readers can be ninjas just like the heroes on the half shell. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4764-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
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