A loving ode to an inspiring and incredibly talented writer.
Parallels between life and art come into sharp focus in this tribute to a woman who produced an American classic.
Peppered throughout with strong quotes from Louisa May Alcott’s personal and professional writing, this picture-book biography sets the author within the context of her best-loved work. Readers learn about Louisa’s early years and overwhelming desire to write. Yet her need to support her family through her words hits roadblocks, like the discouraging response from editors, one sister’s death, and another’s marriage. Even so, her pen continues to move, and after modest success, she produces a work intended for a female audience—a most welcome addition at a time when books for boys dominated the market. The narrative rather abruptly concludes when Louisa has published the first book of Little Women. After hearing of Louisa’s yearning for fame and fortune, young readers can only learn whether she achieved such goals in the thorough backmatter (which includes tips for aspiring writers, photos of Louisa’s sisters, and even a chart comparing and contrasting Louisa’s life with that of her famous protagonist, Jo March). Nevertheless, Hannigan’s clear love for Louisa and the impact of her work shine through. Moore’s soft-hued illustrations offer readers a strong sense of setting, from the woods where Louisa often walked with a neighbor, philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau, to the hospital where she worked as a nurse during the Civil War.
A loving ode to an inspiring and incredibly talented writer. (author’s note, bibliography, timeline) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781629794563
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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