Dandy and dazzling and top-notch fun.
A day in the youth of motor-mouth Mel Blanc, written by his daughter-in-law.
Mel Blanc—the “Man of 1,000 Voices,” including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and the ear-splitting Woody Woodpecker—wasn’t born with a wizard’s tongue; he had to work at it—at top volume. Ebbeler’s setting for this tale of young Mel is pleasingly Edwardian, with lovely background planes of graded color or design with deep, inky linework laid over. This intimacy makes Mel’s riotous creations that much more voluble. Out of bed, he is a dragon, “HHHHHhhhhh….” The sounds Mel creates are hand-lettered, drawn to swirl, evoke, and enfold. Mel finds the best acoustical venues for the figments of his imagination at school: a vaulted hallway for a train (“Woooooo…woo”), the tiled bathroom for a giant shark (“Chomp”). He’s a rascal, which doesn’t escape the principal, for instance, or the playground monitor, or the bus driver (all white, just like Mel and his family). But his vocal cords and his robots, race cars, tornadoes, and bulldogs won’t be tamed. “I’m still the fastest mouth in the world,” even when he is sentenced to school-kitchen duty or raking the family lawn. Blanc’s text is trim and keeps a jazzy, upbeat tempo, presenting the story of one very inventive kid rather than a biography of one of the 20th century’s most oft-heard voices (though a biographical note follows).
Dandy and dazzling and top-notch fun. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-714-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Best read in addition to watching the video, this piece represents an important moment in U.S. history.
Mulford’s song about the tragic church shooting in Charleston in 2015 is transformed into a picture book.
The rhyming lyrics are simple, describing how a stranger came to a house of worship and was “let…in,” though “he was not friend, he was not kin.” The stranger “seemed to pray” but then he “drew a gun / and killed nine people, old and young.” On this spread, white text contrasts with an all-black painted background. President Barack Obama’s appearance with the community of mourners is then pictured with the chorus: “no words could say what must be said / for all the living and the dead // So on that day and in that place / the president sang Amazing Grace.” The painted pictures, with tones of blue, black, and purple, move from the church to a montage of clasped hands, a crowd of mourners, various pictures of Obama, and a spread showing each of the nine victims. The song can be found online, and its performance is deeply moving; in the video, the lyrics and paintings are a stunning combination, making this book seem like a great idea. Without the music though, the book lacks the soulfulness of the video, and the unfinished look of the static paintings is not nearly so effective. Endnotes describe each contributor’s relationship to the work (including performer Joan Baez and filmmaker Rick Litvin) and contain a QR code to access the video; endpapers provide sheet music.
Best read in addition to watching the video, this piece represents an important moment in U.S. history. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-944903-84-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Cameron + Company
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
An important figure; a pedestrian introduction.
Mabel Fairbanks is not found in textbooks, but she made history as the first African American inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
As the book opens, young Mabel is orphaned and homeless in New York City. Taken in by a white family, she provides child care in exchange for shelter. Looking out the apartment window at skaters in the park, she’s inspired to save up for skates, and two successive double-page spreads show the excitement and joy Mabel finds on the ice. Subsequent pages reveal that the story takes place in the 1930s, and the phrases “colored are not allowed” and “WHITES ONLY” underscore the segregation of the era. Ultimately a sympathetic rink manager lets her in, and her talent is quickly noticed—but she still can’t compete. She continues to work and train hard, her dedication paying off when she’s able to showcase her skills in a Harlem nightclub and eventually make her way to Hollywood for a TV show and then to international performances in a supporting role. Unfortunately, her talent doesn’t surpass the racism of the time, but as a coach, Mabel promotes change by encouraging her students of diverse backgrounds and advocating for them. The text does an adequate job of portraying both the racism and her determination, but readers will wonder at gaps in the timeline. Almon’s bright, cheery illustrations belie the challenges Mabel faced.
An important figure; a pedestrian introduction. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-3496-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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