A lively exploration of recent women’s history as well as the creation of an iconic female superhero.
“As lovely as Aphrodite—as wise as Athena—with the speed of Mercury and the strength of Hercules….”
Wonder Woman was born when her creator, Bill Marston, decided that children needed a female superhero. But the male publishing world laughed at the idea, so Marston needed to find a way to be incredibly convincing—and he did, eventually bringing Wonder Woman into the mainstream and hiring women writers and artists to help him do so. Told entirely as a comic, complete with panels, speech bubbles, biographical text boxes, captions, and sound effects, the thought-provoking and accessible story accompanied by engaging illustrations describes how the lives of women in the U.S. changed during and after World War II and how Wonder Woman’s character embodied many of these changes. It chronicles the dilution of her personality in the 1950s, the integration of the comic into Ms. magazine in the ’60s, the ’70s television show that showed execs people would tune in for a female lead, and the woman-directed 2017 movie. While the retro illustrations focus on the all-White primary cast (helpfully labeling all the White men at work making comics in an early scene), people of color are included throughout. Whether or not they already know the character, children will be drawn into this informative tale, which is inspiring and entertaining, much like Wonder Woman herself. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lively exploration of recent women’s history as well as the creation of an iconic female superhero. (author’s notes, source notes, selected reading) (Informational picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-23842-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.
The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.
Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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