The whole is written in a gender-neutral tone, without condescension but with a certain number of assumptions about access...
The third in a series of lively approaches to creative endeavors (Learn to Speak Dance, by Ann-Marie Williams and illustrated by Jeff Kulak, 2011, etc.), this offers genuine advice amid a sea of exclamation points.
DeCarufel has been a fashion intern and an editor, and she co-founded a Web fashion magazine, Hardly. The Canadian author’s enthusiasm is unflagging, and she takes preteen readers with her on the “clothes + art = fashion” formula. She starts with finding one’s own style and continues with learning to see: using visual curiosity to examine design, pattern, color and so on to find what inspires. Window shopping, building a wardrobe, preparing a sketchbook and learning to sew are all part of the plan. She gives advice about runway shows, models, fashion shoots, stylists and so on. She frames these events as activities that young folk could actually perform, and she makes it all sound possible. The layout is full of boxes, sketches and quotes pulled from famous fashion folk: Some may find the type on dark backgrounds to be hard to read, but visually it is very effective. The last chapter lists “essentials” for designers, photographers, stylists, magazines and interns. These are very simple but really cover the basics, and her attitude that fashion and style are worthy and enjoyable pursuits is spot-on.
The whole is written in a gender-neutral tone, without condescension but with a certain number of assumptions about access to technology and tools like cameras and sewing machines. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-926973-37-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012
A prolific reporter of paranormal phenomena strains to bring that same sense of wonder to 12 “transposed”—that is, paraphrased from interviews but related in first person—accounts of extraordinary experiences. Some feats are more memorable than others; compared to Bethany Hamilton’s return to competitive surfing after having her arm bitten off by a shark and Mark Inglis’ climb to the top of Mount Everest on two prosthetic legs, Joe Hurley’s nine-month walk from Cape Cod to Long Beach, Calif., is anticlimactic. Dean Karnazes hardly seems to be exerting himself as he runs 50 marathons on 50 consecutive days, and the comments of an Air Force Thunderbirds pilot and a military Surgeon’s Assistant in Iraq come off as carefully bland. The survivors of a hurricane at sea, a lightning strike and a tornado, on the other hand, tell more compelling stories. Most of the color photos are at least marginally relevant, and each entry closes with a short note on its subject’s subsequent activities. Casual browsers will be drawn to at least some of the reconstructed narratives in this uneven collection. A reading list would have been more useful than the superfluous index, though. Fun, in a scattershot sort of way. (Nonfiction browsing item. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4027-6711-1
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
Stun friends and family members by guessing secret numbers and doing painless long division. Dice and card tricks and finger multiplication are among the fascinating tricks potential mathemagicians will learn to perform. But Colgan goes beyond the ordinary by giving an in-depth, easily understandable explanation of the math behind each trick, as well as any history that might be applicable, too. Not only will readers learn how to multiply large numbers in their heads, they will learn why this trick works and that the early Egyptians used the very same method. Prime numbers, Napier’s bones, division dowels, the binary number system and factoring are just a few areas they will explore. Kids won’t stop with just learning the tricks—the emphasis is on performing them, and the author does a great job of giving tips for a magical performance that is not only believable but entertaining as well. Backmatter includes a glossary, but the language used in the definitions is more advanced than that used in the text, and the terms used within the entries are not always themselves defined. Kurisu’s illustrations emphasize the performance side of mathemagic, showing potential performers how to successfully set up or follow through with specific tricks. Colgan makes math cool, and that speaks for itself. (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55453-425-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
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