McCann conveys the remarkable heroism of Tryszynska-Frederick, a young Jewish nurse imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp. Luba’s emotional strength, bravery, and determination in the winter of 1944 saved 54 abandoned, starving, and cold Dutch children from their impending death, as she hid them in her barracks for the duration of the war and used her ingenuity and a lot of luck to beg, borrow, and steal food. McCann recounts in lucid narrative prose, with the inclusion of some dialogue, the events and hushed drama as related to her by the real Luba. Well-crafted, this includes a brief introduction and post-script to the Nazi concentration camps and WWII, an epilogue depicting Luba’s official Amsterdam recognition with photographs from the liberation of the camp and a 1995 reunion, and a thorough bibliography of books, articles, film, Web sites, personal letters, and interviews. Realistic oil paintings with collage reflect the darkness of the period and the terrifyingly dangerous environment amid the loving concern within the concealed group. One of the beautiful, positive stories that emerged from that awful time, to be remembered and passed on to young and old alike. (author’s note, including children’s names) (Picture book. 7-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-58246-098-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tricycle
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2003
The author of Cod’s Tale (2001) again demonstrates a dab hand at recasting his adult work for a younger audience. Here the topic is salt, “the only rock eaten by human beings,” and, as he engrossingly demonstrates, “the object of wars and revolutions” throughout recorded history and before. Between his opening disquisition on its chemical composition and a closing timeline, he explores salt’s sources and methods of extraction, its worldwide economic influences from prehistoric domestication of animals to Gandhi’s Salt March, its many uses as a preservative and industrial product, its culinary and even, as the source for words like “salary” and “salad,” its linguistic history. Along with lucid maps and diagrams, Schindler supplies detailed, sometimes fanciful scenes to go along, finishing with a view of young folk chowing down on orders of French fries as ghostly figures from history look on. Some of Kurlansky’s claims are exaggerated (the Erie and other canals were built to transport more than just salt, for instance), and there are no leads to further resources, but this salutary (in more ways than one) micro-history will have young readers lifting their shakers in tribute. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-399-23998-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2006
An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject.
The paths of four migrant children from different Central American countries cross as they enter Mexico, and together they continue their journey to the United States.
Though their reasons for undertaking the perilous journey are different, their hopes are not: They all hope for asylum in the U.S. Ten-year-old Alessandra, from Guatemala, hopes to reunite with her mother, who left four years ago. Thirteen-year-old Laura and her 7-year-old brother, Nando, from El Salvador, are going to live with relatives in the U.S. And 14-year-old Rodrigo, from Honduras, will try to join his parents in Nebraska rather than join a local gang. Along the way they encounter danger, hunger, kindness from strangers, and, most importantly, the strength of friendship with one another. Through the four children, the book provides but the barest glimpse into the reasons, hopes, and dreams of the thousands of unaccompanied minors that arrive at the U.S.–Mexico border every year. Artist Guevara has added Central American folk art–influenced details to her illustrations, giving depth to the artwork. These embellishments appear as line drawings superimposed on the watercolor scenes. The backmatter explains the reasons for the book, helping to place it within the larger context of ongoing projects at Baylor University related to the migration crisis in Central America.
An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject. (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64442-008-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Six Foot Press
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
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