This is a worthy translation of a beautiful and engaging book.
With the assistance of Mlawer and Lázaro, National Young People’s Poet Laureate Engle brings to children the childhood of the great storyteller Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra in his native tongue.
Cervantes, recognized as one of the most important writers in the Spanish language, is also the creator of Don Quixote, one of the noblest literary knights of all time. In her trademark free-verse style, Engle tells the story of young Cervantes, the son of a barber-surgeon and gambler, and of the precariousness of the family’s economic situation due to his father’s debts. Weaving fact together with fiction, the author imagines that the seeds to the famous literary creation can be found in Miguel’s difficult childhood. Originally published in English, the Spanish translation by Mlawer and Lázaro beautifully captures the rhythm and language of the original: “Huimos de noche, / hacia Madrid, / con la esperanza de un futuro / sin / temores. / ¿Dónde encontraremos ese futuro imposible? / ¿Quizá solo en las páginas de mi / imaginación?” Colón’s remarkable pen-and-ink–and-watercolor illustrations have an old-masters quality that perfectly complements the narrative and brings to life the olive-skinned cast of Renaissance Spaniards.
This is a worthy translation of a beautiful and engaging book. (author’s, illustrator’s, historical, biographical, literary notes) (Picture book/poetry. 7-10)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68263-019-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
A fresh and interesting adaptation, making for an easy crowd pleaser.
A popular prose series gets a graphic revitalization.
Faithfully following its predecessor, the book introduces readers to 10-year-old George, an American boy traveling first class on the Titanic with his aunt Daisy and little sister, Phoebe. When the fateful collision between boat and berg occurs, Phoebe goes missing. As the arctic waters rise, George sets out to find her. Although panic mounts all around, it seems that George’s privilege will save him, until he is shocked to discover otherwise. After the Titanic goes down and he’s safe back at home, George wrestles with his anxieties in a way that is accessibly age-appropriate, albeit a bit facile. In the vein of other graphic adaptations of bestselling series (like the evergreen The Baby Sitter’s Club), the first installment of Tarshis’ sprawling prose disaster oeuvre for young readers is reimagined in visually interesting full-color comic panels that support its recognizable thrilling pace and convenient twists. Many of the most exciting scenes are largely wordless, spotlighting the propulsive action amid growing tensions. New backmatter includes interesting historical facts and photographs of persons and places of interest, including pictures of the first-, second-, and third-class cabins and of relics recovered from the shipwreck. Also included are lists of further reading, both fiction and nonfiction. George, Phoebe, and Daisy are white, as are nearly all the secondary characters as well.
A fresh and interesting adaptation, making for an easy crowd pleaser. (facts, character bios, bibliographies) (Graphic adaptation. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-12092-9
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A candid introduction to a little-known figure in Jewish American history.
The successful business life and subsequent philanthropy of one of early America’s wealthiest and most pious Jews are recounted in a picture-book biography.
Raised by his uncle, Isaac Hays, a founder of Boston’s first bank, Judah learned much about shipping, real estate, and trade before setting off on his own at the dawn of the 19th century. A quiet, private man, Judah made his fortune in New Orleans trading New England products. After being wounded during the War of 1812, Judah began to concentrate on putting his wealth toward charitable causes. Simply drawn illustrations in muted brown, gray, and blue hues have both a childlike feel and the look of crayons or colored pencil in combination with watercolor; this results in a humble view not often seen in representations of New Orleans and appropriately reflects the story’s themes. The easy-flowing narrative tells how this son of a rabbi in a Sephardic immigrant family adhered to the Jewish tradition of giving inconspicuously, to causes both local and all over the world, hoping to avoid recognition for his good deeds. Some of these were paying for the freedom of enslaved African Americans, a few of whom are included in one illustration alongside the pale-skinned Judah. The author’s notes provide some added information about the benefactor’s family and his legacy.
A candid introduction to a little-known figure in Jewish American history. (Picture book/biography. 7-9)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4561-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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