In the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama, Cuna women make a unique and beautiful form of art called molas, in which layers of fabric of various textures are sewn together, then snipped and stitched into pictures comprised of bold forms and bright colors. They wear these on special occasions. Presilla (with Gloria Soto, Life Around the Lake, p. 452, etc.) tells the history of the Cuna, and in the molas they have created, vibrantly presents their entire culture, from lullabies to cooking to cosmology. Historical and cultural materials quoted in the text will expand readers' understanding, but the real glory of the book is the full- color parade of pictures of the molas. An accomplished, unusual look at a little-known culture. (Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8050-3801-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
After the sorry example of the 2000 presidential election, it’s good to be reminded of the simple beauty—and hard-won right—of voting for a candidate. And Christelow goes farther in this primer on the process of electing a candidate. Simple language, gay color, and humorous subplots make for an appealing introduction to electoral politics, and she wisely complements her somewhat dry explanatory text with a typically funny word-bubble story of one woman’s mayoral campaign. Readers learn about political parties and polls, voter registration, to be wary of campaign advertising, the right to recounts, and are urged to conduct research into the candidates. There’s also a very handy timeline of voting rights that conveys the eye-opening evolution of democracy in the US. Impressively, Christelow gives to each individual vote a sense of importance—an act of participation that nestles in the heart of democracy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2003
ISBN: 0-618-24754-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2003
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Gets the job done.
Why voting matters.
After learning about the history and importance of voting in her elementary school classroom, narrator and protagonist Callie is smitten by the possibilities of the vote. When her teacher tells the class they will be voting on their class field trip—a choice between the cookie factory (free samples!) or the wilderness park—Callie campaigns for the wilderness park. The park is very important to Callie because it is where she saw her “first swallowtail butterfly,” her “first turtle in a pond,” and even a great horned owl. Additionally, Callie knows that the park’s budget is up for a townwide vote because her grandmother has been out campaigning for the funding. Callie thinks that if the class visits the park, her classmates will experience the beauty of nature and will encourage their families to visit (and support funding) it. Some classmates who have never been to the park don’t see why it would be more fun than a cookie factory, but Callie does her research and makes her presentation. Another classmate makes a presentation for the cookie trip. Then comes the vote….The story unfolds smoothly, and the agreeable but undistinguished illustrations feature people of many skin colors, people who use wheelchairs, and a woman in a hijab. Narrator Callie has pale skin and brown hair. Backmatter pages give further voting information (who, how, history timeline) and resources.
Gets the job done. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8075-8498-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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BOOK REVIEW
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