Slickly produced memento of a forgettable road trip.
A Slovakian photographer and TV personality plays tourist in the worst way in this 18-day loop through—no, hardly all of Africa, just South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Presented in scrapbook format with brief commentary introducing inset slide shows or, twice, a short video clip, the journey takes Nikodym and a group of unidentified vacationers from the “crime-sodden city of Johannesburg” to a dazzling sunrise over the Namibian desert’s remote Sossus Vlei. In between, the group passes through Zimbabwe (economically devastated, notes the author, since Mugabe’s “complete ousting of the white farmers”), take a mighty spill in a stretch of Zambezi River whitewater dubbed “The Devil’s Toilet Bowl,” sample an “exceptionally disgusting” alcoholic beverage and marvel at native dancers in a Ndebele village. Later stops include two national parks for fetching photos of wildlife and a school for close-ups of African children. A long drive (“Continue 958 kilometers,” advises their GPS) takes them to the Europeanized German enclave of Swakopmund. Readers can opt for a text in either Slovak or occasionally awkward English, and they can pull up a strip of chapter thumbnails from any page. The travelogue looks good, featuring handsome photos aplenty backed by several tracks of lively African music—but a rushed conclusion, not to mention multiple references to the expedition’s corporate sponsor and the author’s superficial observations and colonialist attitudes, give the outing a self-indulgent air.
Slickly produced memento of a forgettable road trip. (iPad nonfiction app. 10 & up)Pub Date: May 25, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: iAdverti s.r.o.
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2011
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats.
Why should grown-ups get all the historical, scientific, athletic, cinematic, and artistic glory?
Choosing exemplars from both past and present, Mitchell includes but goes well beyond Alexander the Great, Anne Frank, and like usual suspects to introduce a host of lesser-known luminaries. These include Shapur II, who was formally crowned king of Persia before he was born, Indian dancer/professional architect Sheila Sri Prakash, transgender spokesperson Jazz Jennings, inventor Param Jaggi, and an international host of other teen or preteen activists and prodigies. The individual portraits range from one paragraph to several pages in length, and they are interspersed with group tributes to, for instance, the Nazi-resisting “Swingkinder,” the striking New York City newsboys, and the marchers of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. Mitchell even offers would-be villains a role model in Elagabalus, “boy emperor of Rome,” though she notes that he, at least, came to an awful end: “Then, then! They dumped his remains in the Tiber River, to be nommed by fish for all eternity.” The entries are arranged in no evident order, and though the backmatter includes multiple booklists, a personality quiz, a glossary, and even a quick Braille primer (with Braille jokes to decode), there is no index. Still, for readers whose fires need lighting, there’s motivational kindling on nearly every page.
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats. (finished illustrations not seen) (Collective biography. 10-13)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-14-751813-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Puffin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
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