A somewhat grisly but fascinating look at what preserved bodies can reveal of their lives and cultural origins.
A forensic and archaeological introduction to some amazing remains, published in collaboration with the British Museum.
Throughout history and around the world, human remains attest to ancient (and not-so-distant) cultures and communities. Skulls and bones are everywhere, but well-preserved bodies, such as Ötzi the Iceman, are especially rich in information. Ralphs offers in-depth looks at mummification and discusses beliefs in gods and the afterlife; he takes readers to elaborate tombs, like the Great Pyramid, as well as bogs, catacombs, and underground chambers. The author sensitively handles difficult topics such as child sacrifice. He covers well-known cultural sites such as ancient Egypt and Pompei, as well as potentially unfamiliar and eye-opening ones. Readers will meet the oldest mummifiers, the Chinchorro, who lived on the west coast of South America and took an egalitarian approach, preserving everyone who died, regardless of age or status. Ralphs also spotlights the salt mines of Iran, the Taklamakan Desert in China, the Siberian steppe, and the Arctic. The writing is clear and engaging, and the many unknowns remain tantalizing mysteries. Wright’s precise and colorful gouache, acrylic, and ink illustrations bring the cultural settings, preserved remains, and compelling (and impressive) artifacts, including tools, food, clothes, weapons, and crafts, to vivid life.
A somewhat grisly but fascinating look at what preserved bodies can reveal of their lives and cultural origins. (maps, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9798887770819
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
IN THE NEWS
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective.
Did Christopher Columbus really “discover” a new world? Did the Pilgrims invite the Wampanoag to a friendly First Thanksgiving? Is July 4 truly the nation’s birthday?
Readers familiar with traditional narratives of America’s founding are invited to interrogate those myths in this interactive exploration of early U.S. history. A strong introductory framework asks whose stories endure and whose have been erased from the history books, emphasizing that Indigenous peoples remain part of the present, not just the past. Each spread presents a common misconception, then asks readers to flip assumptions aside by lifting a partial gatefold that reveals the true story beneath. Well-sourced explanations elevate figures and communities often excluded from history books, including women, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Bold colors, graphic-heavy layouts, and energetic illustrations that make creative use of historical photos and images break complex ideas into bite-size pieces that encourage browsing over linear reading. A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap “True or False” quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic. Though the book’s busy, nonlinear design may prove challenging for some, on the whole it works very well as an engaging historical overview. The content assumes a foundational knowledge of early U.S. history, making it most suitable for older elementary readers, though some visual choices skew younger. Backmatter includes more historical information and background on the book’s creation.
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective. (glossary, resources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798888599082
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
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