Oliver illustrates scattershot mentions of fish deities and merfolk sightings worldwide—plus some proven hoaxes—with dark-lined, hand-colored linocuts enhanced by the occasional shell, fishhook, or bit of netting. She closes with five short, retold folktales, four of which come from Pacific or Indian traditions. Though several of the images are of lissome (discreetly posed) fish-ladies, overall the sea dwellers here have a distinctly unhuman look that may broaden the outlooks of younger viewers with Disneyfied expectations, and perhaps lead them on to the more comprehensive likes of Shirley Climo’s Treasury of Mermaids (1997). (source notes) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-399-24288-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2004
St. George follows You’re on Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt (p. 813) with another perceptive look at the formative years of another president-to-be. Here, she focuses on three major influences in young George’s life: his admiration for his father Augustus; then after Gus’s death, for older half-brother Lawrence; and finally, the character-building survey expedition that he joined into the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley at age 16. Though she mentions the Washington family’s slaves, a domineering stepmother, and the early deaths of several siblings, in general St. George presents a rosy picture of the young squire’s early life. Powers catches that tone, depicting Washington as a tall, smiling lad in fine but often rumpled colonial garb, with an oversize head, leonine mane of golden brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The author closes with a capsule history of Washington’s later achievements, plus a bibliography aimed, inexplicably, at adults—but younger readers looking for insight into the Great Man’s character, temperament, attitudes, and upbringing will find plenty to ponder in this engaging, focused study. (Picture book/biography. 7-9)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-399-23887-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2004
These one-page sketches of 13 Jewish-American figures attempt to serve as an introduction to the one “defining moment” that shaped their lives or professions. Using information taken from books, articles, personal accounts, diaries, journals and interviews, Rappaport recreates, with some drama and undocumented dialogue, momentary accomplishments or significant episodes. While some of her portrayals work well to capture the nuance of the influential event, others are not as obvious. For example, she tells clearly of Asser Levy’s fight against anti-Semitism in colonial New Amsterdam, Ernestine Rose’s participation in the suffrage movement and Jacob W. Davis’s invention of the use of copper rivets on miners’ pants leading to the famous Levi Strauss jeans. But at the same time it’s not obvious as to what Houdini or photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho’s defining moments really are. Even the last description for Steven Spielberg is a bit muddled, ending with his foremost deed of establishing the “Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.” While many of these figures deserve a broader approach than these snippets, this collection may at least spark some interest for further reading. (sources, bibliography, Web sites) (Nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-688-17150-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2005
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
