Dorling Kindersley has a lock on high quality atlases for young people. Here the topic is shipwreck and treasure. Newcomer Pickford presents the story in a thoroughly scholarly manner, with a large and exciting blast of swashbuckle running through it. He covers all the best known wrecks—from Roman times through WW II—from both national and historic perspectives, backgrounds the treasure and the characters who have gone after it, loads the telling with anecdote and high drama—in short, keeps readers utterly enthralled. There are reconstructions, painting, and photographs of the vessels; fine-line and luxuriously colored maps; a wealth of arcana to capture the reader's fascination; and a detailed gazetteer of all known wrecks and their cargoes. The bounty of material is impressive, the presentation sharp, the whole product one big success. You can almost taste the salt, feel the heft of the gold bars. (Picture book. 10+)
Pub Date: Oct. 31, 1994
ISBN: 1-56458-599-9
Page Count: 200
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1994
Examining carefully selected, crisply reproduced works by 21 modern Americans, the authors develop an intelligent approach to appreciation based on awareness of the artists' techniques and intentions. From its elegantly simple title-page spread—bold, harmoniously combined sans-serif types balanced by a Lichtenstein painting that spells ``ART''—this is a notably handsome book that impels the reader to take a fresh look. Grabbing the young reader's attention at the outset with a Frankenstein's monster entitled Made in Japan, Greenberg and Jordan carefully define terms and elucidate concepts in relation to specific paintings, using special vocabulary accurately while commendably avoiding academic jargon. Photos of the artists at work and quotes from interviews and their published works not only illuminate the art but make the process of creation more accessible. Suggesting a wealth of insights and interpretations (and a rich language to convey them, including words for colors, effects, and emotions and even several poems inspired by paintings), the presentation attunes the reader to the painter's question: ``This is what I see. What do you see?'' Beautifully designed, organized, reasoned, and presented, an outstanding, mind-expanding book—not easy, but rewarding. Thumbnail sketches of the artists, grouped by seven movements (abstract expressionism, minimalism, pop, etc.); glossary; bibliography; further reading; index. (Nonfiction. 11+)
Pub Date: June 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-385-30319-X
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1991
Not a self-help book but an intriguing report on how we got into the international drug mess and our chances of getting out. Readers are told about different modi operandi among various gangs; drug houses, even in rural areas and small cities; the infuriating political constraints that have kept the drug war from even marginal success; and corruption among narcotics officers. They may be stunned at some of the smuggling methods, e.g. paddling on surfboards or stuffing goldfish with dope. If some of this highly informative inside view seems glamorous, it's balanced by sad stories of grandparents raising children, the relationship between crack and syphilis, and the difficulties of getting treatment. Any initial attraction should be nipped by contemplating the short careers of teen dealers: an average of six months, to be cut off by death, injury, or arrest. Bibliography. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: May 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-02-742745-5
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Four Winds/MacMillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1991
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