A solid, humorous exploration into the skin—and why color biases are just silly.
Jablonski and McGee present a science-centered, kid-friendly counter to racism, starring Epi Dermis, a shape-changing, cartoon representation of skin.
Dermis is happy to set the record straight for young readers: Skin is everywhere on the body, tit says, and is incredibly useful. Skin offers sensations that give information and tells the body whether to cover up from the cold or sweat to relieve heat. The body is mostly water, and skin keeps it inside. Dermis also points out truths about skin color, as well: “Color doesn’t make a person nice, mean, fast, strong, smart, or scary,” the narrator says, but no one will listen to a patch of skin. “If I tell you all about me,” Dermis asks the reader, “will you help me tell everyone else?” It then explains scientific facts about skin, and how its color protects the body from different levels of ultraviolet light and shows where a person’s ancestors came from. Illustrator Vermeulen makes Dermis a compelling narrative guide; it changes shape and perpetually alters its hues. The images depict humans as cartoony with big, circular eyes—and, of course, many different skin tones. Jablonski and McGee use Dermis’ accessible voice to present the scientific basics with approachable vocabulary, even when talking about big ideas, such as like human evolution. Call-out boxes make important facts easier to grasp, and a long section at the end provides similar information at a slightly higher level—in the voice of a scientist, rather than a cartoon character. Caregivers, teachers, and older independent readers are sure to use this part of the book to enhance what they’ve already learned.
A solid, humorous exploration into the skin—and why color biases are just silly.Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781733547413
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Powers Squared
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
© Copyright 2026 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.
