A thematic photo essay lovingly portrays a group of Mayan villagers in Belize. In her debut, Crandell, an elementary-school teacher who lived in Maya Centre Village for several months, uses the images of hands as a unifying frame for explaining the way in which this group of Mayan people live today. Although there are cultural allusions to the distant past, the text concentrates on aspects of contemporary life that are based on the traditions of the last few centuries. There are clear photos of such activities as weaving with the backstrap loom, planting using the xu’ul (a digging stick), cooking tortillas on a comal (a flat clay or metal surface), and house building with cohune palm leaves. In each double-page, cream-colored spread, smaller photos of the activity being described appear with a short explanation in large type. On the right-hand side, larger photos outlined with a handsome geometric design focus on the hands of the villagers doing their tasks. Children and adults are shown as workers and caregivers, whether they are caring for baby humans or animals. Although school is mentioned, it is not shown in the photos, and for that matter, people engaged in recreation are barely evident, except for the two musicians shown playing the harp and the marimba. An introductory page provides some background about the Maya and the painted map allows young readers to see the location of this village in relation to the other countries inhabited by Mayas. (There is no mention of the fact that there are Mayan immigrants in the US.) It’s refreshing to see this personal approach to life in another culture, outside of the ubiquitous series format. The text ends on a note of tenderness. As two photos show solemn children with their grandparents, the last sentence reads: “Strong gentle hands feel just right.” This presentation feels just right for its young audience. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 5-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6687-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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