A disappointing, disrespectful perspective on the experiences of a transgender person.
This illustrated, biographical narrative mixes fact and speculation about the life of a transgender Civil War veteran.
Irish immigrant Albert D.J. Cashier enlisted in the Union army at the age of 19 and fought in the 95th Illinois Infantry. His sex assigned at birth remained private, even from his military comrades, until much later in life, when he moved into the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ home. Even though he asked for confidentiality, someone told a reporter, spreading the story nationwide and inciting a governmental investigation. Unfortunately, the language throughout the text undermines its mission, failing to respect the identity Cashier himself strove to protect and reinforcing a born-in-the-wrong-body narrative. Following a foreword by an academic in transgender studies that identifies Cashier as a trans man, Sanders opens the text with the birthname that Cashier left behind and she/her pronouns, both of which he repeats in the pages describing Cashier’s early life. Three times, Sanders writes that Albert wasn’t “born” a man. In the backmatter, the provided definition for the word “transgender” further reinforces stereotypes by explaining that a transgender person “looks like a boy or a girl” at birth but knows they are different on the inside. The same note lists terms for transgender people used in “Native American tribes, Hawaii, and other countries” without any cultural context. Illustrations with soft brushstrokes and an earthy palette depict Cashier (who is white) in an mostly white world, with the exception of one black comrade in arms.
A disappointing, disrespectful perspective on the experiences of a transgender person. (author’s note, further information, glossary, sources, timeline) (Picture book/biography. 7-11)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0936-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal.
Before growing up to become a major figure in the civil rights movement, a boy finds a role model.
Buffing up a childhood tale told by her renowned father, Young Shelton describes how young Andrew saw scary men marching in his New Orleans neighborhood (“It sounded like they were yelling ‘Hi, Hitler!’ ”). In response to his questions, his father took him to see a newsreel of Jesse Owens (“a runner who looked like me”) triumphing in the 1936 Olympics. “Racism is a sickness,” his father tells him. “We’ve got to help folks like that.” How? “Well, you can start by just being the best person you can be,” his father replies. “It’s what you do that counts.” In James’ hazy chalk pastels, Andrew joins racially diverse playmates (including a White child with an Irish accent proudly displaying the nickel he got from his aunt as a bribe to stop playing with “those Colored boys”) in tag and other games, playing catch with his dad, sitting in the midst of a cheering crowd in the local theater’s segregated balcony, and finally visualizing himself pelting down a track alongside his new hero—“head up, back straight, eyes focused,” as a thematically repeated line has it, on the finish line. An afterword by Young Shelton explains that she retold this story, told to her many times growing up, drawing from conversations with Young and from her own research; family photos are also included. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal. (illustrator’s note) (Autobiographical picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-545-55465-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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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