Moving on from Bedtime (1999), Swain and Smith turn to hair as a cultural statement. From people who shaved their heads and those who chose to be hairy, to people who grew beards or wore elaborate hairstyles, preferences often changed throughout history. The Ancient Egyptians were not a hairy bunch, whereas the Greeks were, often wearing long beards into battle. That is, until they realized that a beard could be grabbed by the enemy and used against them. Razors soon caught on. The thinning hair of King Louis XIV led to a run on the wigmaker’s shops, while 18th-century European women had towering mountains of hair that were coated with lard and flour and lasted for weeks or months. Native American and African hairdos reflected the styles of their tribes; while the Chinese queue was originally ordered by the invading Manchus, but caught on to become a popular style. Hair adornments are also addressed, including the Egyptian method of keeping cool by placing a cone of perfumed (and melting) beeswax on the top of the head. Swain’s mixture of humor and history makes this an effective look, not just at hairstyles, but also at social change. While more heavily Western, she has done a nice job of representing many non-Western cultures. Whatever the style, the message is clear: hair grows quickly, easily changes styles, and can demonstrate to people anything from religious or political views and occupation, to social or marital status. Smith’s watercolor-and-ink illustrations fit hairstyle and era together seamlessly. Each page features not only the hair of the time, but also the clothing, furniture, and some aspects of everyday lives. A cut above. (hair facts, bibliography) (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2002
ISBN: 0-8234-1522-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
This is sure to start many down the path of mushroom foraging.
Kahn fills a gap on the mycology shelves for children with one child’s mushrooming adventures.
From the book’s start in spring until its close at the start of winter, Mason’s enthusiasm for collecting and eating mushrooms is palpable. With his dog and his basket, he heads out in different seasons and weather to check reliable spots for each of four varieties: morels in spring under the apple trees; chanterelles in early summer; lobster mushrooms in late summer under the hemlocks; and black trumpet mushrooms in autumn. Readers will learn the qualities that make each spot good for each variety, and they’ll also glean Mason’s tricks and tips for making sure each mushroom is the one he’s looking for. After his mushrooming adventures, he’s pictured with at least one adult at home inspecting the finds and then cooking: a morel omelet, pasta with chanterelles, lobster saute, and crispy black trumpet chips. A note to future foragers details the author’s prior experience with mushrooming and passes along two important pieces of information (twice!): Always check mushrooms with an experienced adult forager, and “When in doubt [about the species], throw it out.” Korbonski’s watercolor illustrations are evocative of each season and capture the enthusiasm of Mason and his pup well, though those who want to forage themselves may wish for photos as well. Mason and his family have pale skin; background characters have diverse skin tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This is sure to start many down the path of mushroom foraging. (additional information on the mushrooms Mason finds) (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-950584-88-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Green Writers Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
Formulaic but not stale…even if it does mine previous topical material rather than expand it.
A guide to better behavior—at home, on the playground, in class, and in the library.
Serving as a sort of overview for the series’ 12 previous exercises in behavior modeling, this latest outing opens with a set of badly behaving dinos, identified in an endpaper key and also inconspicuously in situ. Per series formula, these are paired to leading questions like “Does she spit out her broccoli onto the floor? / Does he shout ‘I hate meat loaf!’ while slamming the door?” (Choruses of “NO!” from young audiences are welcome.) Midway through, the tone changes (“No, dinosaurs don’t”), and good examples follow to the tune of positive declarative sentences: “They wipe up the tables and vacuum the floors. / They share all the books and they never slam doors,” etc. Teague’s customary, humongous prehistoric crew, all depicted in exact detail and with wildly flashy coloration, fill both their spreads and their human-scale scenes as their human parents—no same-sex couples but some are racially mixed, and in one the man’s the cook—join a similarly diverse set of sibs and other children in either disapprobation or approving smiles. All in all, it’s a well-tested mix of oblique and prescriptive approaches to proper behavior as well as a lighthearted way to play up the use of “please,” “thank you,” and even “I’ll help when you’re hurt.”
Formulaic but not stale…even if it does mine previous topical material rather than expand it. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-36334-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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