(Picture book/biography. 5-10)
This Indian import traces the life and work of the social reformer Bhimrao “Bhim” Ambedkar as he fought for the rights of lower-caste people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Even as a child, Bhim is aware that the world he lives in is “like a ladder” and that he (like the other people in his caste) occupies the lowest rung. Bhim is considered an “Untouchable”; this means that they cannot eat with people from higher castes, drink from the same wells, swim in the same ponds, or even be touched. Despite the numerous obstacles placed in his path, Bhim studies hard and wins a scholarship to a school in the United States. He also studies law in London and, upon his return, fights for the basic human rights of his people. The picture book concludes with a timeline of Ambedkar’s life and a brief explanation of caste, which clarifies that “practicing untouchability is illegal” and that those formerly called Untouchables are today called Dalits. Gade’s brushy watercolors brim with energy and even humor. Rajendran’s text and Gade’s depiction of culturally familiar images, however, seem aimed primarily at an Indian audience living in India, and North American audiences unfamiliar with the context will need some help. They may also be struck at the strong implication that social inequalities exist only in India.
(Picture book/biography. 5-10)Pub Date: April 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9995476-0-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kitaabworld
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
This genuinely clever math book uses rhyming couplets and riddles, as well as visual cues to help the reader find new ways to group numbers for quick counting. It’s a return to number sets, with none of those boring parentheses and <>signs. Here the rhyme gives a clue to the new ways of grouping numbers. For example: “Mama mia, pizza pie, / How many mushrooms do you spy? / Please don’t count them, it’s too slow, / This hot pie was made to go! / Let me give you some advice, / Just do half and count it twice.” A quick look at the pizza, and the reader can see each slice has the same number of mushrooms. Count by threes for half the pie, and double it. Each rhyme is given a double-page spread. The extra-large, brightly colored images leap off the page but never distract from the author’s intent. Some riddles are very challenging, but the author provides all the solutions in the back. Once the reader has seen the answers, the strategy is obvious and can be applied to other situations. Great fun for math enthusiasts and creative thinkers, this might also teach adults some new tricks. A winning addition. (Nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-439-21033-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom.
A Black girl’s simple observation propels her into activism.
Woodard, who launched the More Than Peach Project—which arranges for classrooms and children in need to receive kits that include art supplies and boxes of multicultural crayons (crayons in a variety of skin tones)—relates the incident that sparked her journey. As the book begins, she is dropped off at school and notices that her family’s skin tone differs from that of her classmates. While it is clear that she is one of a few children of color at school, that difference isn’t really felt until her friends start asking for the “skin-color” crayon when they mean peach. She’s bothered that no one else seems to notice that skin comes in many colors, so she devises a unique way of bringing everyone’s attention to that fact. With support from her family and her school, she encourages her fellow classmates to rethink their language and starts an initiative to ensure that everyone’s skin tone is represented in each crayon box. Appealing, realistic artwork depicts Woodard’s experiences, while endpapers feature More Than Peach crayon boxes and childlike illustrations of kids of different ethnicities doing various activities. The story is stirring and will motivate budding activists. (This book was reviewed digitally; the review has been updated for factual accuracy.)
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom. (note from Woodard, information on Woodard’s journey into activism, instructions on starting a drive) (Picture-book biography. 6-10)Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-80927-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
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