Has a certain appeal for its art and premise, but it’s sloppy in both research and assumptions.
A highlight-reel history of shoes, skates, toilets, toothbrushes, and other common household items.
In a breezy style reflective of this Czech import’s slapdash approach, Sekaninová offers a mix of basic facts, debatable factoids (“The first ever double bed was made in Ancient Rome”), and not-so-buried assumptions: “But what did the first perfume look like? And who was the first woman to use it?” Not to mention a Eurocentric focus that only rarely widens to include other cultures or continents, and outright errors like a shoutout to eyeglass-lens maker “Alexander Spinosa” (actually Alessandro della Spina, who’s not definitively their inventor) and a present-tense reference to an 18-karat-gold toilet that hasn’t actually been available to view (and use!) in New York’s Guggenheim Museum for a few years. Except that everyone in her human cast, from prehistoric squatters on, has pale skin, Chupíková does better with galleries of small but exactly detailed images of archaeological artifacts, dolls, umbrellas, related inventions like zippers and coat hangers that expand the general scope beyond the main 11 items, and historical costume (mostly European) of diverse eras. Surveys of inventions are hardly rare, but by sticking to the everyday, this is worth note as a natural companion to more technology-oriented flyovers. There is not a bibliography or even any scrap of sourcing to indicate where Sekaninová found her information. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Has a certain appeal for its art and premise, but it’s sloppy in both research and assumptions. (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-80-00-06128-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Albatros Media
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
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