The mesmerizing visuals will enchant, but the text will keep many readers at arm’s length.
An account of the many lives of India’s Kohinoor diamond.
“A pair of brown hands” extract the fabled diamond from a river. The stone eventually becomes part of “the Peacock Throne,” finds its way onto an unnamed conqueror’s arm, and passes to a series of other unknown owners until it returns “back home— / the land where those brown hands / first unearthed you.” The diamond ends up in the custody of a 10-year-old boy—“scared and alone, / forcibly separated from his mother”—who is tricked into signing it away to a white man, presumably a British colonizer. Cut down much smaller than its original size, the diamond is embossed onto a British crown—a literal jewel in the crown. Why does the diamond shine throughout these trials and tribulations? The book’s narrator—who addresses the story to the diamond—ultimately concludes that it’s because the stone perceives its true worth. The collage illustrations are absolutely stunning, incorporating vibrant textures and colors that let this work sparkle like the titular diamond. The lyrical text is inspiring, and the use of second person is effective. The story’s lack of specificity, however, adds an ambiguity that detracts somewhat from its emotional resonance; readers will need to consult the thorough backmatter to learn, for instance, that in 1628, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had the Kohinoor diamond set in a throne shaped like peacocks.
The mesmerizing visuals will enchant, but the text will keep many readers at arm’s length. (further reading, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 7-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781536228298
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
IN THE NEWS
An empowering choice.
Shamir and Faulkner take readers on a trip through various moments in U.S. history as they explore the democratic process.
The text begins in 1884, when a young man rides for hours to deliver his local ballot box in the state of Nebraska. The book then jumps in nonlinear fashion from key moment to key moment, explaining its importance: Native Americans were granted citizenship in 1924 (their status as members of sovereign nations goes unmentioned); the emergency number 911 was created in 1968; George Washington was the only presidential candidate ever to run unopposed. The information is divided into general paragraphs that begin with a question and text boxes that supply trivia and provide additional context to the paragraphs. Children’s and teens’ roles are often cited, such as their participation in the civil rights movement and the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18. The information ranges from national elections to local, expanding on what can be done on a national level and what can occur locally. Along the way, Faulkner includes a diverse mixture of citizens. A range of ethnic groups, minorities, and people of various body sizes and abilities are included, making the book visually welcoming to all readers. An early image depicting a blind woman with both guide dog and cane appears to be the only visual misstep. The backmatter includes a timeline and sources for additional reading.
An empowering choice. (Informational picture book. 7-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-3807-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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