A carefully researched, cogently argued and handsomely produced appreciation.
A perceptive if patchy tribute to Mexico’s premier muralist and (arguably) second-most-renowned visual artist.
Along with biographical details (frank enough to acknowledge repeatedly that he always “liked the ladies, and the ladies had always liked him”), Rubin highlights aspects of Rivera’s art that sets it apart from Frida Kahlo’s: the focus on public settings, on depicting working classes and campesinos, on representing historical and industrial themes. The rich array of illustrations include bright images of full murals and details, sample preliminary drawings, big photos of Rivera at work (and posing with Kahlo) and even works by other artists, from Giotto to José Guadalupe Posada, that strongly affected his artistic development. Though the appended disquisitions on Mexico’s history and on Rivera’s artistic influences seem tacked on and in large part go over material the author has already presented, overall this offers readers who only know Rivera from picture-book biographies a more nuanced view of his controversial life and distinctive art.
A carefully researched, cogently argued and handsomely produced appreciation. (reading list, endnotes) (Biography. 10-13)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8109-8411-0
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013
Hopping wraps her cogent account of how the Nee-mee-pu (Nez Perce) were rooted out of their homeland and only subdued after a long and heroic pursuit around twin character portraits of the group and of its most renowned member. While presenting Joseph as one chief among several—and not a war chief, as sometimes depicted, but “a peace chief, a civil leader” whose greatest skill was the ability to “sway others with well-chosen words”—she places him in a peaceable, prosperous and steady society that enjoyed good relations with encroaching “So-ya-pu” until broken promises, profound misunderstanding and outright aggression escalated into violence. Joseph argued for peace before and during the tragic “War of 1877” and in later years too as he became a nationally known figure. His tale has been told plenty of times to young audiences, but this iteration comes in an appealingly compact format, with plenty of contemporary photos and maps, plus a generous selection of backmatter. (glossary, bibliography, source notes, index) (Biography. 11-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4027-6842-2
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2010
This mixed-format profile of the Great Soul sandwiches a concise narrative account of his life—enhanced by plenty of photos and sketched illustrations, plus side boxes and a spread on Hindu theology and customs—between a look at formative experiences in his early career presented in graphic panels and closing spreads of short passages from his works arranged by major themes (“Civil Disobedience,” “Love”). Urging readers to “listen to his words and consider whether some of his goals are also our own,” de Lambilly follows Gandhi from birth to assassination, focusing especially on the development of his philosophy, his methods of nonviolent protest and the relentless courage with which he took on the forces of racial, national and religious prejudice. Though the author’s fact checking could have been better—Pakistan was not “the world’s first Muslim country,” nor was her subject the “first person to use non-violence in politics”—Gandhi’s inspiring example and message is conveyed here with eloquence and simplicity in an appealingly designed package. The resource list includes works for both adults and younger audiences. (index) (Biography. 11-13)
Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59270-094-3
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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