A terrifically told story with striking design and illustrations that will empower its readers.
A lengthy picture book about a female ninja in 16th-century Japan.
Mochizuki Chiyome lives in the Koga region of feudal Japan, where constant warfare between warlords called daimyos creates the need for both samurais and ninjas. Chiyome’s great-grandfather was a famous ninja, and she is training to be one too. Her arduous preparation includes dangling from a cliff as well as more subtle skills, such as hensojutsu, the art of disguise. After years of training, she becomes a ninja only to be married off to Mochizuki Moritoki, the nephew of a powerful daimyo. When her husband is killed in battle, Chiyome—whose choices as a widow are either taking care of other women’s children or retreating to a spiritual life—convinces her uncle-in-law to take advantage of her ninja skills. She recruits and trains a network of female ninjas to spy for him. Kyi’s bracing text (based on some real historical figures, as revealed in an epilogue) gives a vivid sense of detail and danger, although it’s too bad the illustrated map of 16th-century feudal Japan does not clearly mark the locations referenced in the story. The book’s design is otherwise stellar. Japanese landscape paintings bordered with stylized patterns combine smoothly with Krampien’s bold, emotive illustrations, heightening the overall ambience and tone of the story.
A terrifically told story with striking design and illustrations that will empower its readers. (glossary, further reading, sources) (Picture book. 8-14)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55451-966-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A critical contribution to discussions of equal access and of systemic racism.
Separate but equal—even primary grade students understand this prejudicial oxymoron.
Separation is never equal. When the Lemon Grove School District’s board of trustees decided to expel every one of the 75 students who were of Mexican American descent in order to establish an all-White student body, the Lemon Grove Neighbor’s Committee—Comité de Vecinos de Lemon Grove—decided to take action. The Mexican consul in San Diego provided lawyers who filed on behalf of 12-year-old Roberto Alvarez in San Diego’s California Superior Court. Exploding the board of trustees’ assertion that the minority students were “backward and deficient,” Roberto himself, in fluent English, defended his position. This was the “first successfully fought school desegregation case in the United States.” On April 16, 1931, the decision was made public: “to immediately admit and receive…Roberto Alvarez, and all other pupils of Mexican parentage…without separation or segregation.” Brimner’s straightforward narrative follows Roberto Alvarez from his return to school after Christmas vacation only to be told he was no longer welcome to the day he was able to receive the same education as the White students. The substantial author’s note places this case in context with other desegregation cases in the U.S.—particularly in California. Gonzalez’s colorful and detailed mural-esque illustrations make the historical flavor of the times accessible.
A critical contribution to discussions of equal access and of systemic racism. (photos, sources, source notes) (Informational picture book. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68437-195-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
A fun-filled, obvious must for pizza lovers.
A fact-filled introduction to the popular food.
After boldly asserting that pizza is “the world’s favorite food,” the author explains how pizza originated in 1738 in Naples, Italy, where the first pizzeria later opened in 1830. Italian immigrants subsequently transplanted pizza to the United States in the late 19th century. Today, “Pizzas can be round or square, / In different shapes and sizes, / And sometimes what is in or on them, / Is full of big surprises,” with international variations. Norwegians consume the most pizza, per capita; Brazilians and Germans love it too. One of the most famous pizzas, the Margherita, was originally cooked for the queen of Naples in 1889, and “Chef Charlotte,” from a contemporary Naples pizzeria, provides a detailed recipe, including the proper ingredients and helpful tips to create perfect pizza dough. Suggestions for various ways to eat pizza (folded, from the box, knife and fork), record-breaking pizza facts (world’s largest, world’s longest, largest collection of pizza boxes), descriptions of different pizzas from around the world, and unusual pizza deliveries add to this eclectic, entertaining collection of pizza information with an international flavor. Topical spreads are introduced with verse, with prose details captioning colorful, humorous illustrations. These use simple shapes and flat patterns, enhancing the data with step-by-step diagrams of pizza preparation; vignettes featuring pizza fans, history, and events; and close-ups of the subject.
A fun-filled, obvious must for pizza lovers. (Informational picture book. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-3-96704-705-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Gestalten
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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