This probing psychological journey makes for an exciting exploration in empathy.
This Dutch import pairs portraits with poetry to articulate wrenching individualism, yearning, humor, desires, and pathos.
Transfixing faces—mostly pale, all moon-shaped and with unsettlingly wide-set eyes—conjure mildly unnerving sensations in readers, who will seek to understand, empathize, or at least interpret their expressions. These faces aren’t posing or posturing; they’re flat on the page, laid bare. Older children and teens, in particular, keenly aware of feelings, faces, and masks, will dwell upon these ambiguous, baffling visages. Colmer’s sensitive translation emerges as crucial, as the pictures’ powerful poignancy begs for explanation. Voiced in the first person, one of Tellegen’s poems appears opposite each portrait, expressing the characters’ deeply personal wishes and ringing with their unique phrasing and particular timbre. “I wish happiness was a thing and I / found it somewhere and took it home with me,” confides Carl, one of the book’s few kids of color. Piero, a white boy, grumbles, “I would like first of all to express my sincere thanks / to whoever gave me my looks. / I mean: IN-sincere. / Because I look horrible.” The kids’ names are printed close to the book’s gutter, bridging language and art. These many portraits and poems beg to be leafed through and read in several sittings, as they house too much emotional energy to digest in one read.
This probing psychological journey makes for an exciting exploration in empathy. (Picture book/poetry. 12-16)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-939810-32-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A smart, accessible introduction to an important and interesting topic.
The way humans use nonverbal cues—sometimes willingly, sometimes accidentally—is explored in a lively presentation for young readers.
“Scientists say more than half our communication is conveyed nonverbally through body language. From head to toe, our bodies say volumes about our thoughts, attitudes, and feelings—whether we want them to or not,” the book opens. Often, spoken messages are undermined by physical posture and gestures that convey opposite information. Practically every part of the human body contributes meaning, sometimes without the individual’s awareness. Eye contact, body position, facial expressions, touch, foot movement and even the way voices are used transmit as much as spoken words. Observing nonverbal cues increases understanding in communication and provides strategies for handling tense situations. Jackson joins with body-language expert Goman to explain the subject, demonstrating its importance as young people grow and develop. Using examples teens will recognize—young people struggling with stage fright, a teen twisting her hair nervously, young athletes avoiding the gaze of the coach—makes the narrative particularly accessible. The chapter on the cultural roots of body language, including differences in personal space, is especially compelling. The bright, open design with its use of sidebars and smart selection of supporting photographs goes well with the conversational style.
A smart, accessible introduction to an important and interesting topic. (source notes, glossary, further reading and viewing, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-0858-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
Readers will learn some basic facts about sex differences, but it'll take some extra leaps on their parts to connect all the...
Bite-sized pieces of scientific research seek to illuminate the gender gap.
Taking a mostly humorous approach, Rosen examines the stereotypes that paint men as the ones who never ask for directions and women as the ones who talk all the time. Some of these stereotypes turn out to be rooted in biology and can be demonstrated scientifically, such as how room temperature affects how men and women learn. Others are more a product of society and culture, such as women smiling more than men due to sex roles in the media. Each stereotype is covered in a short, two-page spread, featuring full-color photos and well-written text that doesn't try too hard to be cool. In a few instances, Rosen doesn't make enough of a connection between nature and nurture, though—like not pointing out the societal impact of boys’ demonstrated tendency to equate girls with power tools when looking them at the beach. Without going deeper into these stereotypes, this title remains on the surface.
Readers will learn some basic facts about sex differences, but it'll take some extra leaps on their parts to connect all the dots to understand just what it all means. (source notes, selected bibliography, further resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1610-9
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Sept. 2, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
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