A leading author and illustrator collaborate in a fine compilation of creation myths—a basic component of any folklore collection. Each of the 25 stories is told in spare, dignified language appropriate to its source and is followed by a brief discussion of its origin and type. While many cultures are included, there is more emphasis on presenting a variety of mythological figures and interpretations than on equal representation. Five stories come from the Americas, from Eskimo to Mayan; four from the Pacific, including Australia; five from Africa. There are a few stories from Europe and Asia, five from the ancient Mediterranean world (including three of the Greek myths), and the concluding piece is from Genesis, shining as the brightest in this bright firmament. Moser's dark, powerful portraits of the Creators are dramatically framed in stark white. A rich mix of fascinating stories, making an excellent introduction to myths and their cross-cultural connections. Memorable bookmaking. List of sources.
Pub Date: Sept. 10, 1988
ISBN: 0152387420
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Somber and inspirational.
The Children’s Poet Laureate salutes 15 men and women, including one child, who spoke out and acted for equality and liberty, several at the cost of their lives.
The names are familiar: Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jackie Robinson, Harvey Milk, Josh Gibson, Aung San Suu Kyi. They are less well-known: Mitsuye Endo, Helen Zia, Sylvia Mendez, Dennis James Banks, Muhammad Yunus. They are wives or mothers: Coretta Scott King, Mamie Carthan Till. One is a child, Sylvia Mendez, who wanted to attend a whites-only school in California. Three died too young on a dark road in Mississippi: Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Cheney. All receive a stirring page of rhymed verse accompanied by a single- or double-page spread painting created by one of five artists: Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra and Meilo So. So’s bright colors against a white background speak of affirmation and pride for Kyi, Zia and Milk, while Burke’s somber palette evokes the fear of the three civil rights workers and the “nightmare world” of Mandela’s imprisonment. Parra decorates his pages with details from the lives of Mendez, Yunus and Endo. From political activists to an astronaut and from baseball legends to a typist in a World War II internment camp, they raised their voices and sometimes their fists.
Somber and inspirational. (thumbnail sketches) (Poetry. 10-16)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4521-0119-4
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012
“Within every ecosystem, each plant and animal is designed to serve a specific purpose in God's creation.” While this...
From Lake Michigan’s dunes through transition forests to the boreal forests and wetlands in the region’s north, a television host introduces inhabitants of three Great Lakes ecosystems from an intelligent-design perspective.
“Within every ecosystem, each plant and animal is designed to serve a specific purpose in God's creation.” While this proposition is not accepted by the great majority of scientists, it is repeatedly put forth, through examples and Biblical quotations, in this appreciation of the Great Lakes’ natural world. Schriemer defines his terms, introduces "HOMES" as a mnemonic to remember the five lake names and provides a map showing Michigan at their heart. He then introduces each ecosystem, with examples of characteristic animals and a plant for each. Each creature has a page with an explanation of its name, a short description of its appearance and behavior, a “crazy cool fact” and several color photographs. The images are not large, and a few are difficult to see—as are the animals themselves—but most will give young readers a good idea of what to look for. A DVD (not seen) is packaged with books in this series, which also includes the less well-written Ocean Adventures, about habitats of Hawaii. There are no sources or index in either book.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-310-72142-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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