A bilingual tale deftly illuminates the life of a famous figure in the history of the Americas.
A debut picture book depicts a well-known leader from the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
This work presents a bilingual biography of Anacaona, a cacique, or chief, on the island of Quisqueya (Hispaniola) at the time of European contact. The book, which presents the text in English and Spanish on facing pages, begins with Anacaona’s birth and childhood, continues through her successful leadership of the community and her death at the hands of the Spanish, and concludes with an assessment of her portrayal in Haitian and Dominican culture in the centuries since her rule. The narrative has the feeling of a legend that has been passed down through generations, with a clear sense of destiny from the moment Anacaona is born to parents who, though they had other children, felt something “was missing in their lives.” Her achievements follow naturally from that beginning, and the ending, while tragic, fits entirely into the tale’s framework. Torres has a firm grasp of Anacaona’s history and does an excellent job of highlighting key moments and making them accessible to young readers. (The text includes descriptions of cruelty and violence that are not excessive but may be too intense for some children.) The 10-year-old author’s writing in both English and Spanish is strong and elegant. And the brightly colored images by debut illustrator Ocampo complement the text and bring the story’s Caribbean setting to life.
A bilingual tale deftly illuminates the life of a famous figure in the history of the Americas.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73313-921-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cayena Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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