Children’s Book Review
February 2012 For Black History month we take a look at two works of non-fiction, and two other releases filled with love and innovation, along with a few choice picks to celebrate Valentine’s Day — each of them sealed with a kiss.
“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Miller, illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon; Dial Press, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 5-8.
Adapted from a bestselling biography, this inspirational story introduces young readers to William Kamkwamba, a Malawian boy who saved his village from starvation by building a windmill from discarded parts found in various junkyards. The resourceful youngster’s ingenious enterprise began in 2001 after a severe drought decimated crops and forced him to drop out of school because his family could no longer afford his tuition. Hungry and bored, William began to visit an American-built library where he was inspired by his research to harness “electric wind” that in time would power the lights and provide water for the crops. Elizabeth Zunon’s oil on cut paper paintings give her full-page illustrations depth and vibrancy, bringing the village and its people to life.
“Miles to Go for Freedom: Segregation and Civil Rights in the Jim Crow Years,” by Linda Barrett Osborne; Abrams, $24.95, 128 pages, ages 10-14.
A senior writer and editor with the Library of Congress, Linda Osborne has drawn on vast archival sources to craft a book of historical significance that is told through the unique and candid perspective of youngsters who came of age during the Civil Rights struggles that began in the late nineteenth century. With letters and oral histories serving as primary source material, there is a sense of immediacy to the accounts of young people who recall such experiences as picking cotton in hot fields when they should have been learning lessons in school. In each instance, modern readers can hear voices that speak out to them from the past. A valuable timeline, solid bibliography, and black and white photographs drawn from the library’s unmatched collections help make this a valuable addition to the home resource library.
“Never Forgotten,” by Patricia McKissack, artwork by Leo and Diane Dillon; Random House Children’s Books, $18.99, 48 pages, all ages.
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott-King Award-winning author Patricia McKissack has teamed up with two-time Caldecott Medal-winning artists Leo and Diane Dillon to fashion a powerful story of love, loss, and remembrance. Through a haunting narrative conveyed in free-verse, we meet Dinga, a blacksmith who raises his son Musafa alone after his wife dies in childbirth. When the boy is taken from him and sold into slavery, the Mother Elements of Wind, Fire, Water and Earth report on his harrowing journey across the ocean — the frightful transit known as the Middle Passage — to South Carolina. In time the boy becomes a blacksmith and forges a spiritual tie with his father. The Dillons’ dazzling watercolors and acrylics have the look and texture of woodcuts.
“Ellen’s Broom,” text by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrations by Daniel Minter; Penguin, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 5-8.
Ellen’s tale takes place during Reconstruction when recently emancipated Americans begin to exercise their newly affirmed rights. As a family prepares to witness the legal union of their parents — something forbidden to them during the days of slavery — the elders tell of a time when the only way to celebrate such a sacred event was in a makeshift celebration that had them jump over a broom. As they look toward their future as free citizens, the family embraces the deeply personal story as a source of strength and an instrument of healing. Kelly Lyons’ poignant tale is nicely suited to read-aloud activities; Daniel Minter’s hand-painted linoleum block prints make for powerful, bright, and hopeful images.
“All Kinds of Kisses,” text and illustrations by Nancy Tafuri; Little, Brown, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 2-4.
Another Caldecott winner, Nancy Tafuri, offers a deceptively simple book that is rich in nuance and good cheer. As in her earlier efforts (“I Love You, Little One,” “Have you Seen my Ducking”?), the animal imagery is crisp, and each page rich with detail. One industrious bluebird wings its way through the entire book to its nest, while daily farm life plays out in the background as well. Tafuri presents full-page watercolors that depict the various ways farm animals show their love (“little ducklings love peep kisses.”) Young readers just learning onomatopoeia will enjoy mimicking the animal sounds many times over.
“The Biggest Kiss,” text by Joanna Walsh, illustrations by Judi Abbot; Simon & Schuster, $12.99, 32 pages, ages 2-5.
“The Best Kind of Kiss” by Margaret Allum, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley; Walker, $14.99, 24 pages, ages 2-4.
Young bibliophiles will jump at the opportunity Joanna Walsh offers them here to find out whether or not worms kiss underground, and where they have to search to find the best kisses of all, since everyone in her book likes to kiss. The trick, as we see in Judi Abbot’s clever illustrations, comes in deciphering the various facial expressions. Margaret Allum, meanwhile, tells of a little girl who loves kisses of all sorts – snowflake and dandelion kisses, and best of all, the scruffy kind from daddy. Whimsical and charming pencil, ink and wash illustrations are as timeless as the simple message of unconditional love itself.