Picture book biography of the woman who took over the supervision of the Brooklyn Bridge construction when her engineer husband fell ill in 1872. The Picture book biography of the woman who took over the supervision of the Brooklyn Bridge construction when her engineer husband fell ill in 1872. The text only briefly mentions how Emily dealt with the opposition over a woman dong a man's job during a time period when girls rarely even attended secondary school, but I craved more details on that aspect of her situation. The basics of bridge construction are discussed, yet the impact on the communities that the bridge connected is left out. Well-written back matter contains a short author's note, more biographical information on Emily Warren Roebling, a glossary, select bibliography, and further reading recommendations. I learned from the back matter that Emily and her husband had a child; this is never even mentioned in the book's body text. This is a sound biography, with a heavy dose of bridge engineering concepts mixed into the text, but much of the social context is missing. What makes Emily so unique is her refusal to allow her gender to define her potential, even though women were not recognized for their intelligence during Emily's lifetime; this biography touches on that but does not explore it fully.
Equations, mathematical measurements, and engineering terms are mixed directly into the illustrations to support the book's content in a meaningful way. The artist very effectively breaks down the engineering terminology and processes. The endpapers are especially impressive; the front endpapers contain photos of the original Brooklyn Bridge in the 1800s and the back endpapers contain modern photos of the bridge. ...more
Nonfiction picture book about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral procession. His name is mentioned only once near the end of the book. Beautifully Nonfiction picture book about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral procession. His name is mentioned only once near the end of the book. Beautifully written, but doesn't provide much historical detail for children to understand the context of the story or get to know the subject of this biographical book. That information is squeezed into a half-page of back matter, and not worded in a child-friendly manner. Watercolor illustrations extend the text by showing great crowds of mourners. ...more
A picture book biography of Noah Webster that is well researched and masterfully presented. The voice is both engaging and knowledgable. Collage illusA picture book biography of Noah Webster that is well researched and masterfully presented. The voice is both engaging and knowledgable. Collage illustrations mix authentic looking elements from Webster's time period, including actual historic newspapers and books, with fun characters. A fictitious (but very credible) Noah took his red pen to the manuscript and left editorial notes throughout the text. All these choices come together to make an impressive contribution to children's nonfiction. ...more
Picture book biography about Amelia Earhart, focusing mostly on her childhood activities, personality traits, and fText: 4 stars Illustrations: 3 stars
Picture book biography about Amelia Earhart, focusing mostly on her childhood activities, personality traits, and family influences. Does a good job of showing readers how Amelia's early years formed her adult self and paved the way for her later achievements. The modern art style doesn't quite support the historical context of the book, which isn't emphasized enough for the targeted age group....more
A solid picture book biography of Amelia Earhart with much emphasis on how she pushed boundaries and ignored stereoText: 4 stars Illustrations: 3 stars
A solid picture book biography of Amelia Earhart with much emphasis on how she pushed boundaries and ignored stereotypical gender expectations of her time period. Illustrations seem old-fashioned, owing at least in part to the age of the book (which was published in 1998)....more
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of The Little Prince. TheText: 3 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of The Little Prince. There is a lot of text regarding his livelihood as a pilot, but very little about his writing in general or The Little Prince in particular, which is really what I was interested in reading about. So I'm disappointed with the text. But the illustrations are glorious, in true Peter Sis fashion. ...more
Children's nonfiction picture book about Christopher Columbus's voyage to discover America. As with all of Peter SiText: 4 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Children's nonfiction picture book about Christopher Columbus's voyage to discover America. As with all of Peter Sis's picture books, the illustrations provide talking points just as much as, if not more than, the text does.
I would have liked just a bit more detail in the text. Specifically I want to know more about the hardships faced during the actual voyage. The book mentions "the rebellious crew," but what did Columbus do to lead them to victory, other than lie about the number of miles travelled? The ending is a bit vague. Columbus never knew he had reached America, but didn't he figure out at some point in his life that he wasn't in the Orient?
But Sis does a good job of distilling the information and relating what life was like for Columbus. This book provides a good starting point to entice children into reading a fuller biography of Columbus. ...more
A picture book biography of Rosa Parks, one of the books in the Ordinary People Change the World series. The fact that Rosa Parks looks like a child tA picture book biography of Rosa Parks, one of the books in the Ordinary People Change the World series. The fact that Rosa Parks looks like a child throughout the book, even when she has grown up, is confusing. The use of first-person narration as well as the invented dialogue place this book in an odd hybrid category blending fact with fiction, perhaps most appropriately labelled as historical fiction rather than biography....more
Very incomplete picture book biography of Oprah Winfrey. A short author's note in the front of the book briefly menText: 2 stars Illustrations: 3 stars
Very incomplete picture book biography of Oprah Winfrey. A short author's note in the front of the book briefly mentions Oprah's accomplishments, but the body text stops while she is still a child, daydreaming about success. There is no discussion of her hard work or how she has achieved so much. No bibliography. ...more
Picture book biography of photographer Dorothea Lange. Text is choppy and has some holes. Despite the style of dresText: 3 stars Illustrations: 3 stars
Picture book biography of photographer Dorothea Lange. Text is choppy and has some holes. Despite the style of dress and old-fashioned camera, the illustrations feel too modern for the historical setting. Informative author's note in the back of the book with a few of Dorothea Lange's most famous photographs included. No bibliography. ...more
Picture book biography about Ada Lovelace, who is credited with writing the first computer program, way back in 184Text: 4 stars Illustrations: 2 stars
Picture book biography about Ada Lovelace, who is credited with writing the first computer program, way back in 1843, long before computers were actually invented. The childlike illustration style does not appeal to me personally. I'm especially bothered by the fact that the Ada Lovelace in the book doesn't resemble the real-life Ada Lovelace at all. Includes a timeline, glossary, and bibliography. The Author's Note discusses the controversy over who wrote the extensive paper explaining Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine - Ada or Babbage - but provides some evidence that Ada did indeed accomplish this work. ...more
Wonderful picture book biography of L. Frank Baum, author of the celebrated children's classic The Wonderful WizardText: 5 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Wonderful picture book biography of L. Frank Baum, author of the celebrated children's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels. Not only is this a thorough account of Baum's life, work, and family, but it also convey's Baum's personality, including his strengths, quirks, and shortcomings. Colorful illustrations also infuse Baum's personality into the book. My only quibble, and it is a small one, is that all the parentheses throughout the text are not necessary, and are a bit distracting. Includes an author's note, sources, and list of the Oz books....more
Picture book collection of mini-biographies that focus on women's contributions to our nation's history. Some of thText: 4 stars Illustrations: 4 stars
Picture book collection of mini-biographies that focus on women's contributions to our nation's history. Some of the usuals appear among some women I've never heard of, producing a nice mix. Very dense for a picture book, but each individual double-page biography can be read separately. The history spans a hundred years, and the women are not presented chronologically, but there is a timeline in the front of the book to organize the information. Good starting point for a school report or introduction to various classroom topics (such as colonial women, women behind famous men, women questioning traditional roles, establishment of social programs, etc.). Illustrations depict what each woman looked like. Lovely endpapers. ...more
Picture book biography of artist Marc Chagall. The first-person POV feels intimate and easily readable despite the amount of Text: 5 stars Art: 5 stars
Picture book biography of artist Marc Chagall. The first-person POV feels intimate and easily readable despite the amount of words. The curves of the text further reinforce that sense of Chagall's own voice. The text is "loosely inspired" by Chagall's own autobiography and renders a fairly thorough depiction of who he was as a person and an artist.
Mixed media art is reminiscent of Chagall himself, with overtones of Tim Burton. The collages are colorful, textured, and bursting with details of Chagall's life and work. They support the text well and offer much insight into Chagall's personality and art. ...more
Picture book biography about the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a strong woman and fText: 5 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Picture book biography about the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a strong woman and formidable activist. Superb writing. Love the vocabulary choices. Appealing design. Incorporates the discrimination she faced due to being both a woman and Jewish. Effective explanation of historical contexts. Provides just the right amount of detail, with a two page spread at the end that conveys additional information and photos of Ruth at various ages. Court case citations and bibliography included in the back of the book. Wonderful messages of female empowerment, equality for all, the importance of education, and the power of advocacy. Who says women can't have it all?...more
Worthy picture book biography of Frederick Douglass. Both text and illustrations do justice to this important and iText: 5 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Worthy picture book biography of Frederick Douglass. Both text and illustrations do justice to this important and inspirational historical figure. I expect this book will be lauded come award time, which is especially fitting given that it is the last manuscript of the late Walter Dean Myers. Teaming him up with Floyd Cooper was a smart decision. A bit wordy by today's picture book standards, but the text flows well and sustains interest. Page layouts are superb and accommodate all that text with prowess. Includes a timeline, bibliography, and a copy of Douglass's "free papers." ...more
A picture book biography of Lucille Ball, one of the books in the Ordinary People Change the World series. There is no birthdate listed within the texA picture book biography of Lucille Ball, one of the books in the Ordinary People Change the World series. There is no birthdate listed within the text, but Lucille Ball was seven years old in 1918 and women no longer wore dresses of the type depicted on her grandmother. Also, there is no reason given for Lucy to go live with her grandmother. Apparently it wasn't a permanent move, because at age 17 Lucy's mother sent her to an acting school in New York City.
The fact that Lucille Ball looks like a child throughout the book, even when she has grown up, is confusing. The use of first-person narration as well as the invented dialogue place this book in an odd hybrid category blending fact with fiction, perhaps most appropriately labelled as historical fiction rather than biography.
There is a timeline as back matter. Sources are listed on the copyright page in the very back of the book. ...more
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