An acutely distilled and vibrant compilation of LGBTQ+ heroes.
A poetry collection that pays tribute to prominent queer figures.
Sanders offers a glimpse into the lives of 17 people who have played a role in the fight for equality, among them Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, activist Marsha P. Johnson, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. An introduction encourages readers to think of themselves as heroes, too: “Speak your mind. Let your truth be known.” Woodgate’s bold and realistic full-color illustrations skillfully convey people, places, and times while reflecting the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. Varied poetry styles—free verse, limerick, shape poem, and more—provide the impression of a tapestry, weaving together different moments of a movement in evolution, including the Stonewall Uprising, the creation of the Pride flag, and the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage legal. Although some poems are stronger than others, each brings to life a moment in time and a person who contributed to the movement. The entries offer effective, meaningful sketches, giving young people a strong sense of contributions to queer history and drawing out the many ways individual people can influence movements. An appended glossary and further resources will encourage readers to explore more deeply; also included is information on the various poetic forms used in the book.
An acutely distilled and vibrant compilation of LGBTQ+ heroes. (Informational picture book/poetry. 6-10)Pub Date: April 16, 2024
ISBN: 9780593523698
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
Here’s hoping this will inspire many children to joyfully engage in writing.
Both technique and imaginative impulse can be found in this useful selection of poems about the literary art.
Starting with the essentials of the English language, the letters of “Our Alphabet,” the collection moves through 21 other poems of different types, meters, and rhyme schemes. This anthology has clear classroom applications, but it will also be enjoyed by individual readers who can pore carefully over playful illustrations filled with diverse children, butterflies, flowers, books, and pieces of writing. Tackling various parts of the writing process, from “How To Begin” through “Revision Is” to “Final Edit,” the poems also touch on some reasons for writing, like “Thank You Notes” and “Writing About Reading.” Some of the poems are funny, as in the quirky, four-line “If I Were an Octopus”: “I’d grab eight pencils. / All identical. / I’d fill eight notebooks. / One per tentacle.” An amusing undersea scene dominated by a smiling, orangy octopus fills this double-page spread. Some of the poems are more focused (and less lyrical) than others, such as “Final Edit” with its ending stanzas: “I check once more to guarantee / all is flawless as can be. / Careless errors will discredit / my hard work. / That’s why I edit. / But I don’t like it. / There I said it.” At least the poet tries for a little humor in those final lines.
Here’s hoping this will inspire many children to joyfully engage in writing. (Picture book/poetry. 7-10)Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68437-362-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Limitless possibilities for future car designs are imagined in a collection of free-wheeling verses.
Everything from food items to animals to bathtubs and more are the inspirations for these strange vehicles. A paper car can be shredded if it breaks down, a bathtub car keeps you clean as you go, and a hot-dog car can be eaten at the end of the ride. A few of the verses refer either explicitly or obliquely to alternative fuels. There’s a battery-powered “Eel-ectric Car” and unused fossil-fueled wrecks in “Jurassic Park(ing),” and in “23rd-Century Motors,” oil and gas are totally passé. With a few exceptions the verses flow naturally with easy rhymes. Oddly, the first four lines of the introductory poem are awkward and not indicative of the mood and swing of the following lines and the remainder of the poems. But Lewis and Florian are both masters at creating lighthearted, fun-filled, breezy poems, and they do not disappoint in this joint venture. The text is placed as if on a stained and folded slip of paper, which is surrounded by Holmes’ highly imaginative, bright and lively illustrations, rendered in pencil and watercolors with digital colors added. Endpapers are tire-tracked, and the contents page matches line drawings to the titles. Young readers will almost certainly be inspired to create their own wacky cars. (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-375-86690-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
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