Uplifting.
A brief introduction to the first deaf pilot in the U.S.
After Nellie Zabel Willhite contracted measles (which goes unnamed, though Richman describes Nellie’s high fever and spotted skin) at a young age, “sounds stopped.” Nellie’s supportive mother taught her sign language. In 1905, after her mother’s death, Nellie’s father sent her to a school for the deaf, where signing was considered detrimental. Encouraged by teachers who acted as foster parents, Nellie learned to speak and read lips. Notably, both speech and signing made Nellie feel that “maybe she could” do anything. In 1927, awestruck by a biplane’s graceful flight, Nellie started flying lessons. But at the time, airplane cockpits were designed with one seat in front of the other; “urgent commands were shouted over the buzz of the plane.” How would Nellie know what to do? Fortunately, when she took to the cockpit, “her other senses took flight”—she felt vibrations and monitored the instruments “like a hawk.” Buoyed by memories of her parents’ encouragement, Nellie completed her solo flight and received her license—becoming the first deaf pilot in the United States and the first female pilot in South Dakota. Now, though she couldn’t hear a robin singing, “she knew better than most what it was like to fly like one.” In simple text, Richman underscores Willhite’s determination and the importance of supportive role models; Monnin’s bright, sweeping illustrations capture the thrill of open sky. Backmatter includes further biographical details. Most figures, including Nellie, are light-skinned.
Uplifting. (author’s note, sources) (Picture-book biography. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781534113558
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
It’s a bit sketchy of historical detail, but it’s coherent, inspirational, and engaging without indulging in rapturous...
A first introduction to the iconic civil rights activist.
“She was very little and very brave, and she always tried to do what was right.” Without many names or any dates, Kaiser traces Parks’ life and career from childhood to later fights for “fair schools, jobs, and houses for black people” as well as “voting rights, women’s rights and the rights of people in prison.” Though her refusal to change seats and the ensuing bus boycott are misleadingly presented as spontaneous acts of protest, young readers will come away with a clear picture of her worth as a role model. Though recognizable thanks to the large wire-rimmed glasses Parks sports from the outset as she marches confidently through Antelo’s stylized illustrations, she looks childlike throughout (as characteristic of this series), and her skin is unrealistically darkened to match the most common shade visible on other African-American figures. In her co-published Emmeline Pankhurst (illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo), Kaiser likewise simplistically implies that Great Britain led the way in granting universal women’s suffrage but highlights her subject’s courageous quest for justice, and Isabel Sánchez Vegara caps her profile of Audrey Hepburn (illustrated by Amaia Arrazola) with the moot but laudable claim that “helping people across the globe” (all of whom in the pictures are dark-skinned children) made Hepburn “happier than acting or dancing ever had.” All three titles end with photographs and timelines over more-detailed recaps plus at least one lead to further information.
It’s a bit sketchy of historical detail, but it’s coherent, inspirational, and engaging without indulging in rapturous flights of hyperbole. (Picture book/biography. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78603-018-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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