Highlight-reel tourism that’s reasonably inclusive and informative.
A whirlwind tour of prominent landmarks worldwide, both natural and manufactured.
Giving future world travelers a good start on their bucket lists, this tally of tourist destinations begins with archeological sites such as the 13,000-mile-long Great Wall of China and the pyramids in Egypt. Cruz goes on to cover distinctive modern structures like Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper and finishes with the Grand Canyon and three other natural wonders. For all its brevity, the commentary generally conveys a good sense of each entry’s backstory and what makes it worth seeing—whether to look for moonbows at Victoria Falls, marvel from the air at ancient Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, or imagine what the Parthenon might have looked like in its glorious heyday. Readers inspired to find out more about any of the 13 highlighted sites may be disappointed by the lack of leads at the end, but an appended simple building project using glue and Popsicle sticks does add a hands-on element. Capped by a bulletin board hung with snapshots and memorabilia, Elliott’s cartoon illustrations add a mix of scenes featuring visitors diverse of age, race, and culture with schematic diagrams and pulled-back views to convey broader perspectives.
Highlight-reel tourism that’s reasonably inclusive and informative. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 6-8)Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9781665973274
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President...
A starter volume for newly independent readers curious about what presidents of the U.S. are supposed to do.
Singer presents both the basic responsibilities—meeting foreign leaders, working with Congress to pass laws, being in charge of the armed forces that “keep Americans safe”—and steady rounds of public appearances and speeches. She also lays out presidential qualifications (the Constitutional sort, anyway: “You must be at least 35 years old. No kids allowed!”), explains how election campaigns and voting work, and offers quick tours of Washington, D.C., and the White House. Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and a few other presidents from the distant past make cameos, but most of the big, bright photos feature Barack Obama and his immediate predecessors. A quiz and an invitation to presidential wannabes to answer the question “What would you do for the country?” close this presidential primer.
A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President (2000) or the newest edition of Eyewitness: Presidents (2017). (index, reading guide for parents) (Informational early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4654-5749-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through...
This latest in Rappaport’s Big Words series highlights Wilma Mankiller, the Cherokee girl who grows up to become “the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation.”
The opening text and accompanying illustration immediately place readers in “rural Oklahoma” on the Mankillers’ farm, where Wilma spends her early years in her “family of eleven.” Although poor in material wealth, the Mankillers are “rich in love and community,” and Wilma is raised with the understanding of Gadugi, the Cherokee “philosophy of helping each other.” When a new government policy relocates Wilma’s family into urban life in San Francisco, Wilma experiences the threat of acculturation. Yet despite that danger and other challenges during her early adult years, Wilma finds a new community at the Oakland Indian Center and creates opportunities to help other Native people until she finally returns to Oklahoma, where she goes on to accomplish her most memorable work. Rappaport has produced a thoroughly researched biography enhanced by Mankiller’s own words, and though it’s heavy with text, readers should find that Choctaw artist Kukuk’s detailed scratchboard and watercolor illustrations provide visual balance. The combined effect gives readers a sense of intimacy.
A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through a family photo album. (author’s note, illustrator’s note, important events, pronunciation guide, resources) (Picture book/biography. 6-8)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4847-4718-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
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