It’s heartening to learn that books and libraries—no matter their form—have always prevailed.
A tale of bringing a very valuable commodity to people in the Kentucky hills.
During the Great Depression, Junia the mule and her “Book Woman” carry precious cargo to the residents of remote areas in the eastern Kentucky hills. Folks here have no access to reading materials, except for those delivered by “Pack Horse librarians,” like the one in this story, set in 1936. The two make a stalwart team, starting their rounds before dawn, traversing difficult terrain in all weather, and finishing after dark. Every month they travel “hundreds of miles to drop off thousands of reading requests.” Narrator Junia describes a day’s adventure: The duo encounter a menacing rattlesnake, ford waterways, and narrowly escape disaster when a rickety bridge collapses into a creek before they cross it. They’ve formed warm bonds with their patrons; Book Woman knows their reading preferences perfectly and tailors her collections to meet their needs. This is a warm, heartfelt, and humorous tale; readers who regularly visit school and public libraries will marvel that such librarians once existed (an author’s note offers background on the real-life Kentucky Pack Horse librarians). The colorful illustrations capture the cozy spirit and feel of the rural setting and residents. Junia’s a delight; kids would love to meet her on their next library trip. The “Book Woman” presents white; there’s diversity among the background characters.
It’s heartening to learn that books and libraries—no matter their form—have always prevailed. (photograph, mule fun facts, additional resources) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781534113039
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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