Praise for Eleanor Makes Her Mark:
"Eleanor Roosevelt comes alive in this energetic depiction of her experiences and accomplishments. Lively textual description portrays her empathy, intelligence, pragmatism, warmth, and humor while dynamic illustrations give a sense of Roosevelt's exuberance and sincere dedication to helping those who were struggling... A compelling celebration of Eleanor Roosevelt that will inspire children to follow in her footsteps." — Kirkus Reviews
"A necessary source of inspiration." — School Library Journal
Praise for What to Do About Alice?:
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
A Sibert Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
"Reveals the essence of Alice in an upbeat account of her life... as Kerley and Fotheringham demonstrate with verve." — New York Times
* "Superb... a gleeful celebration." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "It's hard to imagine a picture book biography that could better suit its subject than this high-energy volume serves young Alice Roosevelt." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Kerley's text has the same rambunctious spirit as its subject, grabbing readers from the first line... The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art." — Booklist, starred review
* "Kerley's text gallops along with a vitality to match her subject's antics... Fascinating." — School Library Journal, starred review
* "What to do about Alice? Enjoy!" — The Horn Book, starred review
Praise for The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy):
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
An NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
"Inspired... Perhaps this full-to-bursting book will lead some young readers to write their own in-house biographies." — The Washington Post
* "[An] accessible and inventive vision of an American legend." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Masterfully perceptive... A delightful primer on researching and writing biographies, and a joy to peruse." — School Library Journal, starred review
* "Kerley's conversational, quotation-rich narration... [and] Fotheringham's dynamically composed... illustrations... effectively recall the 19th-century setting... A heartwarming tribute." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for Those Rebels, John & Tom:
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
An NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book
A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
An Oregon Spirit Book Award Nonfiction Honor Book
"A... blend of caricature and portraiture, historical substance and comical aside... [A] rousing account." — New York Times
"Adams and Jefferson... model successful collaboration. Their secret: Speak up and listen to the other guy. Good lessons for today's Washington." — San Francisco Chronicle
* "A terrific book to lead the charge in learning about the Revolution, as well as a lesson in how dedicated cooperation can achieve great ends." — Booklist, starred review
* "A witty and wise portrait." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for A Home for Mr. Emerson:
A Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
An NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
An Oregon Spirit Book Award Nonfiction Medal Winner
"Ralph Waldo Emerson takes flight." — The Boston Globe
* "Excellent and exuberant." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Bold and whimsical... An inspiring tribute." — Kirkus Reviews
"Children will love the cartoonlike illustrations.... An eye-catching, kid-friendly biography that is a wonderful addition to any collection." — School Library Journal
"[A] tightly crafted narrative arc that stresses the hope, community and optimism required to create the life of one's dreams... Emerson's joie de vivre explodes from the pages... Jubilant." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
11/01/2020
Gr 2–5—Kerley and Fotheringham (What To Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!) team up again for this biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. Kerley sprinkles the narrative with sourced quotes, including, "Government, Eleanor believed, 'should serve the good of the people,' so she encouraged everyone to write to her and share their struggles, hopes, and fears." Fotheringham's cartoon-style illustrations are digitally rendered in a colorful, realistic palette. He depicts a likable Roosevelt, highlighting her pronounced cheekbones and ready smile. Motion lines show her constant activity—riding in a coal mine car, visiting with construction workers, flying to World War II field hospitals. Some pages even show multiple Roosevelts, representing her whirlwind of activity. A recurring theme is a paper doll chain—a reminder of Roosevelt's connectedness to all Americans and her humanitarian efforts. A scrapbook, sources, and engaging activities are included in the back matter. Although secondary characters are drawn as predominately white, the illustrations show Roosevelt meeting with African American citizens and leaders to discuss how to end discrimination. VERDICT There are many titles about Eleanor Roosevelt, but with its encouragement for readers to make their own marks upon the world, this book could be a necessary source of inspiration.—Lisa Taylor, Florida State Coll., Jacksonville
2020-09-01
“Candid. Compassionate. Courageous."
Eleanor Roosevelt comes alive in this energetic depiction of her experiences and accomplishments. Lively textual description portrays her empathy, intelligence, pragmatism, warmth, and humor while dynamic illustrations give a sense of Roosevelt’s exuberance and sincere dedication to helping those who were struggling. Beginning just before her husband’s inauguration, the plot then flashes back to her childhood and moves forward to her achievements as an adult, providing a sense of her formative experiences and tying them to the beliefs she developed and acted on in later life. The text takes care to mention the time she spent developing relationships with the people she sought to help as well as the unique role she played as first lady and partner to FDR, providing advice, knowledge, and information throughout his political career. Though her family life is mentioned, the emphasis here is on the work she did for others: investigating prisons, hospitals, and asylums; helping FDR’s government “serve the good of the people” (her words, quoted by Kerley); fighting for equality and against discrimination; and her participation in UNICEF and the U.N. Fotheringham includes people of color in some scenes illustrating his White protagonist’s civil rights work and outreach. Endnotes showcase an impressive array of photos and provide a framework for young readers to bring about positive change themselves.
A compelling celebration of Eleanor Roosevelt that will inspire children to follow in her footsteps. (photos, questions for reflection, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)
