Amelia Earhart

August 1, 2016

Gr 1-3-Very simple biographies introduce famous women to young readers. Each selection highlights the accomplishments of its subject but does not go into detail. The lack of specificity, however, makes difficult topics more manageable for a child audience. In Maya Angelou, for example, the text says that Maya's mother's boyfriend "attacked her" and as a result Maya did not speak for five years. A significant event in Angelou's life is included but in an age-appropriate way. The illustration style for each book is different and seems chosen to suit the subject. In Maya Angelou, cartoon-style images appear strong and solid, reflecting Angelou's determination to overcome obstacles in her life. Amelia Earhart employs an airier, less representational art style that matches Earhart's sense of adventure and mystery. Observant readers will find small jokes, such as in a suburban scene in Earhart where most houses have a car parked alongside but one house has a rocket ship. Back matter includes photographs and a few more details about the topic person. The books are factual, without invented dialogue, but no sources are listed. Briticisms appear in Earhart, with terms such as learnt rather than learned. VERDICT These books serve as attractive overviews of the people profiled, but children will need further resources to get a full perspective of the subjects' lives.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades K-2 First published in Spain, the Little People, Big Dreams series spotlights notable women. Each short, simply written biography begins in girlhood, conveys the adult's significant achievements, and ends with a bit of inspiration. The striking artwork illustrating each text has a strong graphic look, stylized in Amelia Earhart and folk-art inspired in Maya Angelou.Amelia Earhart tells of young Amelia's fascination with flight. After learning to fly, she became famous as the first woman airplane passenger to cross the Atlantic. Later, she piloted a transatlantic flight on her own. The story concludes with a vaguely worded account of the round-the-world flight, from which she never returned, and an awkwardly phrased platitudelikely a poor translation of the original. Each book concludes with a few photos, a brief time line, and a biographical summary for older readers. Although both books are attractive, the relative scarcity of books on Angelou makes this a particularly good choice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)