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Reviews by Andi (Cloudscome), A Wrung Sponge
Diego
concept and illustrations by Jeanette Winter, text by Jonah Winter
This is a beautiful biography of Diego Rivera, the world-renown Mexican muralist, written for young children. The text is
written in simple, clear sentences both in Spanish and in English. Difficult concepts such as Diego's twin brother's death in infancy
are addressed directly but with compassion. After the death of his brother, Diego's parents send him to live in the mountains with an Indian healer who
gives him sunshine, fresh air, magical herbs, and freedom to play in the jungle.
The illustrations are done in the style of Diego's paintings, filled with vibrant colors and intense action. They balance
the text very well, filling in details that are understated in sentences such as "Diego grew strong and healthy. It was time
for him to go home." On that page the illustration shows him running into his mother's open arms with a dove flying above
his head. Later in the book when he is returning home to Mexico as an adult the bird is flying above and before him. Even
young children who don't understand the words will get the sense of that symbol showing movement and joy.
Diego loves his people and paints exactly what he sees. He paints their festivals and the poor in their struggle for justice.
He studies painting in Paris and learns from the murals he sees in European churches. When he returns to Mexico he paints
murals of his people day and night. He becomes famous for his work. The author's note in the back of the book says he
changed the meaning of art by painting his huge murals in public spaces celebrating the lives of his people. It concludes
"It has been estimated that in his lifetime Diego Rivera painted more than two and a half miles of murals."
This lovely biography is an outstanding selection for every child's library.
John Lewis in the Lead; A Story of the Civil Rights Movement
by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson, illustrations by Benny Andrews
John Lewis has been a Congressman from Georgia for 20 years. He was born in Alabama in the 1940s and lived through the
most turbulent moments of the Civil Rights movement. His first protest was at the age of 16 when he applied for a library
card and was denied by his local public library. He joined SNCC in 1961 and participated in Freedom Rides challenging bus
segregation. He spoke at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington with MLK in 1963. He was in the peaceful March
on Selma and was unjustly and brutally injured in the police action on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday. John
Lewis is a hero living in our times.
John Lewis in the Lead is a biography written for middle grade readers (ages 9-11). The opening sentence, "John Lewis was
born at a time when the winds of change were blowing, just waiting for someone to catch them and hold on long enough for
everyone to feel the breeze," draws us into the excitement of his coming dramatic actions. Stories from his childhood
set the stage by telling us of how his aunt gathered a group of children to hold down the house during a hurricane and how
he learned to preach by practicing with the chickens. The illustrations are dramatic and emotional, with bright colors
contrasting the darkness of shadowed faces and looming buildings. The faces are indistinct and grim on many pages, which
I am sure would upset young children but will appeal to older students who want to be challenged with the harder truths of
real life.
The book ends with the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, after telling how strong an impact Lewis' work had in the
days of Marching to Selma. In the back of the book is a time line of his life's accomplishments with several black and
white photos. This is a well-done biography of the life of a great American.
Diego, by concept and illustrations by Jeanette Winter. Text by Jonah Winter. Knopf Books for
Young Readers; Reissue edition, 2007. ISBN: 0-6798-1987-8.
John Lewis in the Lead; A Story of the Civil Rights Movement, by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson.
Illustrations by Benny Andrews. Lee & Low Books, 2006. ISBN: 1-5843-0250-X.
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