Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Illustrations from artists including Ros Asquith, Barroux, Shane Evans, and Peter Sís combine with quotations about the many forms freedom can take from Anne Frank, Nelson Mandela, and others, creating a kaleidoscopic vision of what a just world might look like. "I don't mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is an education," reads a quote from Nobel Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai, as Roger Mello offers a birds-eye view of a girl reading on the bow of a boat. Beside a quotation from Harriet Tubman, Mordicai Gerstein pictures a dark-skinned woman stepping out of a black forest of chains, thorns, and a noose into a verdant field filled with birds and flowers. A portion of proceeds from sales will benefit Amnesty International. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-6-This title offers a series of quotes from writers and human-rights champions, loosely arranged around the theme "Dreams of Freedom." Each selection occupies a spread and is accompanied by art from an internationally acclaimed artist. For example, "Freedom to be a child" is illustrated by Birgitta Sif and depicts a child's bedroom at night, with two youngsters in a tent reading by lantern light. Mikhail Bakunin's accompanying quotation reads, "Children are neither the property of their parents nor even the world. They belong only to their own future freedom." "Freedom to Learn" pairs a Malala Yousafzai quote ("I don't mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is education and I am afraid of no one.") with Roger Mello's illustration that shows an overhead view of a child reading a book with a monkey on the prow of a large ship in the midst of a fantastical sea of colors. While there is no real narrative, the pairings provide a landing place for readers to stop and consider the message the words contain. A foreword touches on the mission and the purpose of the book (all proceeds will be donated to Amnesty International), and there is a brief biography for each writer and illustrator. VERDICT While not an essential purchase, this inspirational title is a worthwhile selection for large collections.-Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Twenty artists from around the world illustrate many aspects of the concept of "freedom," accompanying inspirational sayings from thinkers living and dead.Illustrations range from the representational to the surreal in their interpretations. Mordicai Gerstein paints a black figure in a yellow dress emerging from a thicket of chains, brambles and nooses into a lush, green, bird-filled paradise to illustrate Harriet Tubman's recollection of "cross[ing] that line." Illustrating a quotation from Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Hans Christian Andersen winner Roger Mello, from Brazil, offers a brilliantly colored and patterned aerial view of a boat; in its prow, a long-haired figure sprawls, reading a book. Joining such familiar voices as the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Anne Frank are Mikhail Bakunin, a 19th-century Russian anarchist; Chief Standing Bear, a Ponca Indian who sued the U.S. Army and won; and two former prisoners of conscience, Armando Valladares, a Cuban artist, and Jack Mapanje, a Malawian poet. Barroux's illustration of a pithy quote on freedom of expression from Ali Ferzat, a Syrian political cartoonist, gives potent visual meaning to "the power of the pen." With an introduction by Michael Morpurgo, concluding thumbnail biographies of all the contributors, and endpapers displaying a serene, starry night sky from Peter Ss, it's a handsome package indeed. With proceeds going to Amnesty International, this album provides much food for thought for those childrenand adultswho take the time to contemplate its pages. (Picture book. 5-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
