Starred review from June 15, 2023
A map-based view of American history. Opening with a carefully shaded, watercolor-and-colored pencil depiction of a green-and-blue Earth, Thermes, a map illustrator, describes how early humans "moved across the land and around the world in search of animals and plants to eat, fresh water to drink, and safe shelter to rest--as living creatures do." These themes persist throughout as she focuses on how methods of survival become multilayered systems of oppression. It's as if Howard Zinn wrote a children's book--instead of focusing on presidents and other White men, Thermes demonstrates how Indigenous people, African Americans, and immigrants form the foundation and framework of American history. Describing the founding of the United States, she writes, "European colonizers came to North America and struggled over who could claim the Native peoples' homelands as their own." Devoting a full spread to U.S. territories like Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the author/illustrator names the Indigenous peoples who still live there. Far too often history classes for children relegate Black, Indigenous, and immigrant history to side units, but this book can--and should--replace any text that doesn't rightfully center those narratives. One flaw is that the work skips over everything between 1965 and 2001 (including the AIDS crisis), but this is nevertheless a necessary addition to any educational institution or the personal library of any kid who wants to "work toward a better future for all who live upon the land." History made relevant. (afterword, selected sources, timeline) (Nonfiction. 8-13)
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Starred review from August 1, 2023
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Manhattan (2019) author Thermes broadens her scope in this concise, inclusive, and handsomely illustrated tour of American history, which focuses on the land that came to be known as the United States and the immigrants who came to populate it. To that end, she recognizes the millions of Indigenous people who have lived on the continent for thousands of years and the fact that people from North, South, and Central America are all Americans--not just U.S. citizens. Divided into historically significant time periods, such as European colonization, the Gold Rush, and the Mexican-American War, the clear text describes how these events changed American geography. It never glamorizes the growing nation but rather addresses how these events impacted such populations as Native Americans, enslaved people, Mexicans, and Chinese immigrants. At the heart of the book are eye-catching maps that reveal an expanding America in exquisite detail made more impressive by the book's oversize format. After bringing readers to the current geography of the U.S. and its territories, Thermes turns to the arrival of immigrant groups from the 1900s, including the Great Migration of African Americans to the North, to the present and the discrimination and injustices these newcomers faced. She concludes with a hopeful message that, despite these challenges, humans continue to search for a better life.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from October 20, 2023
Gr 1-5-This informational picture book uses soft illustrations and crisp language to share the stories of the land currently known as America. Beginning with the arrival of Indigenous peoples over 15,000 years ago, jumping to the arrival of colonial powers in the 1500s and 1600s, and ending with the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Thermes tells the story of America through the people who have inhabited it and the ever-changing boundaries on its maps. A robust time line fills the front and back endpapers and extends notable events into 2022. Rather than mark time with famous individuals, the narrative focuses on peoples and shared experiences. This is particularly effective when presenting facts about systemic oppression and injustice. The illustrations are gentle and approachable. They contain both thoughtful depictions of humans and informative, accessible maps. This book tries neither to hide nor glorify an unjust and tumultuous past; rather, it amplifies the many people and experiences of a shared land. Its format is cleverly deceptive; this picture book packs more intellectual punch than many history texts and deserves a place on every shelf. Ideal for elementary ages, this could also serve as an excellent overview for older readers. VERDICT Thermes excels in providing a large scale overview of America's history rooted in the experiences of many, rather than few. A first purchase and a remarkable undertaking.-Taylor Worley
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2023
"Maps show how humans have used borders to divide the land into villages, towns, states, and countries. Much of the story of human history has been about the quest for land and who controls it." In this ambitious and comprehensive account, Thermes (The Indestructible Tom Crean, rev. 1/23) first chronicles European colonization and the aftermath it had -- and continues to have -- on Indigenous inhabitants of this continent. She goes on to describe successive waves of migration, both forced (the enslavement of Africans; Japanese incarceration during World War II) and voluntary, and mentions ongoing immigration issues. She weaves these narratives into larger political events, especially wars and territorial expansion. The design here is flawless: the illustrations, text, maps, and sidebars work in concert to synthesize and convey not only a large amount of complex information, but information that requires subtlety and nuance in its presentation (and though the art might sometimes be considered cozy, the text does not mince words: "The lie that a person with light skin was superior to one with dark skin tightened its grip"). Moreover, this extended nonfiction picture book has a slightly oversize trim, which, along with the pastel-colored illustrations rendered in watercolor, colored pencil, and ink, recalls the work of the d'Aulaires. This book too has the look and feel of a classic that readers will revisit time and again to fully absorb the details in both text and illustration. A selected bibliography recommends further resources, while an extensive timeline occupies both endpapers. Jonathan Hunt
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)