Horn Book Review
These books provide cursory looks at the lives of prominent African Americans. The writing is choppy, and the attention given is superficial. Quotations and photographs of the subjects, some as children, may be a draw for readers, but too often generic stock photos are used to fill up the pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these African-American Heroes titles: Barack Obama, Chris Rock, Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, and Savion Glover.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Of the many new biographies of Obama published for youth, very few are targeted for the youngest readers. This title fills that gap with a slim introduction to the presidential candidate that begins with his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. Feinstein's upbeat text, divided into very short chapters, focuses on details that will capture kids' interest, from the exotic pets and food delicacies that Obama encountered during his time in Indonesia to his young struggles to embrace his biracial identity. The bright, open layouts include a few generic stock photos, but there are also many portraits of Obama, including a few class pictures from his youth. A time line and a list of suggested reading close this timely volume in the African-American Heroes series.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2008 Booklist