School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-10-Shetterly introduces 50 esteemed Americans through their portraits and quotes. Some-Helen Keller, Muhammad Ali, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc.-will be familiar to most readers, but historian Howard Zinn and peace activists Samantha Smith and Kathy Kelly will likely be new to them. Some quotes make more sense than others. Henry David Thoreau said, "The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free." How true. Molly Ivins says, "The best way to get the sons of bitches is to make people laugh at them." Uh, maybe sometimes. A few, taken out of context, hold little meaning. Dorothea Lange opined, "This is what we did. How did it happen? How could we?" At least one quote will have readers grabbing for the dictionary. Emma Goldman stated, "The greatest bulwark of capitalism is militarism." Fortunately, brief biographies are appended, helping to clarify many of the quotes. There is neither rhyme nor reason to the order of the individuals, as it is neither chronological nor alphabetical. Shetterly's fine illustrations, mostly somber, are fully realized. They go hand in hand with the quotes to acknowledge what the person was (or is) all about. This lovely portrayal will probably find its best use in enhancing civics classes. Because of its picture-book appearance, students might not gravitate to it on their own.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"We the people are responsible for our government and the action it takes, the future it envisions, the history it writes," says Robert Shetterly in the opening to his gallery of 50 impressive portraits of equally impressive individuals in Americans Who Tell the Truth. He begins with a haunting painting of Walt Whitman, and ends with Frances Moore Lappe, activist and author of Diet for a Small Planet. Each painting offers insight into the subject's character: Studs Terkel seems captured midsentence, while Rosa Parks emits a quiet strength. Brief biographies with a thumbnail image of the portraits rounds out this elegant volume, as appropriate for adults as it is for children. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
This gallery features portraits of fifty historical and contemporary, well-known and lesser-known writers, labor leaders, artists, environmentalists, political activists, reporters, and politicians who spoke out about what they believed. Portraits are accompanied by dates, occupations, and quotes; biographical information is appended. While allowing more space for the inspired paintings, the minuscule typeface is hard to read. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In tribute to this country's proud tradition of protest, fine artist Shetterly has chosen 50 Americans who have stood up for what he calls "the promise of America," presenting them in a series of accurately painted head-and-shoulder portraits with their names and a pithy quote scratched in. His selections, equally divided between men and women, range from such usual suspects as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to the less-familiar likes of child peace activist Samantha Smith, political columnist Molly Ivins, authors Frances Moore LappÉ (Diet for a Small Planet) and Jonathan Kozol, plus controversial figures such as Emma Goldman and Dwight Eisenhower. The telling quotes are reprinted in the margins to make them more legible. Opening with an eloquent general statement of purpose, and closing with biographical comments on each entry, this gallery of writers, politicians, rabble-rousers, troublemakers, scientists, celebrities and activists will have a stirring cumulative effect, even on children unacquainted with many of their causes or accomplishments. (Nonfiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 9-12. This heartfelt book, a series of portraits (now a traveling exhibit), grew out of soul-searching after 9/11; it is both striking and highly personal. A New England fine artist and illustrator, Shetterly painted 50 people he greatly admires--freedom fighters, activists, and patriots all--who demonstrate political and social principles that foster the fundamental dignity and equal worth of every individual. Each bordered portrait, set against a plain colored background that enhances the painting's bright highlights and dark hues, is accompanied by a few words of identification and a quote from the person. Subjects are varied. Readers will know Sojourner Truth, Mark Twain, and, perhaps, Molly Ivins; but most won't have a clue about Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, or Amy Goodman--odd, unexpected choices for a YA book. Teens can find out more in thumbnail profiles at the back, but they won't be as lucky with the quotes; only a few are sourced--a real missed opportunity. The book may inspire artists or encourage discussions on activism in America, past and present, but it is best suited to large collections. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2005 Booklist
