Philanthropy...A Big Word for Big-Hearted People

Gr 3—5—What could have been a great collection of profiles about kids who have made a difference in their communities is unfortunately a saccharine package of amateurish illustrations and cheesy rhymes. The young heroes are identified by name but are depicted as simplistic, hokey cartoon figures that they may or may not resemble. And the poems...oh dear, the poems. There's this: "On Thanksgiving, most people eat turkeys and pies,/And think about Pilgrims and Indian guys." And this: "These boys and girls can't help that they're sick,/But often are people the bullies will pick." As if the painfully substandard artwork and poetry weren't enough, each profile faces a page on which the word "philanthropy" appears vertically. A related word starting with one of the letters is highlighted in acrostic fashion, such as "People," "Help," "Important," etc. The Helsons incorporate the words into maudlin statements about philanthropy that increase in length, so that there is a drawn-out culminating declaration about the importance of giving to others.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR