Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

The Wallaces and Nowicka take a look at the first members of families who immigrated to the United States and the impacts they have had on our lives and country through minibiographies and bright, illustrated portraits.We all come from somewhere, and unless you are Native American, your people came here as immigrants or refugees. That is what makes America so beautiful. This book takes figures from all races, nationalities, and religions and looks at them as human beings and at the amazing things they have accomplished, from politics to art to science and everything in between. From the music of Yo-Yo Ma to the statecraft of Madeleine Albright or the runway walk of Halima Aden, immigrants have shaped this country. They gave us Google, the Sierra Club, and salsa music. Young readers will be constantly surprised by the impacts these new Americans have had without their ever having realized it. Bright portraits accompany each minibiography along with a box that includes highlights of each person's life. The breezy format will give readers a taste of nonfiction and will ignite their curiosity to delve deeper into the lives of the people within the pages. Selected books and websites for further exploration as well as a bibliography will help them get started.A deeply patriotic look at how immigrants' application of the American ideals of hard work and perseverance can have lasting effects. (authors' note, illustrator's note) (Collective biography. 8-12)

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

This collective biography includes one-page profiles and realistic digital portraits of influential first-generation Americans. The volume focuses mostly on contemporary men and women working in many fields: Google founder Sergey Brin from the former Soviet Union; Mazie Hirono, originally from Japan and the first Asian American woman in the Senate; and Somali refugee Halima Aden, a fashion model who wears a hijab. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

The Wallaces and Nowicka take a look at the first members of families who immigrated to the United States and the impacts they have had on our lives and country through minibiographies and bright, illustrated portraits.We all come from somewhere, and unless you are Native American, your people came here as immigrants or refugees. That is what makes America so beautiful. This book takes figures from all races, nationalities, and religions and looks at them as human beings and at the amazing things they have accomplished, from politics to art to science and everything in between. From the music of Yo-Yo Ma to the statecraft of Madeleine Albright or the runway walk of Halima Aden, immigrants have shaped this country. They gave us Google, the Sierra Club, and salsa music. Young readers will be constantly surprised by the impacts these new Americans have had without their ever having realized it. Bright portraits accompany each minibiography along with a box that includes highlights of each person's life. The breezy format will give readers a taste of nonfiction and will ignite their curiosity to delve deeper into the lives of the people within the pages. Selected books and websites for further exploration as well as a bibliography will help them get started.A deeply patriotic look at how immigrants' application of the American ideals of hard work and perseverance can have lasting effects. (authors' note, illustrator's note) (Collective biography. 8-12)