Akira to Zoltan: Twenty-Six Men who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee and illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy, is a specialized nonfiction book highlighting twenty-sex men who changed the world.

The cover is colorful and inviting, featuring two large and lively illustrations of Akira Kurosawa, a filmmaker, and Zoltan Kodaly, a composer and music educator painted on two book ends. The title is written in large and colorful sapphire blue font with a royal purple subtitle. Next to each illustration is an icon indicating each man’s profession. A film reel for Akira Kurosawa and a phonograph for Zoltan Kodaly. The cover is rich and suggests that this book is written for a younger audience, and it will include world-changers from different nationalities, ethnicities, and professions.

The table of contents is arranged alphabetically, beginning with the first letter of the first name of each historical figure. What is interesting about this intentional decision is that most people alphabetize by the first letter in the last name. This subtle, yet deliberate difference could help young people remember both the first and last name of these world-changers, not just the last name. Additionally, next to each name, there is a job description of each person. For example, next to Octavio Paz, poet is included. Along with Walt Elias Disney, animator and filmmaker is added. Next to Ellison Shoji Onizuka, astronaut is listed. These minor descriptions could peek a child’s interest, drawing them to a chapter aligning with his or her interests.

Akira to Zoltan contains a selected bibliography spread including thirty sources listed alphabetically according to subject. This is encouraging because even though I may or may not have heard of Cynthia Chin-Lee as an author, it demonstrates that she has done her research on each of these men. Even though the research process is not included in the bibliography, the reader, if he or she so chooses, could begin researching more about these individuals by reading the sources listed.

In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, Chin-Lee does not describe her or her illustrator’s research process in depth, but she does include six paragraphs describing her motivation for writing the book. She intentionally highlights “a diverse group of contemporary men beyond celebrities, wealthy businessmen, and powerful heads of state” and she “particularly sought peacemakers” because those “are the individuals who really change the world” (32). Also, she intentionally discusses the content of this book and was hesitant, initially questioning if the world needed another book about men. After doing some research and reflection, she “found it a joy to celebrate men from many different fields, including arts, exploration, and science” (32).

As mentioned above, Chin-Lee intentionally chose to focus her book on influential men who have impacted all of our lives. Also, as mentioned above, she widens the scope of her book to include more than just celebrities and heads of state. She does not go into incredible depth in the three paragraphs allotted each individual per page; however, the information is arranged in such a way that the first paragraph is about the hero as a baby, the second as a student, and the third as a professional. The information and language used is age appropriate and provides enough detail and background knowledge for young readers to have a sense of what that person’s life is about. At the bottom of each page, a direct quote is given by each person, along with the year he was born and the year he died. These quotes give the reader a sense of what each person valued and could cause the reader to reflect and apply the wisdom to his or her life. Finally, each page is illustrated with an elaborate and colorful drawing of each man featuring mnemonic images to help remember why they are famous. For example, Mohandas Gandhi is pictured in white robe holding the country of India. Nelson Mandela's picture alludes to the fact that he helped end apartheid in South Africa, and Pele is featured doing a bicycle kick on the soccer pitch. Together, the quotes, illustrations, and content align beautifully on the page to create a wonderful experience for young readers.
Cynthia Chin-Lee’s style makes learning accessible for young people. As mentioned above, the content is thoughtfully and carefully organized from A-Z, and the information contained in each biography is formatted into three easy-to-read paragraphs. The language is accessible for young readers, She maintains a neutral tone, as she is relaying and recounting these men’s lives, not favoring one person over another.

Another thing that is worth noting about Akira to Zoltran is the multi-cultural element. This book is not white-washed. Not only does Cynthia Chin-Lee choose to discuss the topic of world-changer as being a attainable through many different professions, the men who are celebrated in this book are from different ethnicities, nationalities, and creeds, which communicates to the reader that being a difference-maker is not limited to a specific skin color or belief system. Asians, Indians, Native-Americans, Arabs, Africans, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians are all represented.

Akira to Zoltan is a great read for middle-school and junior high audiences. It is well researched, richly illustrated, and inclusive. This would be a great book to have in a middle-school ELA class library.

Even though these two books, Akira to Zoltan: Twenty-six Men who Changed the World and Heroes for my Son: Ordinary People who Achieved the Extraordinary, both specialized nonfiction books that focus on similar topics, they have similar audiences but are written for different purposes. At first glance, Heroes for my Son is written for an older audience with the intention of inspiring greatness and passing on wisdom to the upcoming generation. The photographs are all in black and white, the text is small and the font is not noteworthy. Also, there seems to be a lot of wasted, whitespace on each page causing the young reader to lose interest quickly. However, the author does include a 53rd chapter where the reader can include his or her own hero and create a two page spread. This type of interactive component makes me think it is written for middle school students with the intent to honor 26 men who changed the world. Aikira to Zoltan is definitely written for a middle school audience. The pages are full of vivid colors and beautiful illustrations, each section is written in a multi-paragraph structure, and the font is bold and exciting. Chin-Lee’s book also contains more biographical information on each person as well as a thorough bibliography. Akira to Zoltan is more effective in engaging young readers. ( )

This alphabet book features unusual figures from history and impressive illustrations. Somewhat of a cross between an alphabet book and a nonfiction offering for older readers, the book gives the names and a brief biography of each man it names. They are from the worlds of sports, music, art, politics, science, film, invention, and more. I appreciated hearing about figures I had not heard of before and seeing a less common illustration style. ( )

Companion book to "Amelia to Zora." Informational, multicultural and well written. The art work is done in bold colors using a collage method along with ink and paint. The book represents many unsung social justice hero's from underrepresented segments of society. A great classroom resource book. ( )

This book is great! While it is structured in the form of an alphabet book, it really falls more under the category of an illustrated informational book. The author, Cynthia Chin-Lee focuses on notable men in the history of the world, particularly those who are known in history as peace keepers. Each page is packed full of great information about each noteworthy person as well as a beautiful and unique picture. I think this book could have a lot of great uses in the classroom. It is clearly intended for a little bit older audience, but its uses as a biographical text is pretty awesome.

Truly great and unique!
From A to Z, this book informs and delights as a who-who's list of should be known global dignitaries. Sports, music, arts, thought, film and literature and represented as a common guide into history and achievement. The book can be used as an effective tool of learning across multiple subjects and is a welcome addition to any classroom curriculum. I do not know how the final were selected but the lessons and values that can be learned from each subject are universal to all.