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WHAT I BELIEVE

Name: WHAT I BELIEVE
Author: Debbie Holsclaw Birdseye
ISBN: 0-8234-1268-7

KIDS TALK ABOUT FAITH

by Debbie Holsclaw Birdseye & Tom Birdseye & photographed by Robert Crum ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 1996

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The Birdseyes, subtitling their book ``Kids Talk about Faith,'' offer the religious beliefs and other interests of six students from Corvallis, Oregon, in short, first-person essays, along with Crum's full-color, snapshot-like photographs from the youngsters' daily lives. In a preface, the authors note the difficulty of deciding which religions to include. The six faiths they chose—Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and ``Native American''—are represented, respectively, by Min, Alex, Janani, Aly, Carmel, and Kaila. They are intelligent children, who share—despite the variety of faiths—a belief in a benevolent power, an acceptance of religious guidelines that prove useful in real life, and a firm sense of ethics. Their families are also presented in a generous light, making this a heartwarming and unexpectedly fascinating book. (further reading) (Picture book. 7-10)

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 1996

ISBN: 0-8234-1268-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGION

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THE ACROBAT AND THE ANGEL

by Mark Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999

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In this retelling of a medieval French tale, a starving young acrobat, PÇquelÇ, is allowed to join a Franciscan community only if he promises to give up performing. When he breaks his promise, in order to comfort a plague-stricken infant, a sculpted angel comes to life and bears him away. Although the illustrator frames most of his darkly elaborate illustrations within stone archways decorated with floral designs or grotesques, PÇquelÇ often flies beyond the visual borders, flinging out arms and legs in abandon. His joy is contagious; readers moved by the story’s Italian cousin, retold in Tomie dePaola’s Clown of God (1978), will also respond to this more formal, polished rendition. (Picture book/folklore. 7-9)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-399-22918-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

- BOOK REVIEW
GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
by Mark Shannon & illustrated by David Shannon

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BE BLEST

A CELEBRATION OF SEASONS

by Mary Beth Owens ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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This book of seasonal prayers, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of Brother Sun,” and also indebted to Gaelic scholar Alexander Carmichel’s work, can be summed up by a portion of the prayer for November: “Contained in every/season’s end:/the blessing to begin again.” Springtime’s “Sing praise” gives way to summer’s “Rejoice!” and then to harvest time’s “Give Thanks” before winter’s “Be Blest” appears in the encircled prayer that faces each month’s watercolor illustration. The realistic paintings reflect the annual cycle, becoming almost iconographic in the evidence in each of the gifts of the season. These are “God’s good gifts” that in January, for example, are the seeds shaken from dead plants and weeds and the leaf buds on barren branches. The puzzle of the cycle of life springing from death moves on many levels; also appearing in January are predator (fox) and prey (deer). The simple yet sturdy spirituality informing this book will assure its place in both individual and institutional collections that have room for religious titles. (Picture book. 6-8)