Seventeen tales, from the Creation to Jonah, carefully chosen to demonstrate that ``God wants everyone to trust in Him,'' recounted in an easy, colloquial manner and recommended for reading ``with the Bible, and not instead of it.'' Waddell's simplifications are very accessible but not irreverent—God ``took one of Adam's ribs and made Eve from it, so that in an odd way they were one person''; ``It may have seemed simple enough to God who can do anything, but it was a huge job for poor Noah''; or, ```This boasting has got to stop!' Jacob told Joseph. `What kind of a dream is that?''' Problematic stories—Cain killing Abel, Abraham offering to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob cheating Esau or being tricked into marrying Leah, the plagues inflicted on Egypt- -are omitted, together with most of the violence and vengeance. Leaving out Benjamin's special relationship to Joseph weakens their story, but otherwise the selections make an appealingly informal introduction that reinforces Waddell's theme. Patterson's bold and colorful illustrations contribute handsomely to the format; most are in the spirit of the text (though Goliath looks like a good-natured Elizabethan). A lively and attractive rendition that should find many uses. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-395-66902-2
Page Count: 70
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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