Gorgeous illustrations elevate this familiar attempt to reconcile science, religion and mysticism.
A brightly illustrated allegorical retelling of biblical creation, presented with a naturalist’s whimsy.
Freeman’s debut amounts to more than an imaginative retelling of the beginning of the book of Genesis. At first, it offers a fanciful story about a female God observing the universe, shaping planets and time; then it becomes a tale of a lonely deity eager to share her creations with others. It chronicles the advent of landscapes, plants and animals. God eventually settles on humans as the perfect model of herself, as their upright walking symbolically bridges the physical gap between heaven and earth. As expected, she gives mankind the gift of free will, thus gracing it with the ability to love freely. (In an odd twist for a book that aims to link creationism and naturalism, the story briefly mentions fantasy creatures such as unicorns, fairies and elves.) Despite its quirkiness and serious message, the book’s main strength rests in its coupling of lighthearted poetry with splashy artwork. The acrylic and watercolor illustrations complement each stanza in bright primary colors, exemplifying the illustrator’s eye for movement and color. The volume’s final lesson rests on the premise that “man’s magical eyes / have grown dimmer and dimmer, / ’til he sees only the surface and fails to remember / that his true nature is Light.” In essence, the book seems to say, fame, power and personal wealth mean nothing because they come between people, and harmonious living is the true meaning of life. Given the overall gentle tone of the work, the oft-used sentiment is hardly shocking. Although the work may be intended as a ruminative adult piece, it may find the perfect audience as a children’s book that bridges the gap between biblical creation and the natural world. As such, it could open the eyes of readers less familiar with the beliefs with which adults live daily.
Gorgeous illustrations elevate this familiar attempt to reconcile science, religion and mysticism.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0989089708
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Halcyon Wind Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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