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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
