by Book of Common Prayer & illustrated by Heidi Holder ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2004
Holder has created a breathtaking interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer, using the traditional wording from the 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. Her artistic interpretation is anything but traditional, however, as she illustrates the text in dusky pastels without showing any people, using only animals, birds, and insects, complemented by flowers, plants, and a few buildings and artifacts. Printed on buff-colored paper with an antique look, the left-hand pages feature one phrase of the prayer with a large initial capital in gold, while the right-hand pages employ a full-page illustration with an arched top and intricately detailed surrounding borders. The illustration for “Give us this day our daily bread,” for example, shows two birds pecking at bread crumbs, with a mouse hoping for a share. Corresponding borders show minuscule cats and dogs looking for food on deserted streets, with grapes and wheat incorporated into the design. Two concluding pages of author’s notes explain the choice of flora and fauna and relevant biblical references in the illustrations. There are surprisingly few recent editions of the Lord’s Prayer in illustrated format; this offering presents a new view of ancient words for all ages. (Religion. 4+)
Pub Date: April 11, 2004
ISBN: 1-932425-03-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2004
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by Gordon Korman ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2021
Provocative yet cautious.
A community transformed by swastikas, and the response.
Chokecherry, Colorado, is a small town with a lot going on. A group of paleontologists from Massachusetts have set up a research station after fossilized dinosaur poop is discovered in the area. Some residents still whisper about the Night of a Thousand Flames in 1978, when Ku Klux Klan members flocked to the area and burned crosses. And the local media is sent into an uproar when Michael Amorosa, a Dominican boy and one of the few students of color, discovers a swastika painted on a wall at Chokecherry Middle School. Told in alternating perspectives, the story follows the students as they embark on a lengthy tolerance-building curriculum, come up with an art project to commemorate Jewish victims of the Holocaust, deal with an out-of-town YouTuber who wants to go viral with his commentary on the story, and learn more about themselves and their family histories. The only Jewish girl, Dana Levinson, helps Lincoln Rowley study for his bar mitzvah after he learns that his maternal grandmother, rescued and raised by nuns as a Christian, was the sole member of her family to survive the Holocaust. While the story is engaging, with many twists and turns, the different voices blend together, and emotional depth takes a back seat to educational goals. There’s a lot to ponder here about mistakes, intention, the difference between ignorance and hatred, and religious identity.
Provocative yet cautious. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-62911-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
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by Lee Wind ; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 2021
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here.
Kids teach a valuable lesson about community spirit.
A city block is ablaze with red and green lights for Christmas; one house glows blue and white for Hanukkah. This is where Isaac, a Jewish boy, lives, across the street from best friend Teresa, excitedly preparing for Christmas. They love lighting up their homes in holiday colors. After an antisemitic bigot smashes a window in Isaac’s house, Isaac relights the menorah the next night, knowing if his family doesn’t, it means hiding their Jewishness, which doesn’t “feel right.” Artistic Teresa supports Isaac by drawing a menorah, inscribed to her friend, and placing the picture in her window. What occurs subsequently is a remarkable demonstration of community solidarity for Isaac and his family from everyone, including the media. Galvanized into defiant action against hate, thousands of townspeople display menorahs in windows in residences and public buildings. This quiet, uplifting tale is inspired by an incident that occurred in Billings, Montana, in 1993. Readers will feel heartened at children’s power to influence others to stand up for justice and defeat vile prejudice. The colorful illustrations, rendered digitally with brushes of the artist’s devising, resemble scratch art. Isaac and Teresa are White, and there is some racial diversity among the townspeople; one child is depicted in a wheelchair. An author’s note provides information about the actual event.
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64614-087-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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