An accessible but undistinguished simplification of the Bible story, with the gratuitous addition that Jonah is a man ostracized by his neighbors because he's so lazy. Patterson's bold, painterly illustrations are more satisfactory: using heroic figures and broad areas of color that recall early Renaissance frescoes, he sets the story firmly in the early eastern Mediterranean and provides an agreeably dramatic whale, including one glimpse from inside-out as Jonah emerges. An acceptable additional edition. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 12, 1992
ISBN: 0-688-11238-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a sequel to her earlier Bethlehem (2001), Greenaway Medalist French has created a powerful pictorial rendition of the Easter story. She uses only the language of the King James Bible, which is clear enough for even young children to follow. She illustrates the Word from Palm Sunday until the Ascension, basing her images on English stained-glass windows. These are very beautiful indeed, in their jewel colors and strong graphic outlines. Within that visual idiom, French has managed to make the faces expressive and the gestures unambiguous. She wields perspective like a sword, from the close-up pattern of faces and palm branches to the tumbling of the multitude of fishes, more than the disciples could gather. “And they crucified him” appears as a single sentence on one page swept with stained glass shards; opposite is the image of Christ on the cross, its hieratic solemnity unbroken. Excellent for Christian children and lucid enough for those interested in the beliefs of others. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-623929-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2002
A unique offering for a family read-aloud. (Poetry. 4-6)
Fourteen graceful poems portray a small boy’s relationship with his prayerful father.
Whether the narrator is at bat for his team, coming home from school, helping to weed a garden, or being tucked in at night, he “hears” his father praying. Each poem in a different cadence fits the mood of the experience. The title poem is almost a lullaby: “When Daddy prays / my fear of darkness disappears / and angels tiptoe down the hall. / I hear them through the door and wall. / They whisper in a velvet husssshhh / that floats me off to sleep / when Daddy prays.” Several of the poems seem to be from an adult perspective rather than a small boy’s. Finding his Daddy in prayer, he kneels beside him knowing what to say: “Our Father, whose heart is heaven . . . ” The first poem entitled “A Father’s Prayer” reads, in part, “May my children see / beyond my muscles / to your strength. / May they find across my broad shoulders / the imprint of your wings.” Bold, strong pictures match the poetry and anchor the writing in an everyday world. Daddy is a tall, muscular man, at times overpowering the pictures and projecting a protective feeling very much in keeping with the poetry. Predominant colors of deep browns and yellows depict an African-American family in a warm home atmosphere. Close-ups of father and son contrast with outdoor scenes and give liveliness to the pages. The jacket is striking and depicts the small boy dressed in his Daddy’s clothes, looking in a mirror in which the image of his father looks out, dressed in the same clothes as the child.
A unique offering for a family read-aloud. (Poetry. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8028-5152-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2002
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