A lovely Catholic parable with a message of faith that can be read with pleasure and understanding by those of any religious background—or none. In a faraway land, a king and queen are about to marry in the city’s cathedral, even though most of the populace no longer attends mass. A poor old woman begs for bread at the bakery that has prepared the royal wedding cake. In return, since she has no money, she offers to hear the evening’s mass for the baker. He rejects her offer, writes the words “one mass” on a tiny piece of tissue paper, and places it on his scale to show her how worthless it is. He discovers that not all the sweetmeats in his shop can balance those words. He and the town find their hearts turned, and all go to attend the nuptial mass in the cathedral, having learned the weight of a mass. The watercolor illustrations depict a city part medieval, part Victorian, and wholly beautiful. In a postscript, the author tells of the scrap of historical story that led her to write this original folktale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-940112-09-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gingerbread House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2002
A solid introduction to a holiday celebrated by millions.
Soundar’s rhyming picture book gives readers an overview of the Hindu celebration of Diwali as it is celebrated in large parts of North India and by the North Indian diaspora.
Diwali is celebrated on the night of the new moon, and so after “Grandpa watches the waning moon” and notes that “the festival is coming soon,” an Indian boy and girl help their family clean and decorate the house. Then they all don new clothes, sing hymns and light lamps together, and exchange gifts and sweets with their neighbors, all in celebration of the holiday. Family members wear a combination of traditional Indian and Western attire; the suburban setting looks Western. It ends with a joyful greeting: “Shubh Diwali, to one and all. / We wish you joy, big and small!” Soundar’s use of “Shubh” in the title—meaning “auspicious” or “holy”—instead of “Happy” is welcome, as is Chua’s inclusion of neighborhood diversity (white and black families as well as a person using a wheelchair). As an entry on the holidays shelf, it breaks little new ground, but North American shelves hardly overflow with Diwali titles. An author’s note explaining the regional and religious differences in the celebration of Diwali across South Asia and the diaspora and a glossary of common terms provide readers with additional scaffolding.
A solid introduction to a holiday celebrated by millions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7355-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
An age-appropriate, biblically grounded, comforting picture book that can help answer kids’ questions about the afterlife.
Emmy Award–winning journalist and ABC News anchor Davis looks at the hereafter through the eyes of a child.
A young, brown-skinned boy is missing his deceased grandmother. “Every day she’s watching over me,” he notes and wonders how he can get to heaven to visit her. He has much he would “like to tell her” and “lots of questions too.” He considers building a staircase to heaven (the artwork depicts one made of Lego bricks), making himself a pair of wings, bouncing his way up to kingdom come using a trampoline, and journeying there via hot air balloon. When the boy, along with his sister and his (apparently) single mom, makes a long-distance trip to visit his grandfather, he hopes their airplane ride will take him to the pearly gates; luckily, it doesn’t! It is only while attending church with his family one day that he finally discovers the single way to get to heaven: “It’s not how far you travel, / or not just the things you do. / It’s all about faith and the grace of God / that brings this gift to you.” A double-page spread goes on to describe how we must live our lives if we want paradise to be our reward, and the book ends with an interesting perspective on heaven that brings readers back down to earth. Davis’ rhyming text is sweet and heartfelt but often struggles for scansion. While no particular religion is mentioned, the book’s point of view is manifestly Christian. Fleming’s bright and airy digital paintings faithfully reproduce the textures of traditional mediums and feed the imagination with forays into gentle whimsy. The main cast of characters is Black; some illustrations include diverse representation.
An age-appropriate, biblically grounded, comforting picture book that can help answer kids’ questions about the afterlife. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-310-77006-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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