``I wondered if God is strong, and the ocean roared in my ears.'' ``I wondered if God is caring, and the new boy shared his crayons with me.'' Through a dozen such observations, Kroll builds the idea that God's attributes can be discovered in many ways in ``His Creation,'' in the natural world and in people's generosity and love—a kindly, all-embracing, nonsectarian view of a deity whose likes include children of different colors, as shown in Jenkins's lush, sun-dappled paintings of glowing kids enjoying a snowy day, admiring a spider's web, or wrapped in Grandma's embrace. An attractive discussion opener. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-8028-5078-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
A straightforward rhyming explanation of the Gospel for the very young.
A grandparent answers their grandchild’s questions by telling the story of Jesus in this picture book.
“Granfoo, Granfoo who made the sky? / And who made me, Granfoo, and why?” asks Zoe. The light-brown–skinned girl, who wears a bright purple dress, wants answers to some of life’s big questions. And Granfoo, who has pale skin and wears jeans and a blouse, is happy to answer them. She ushers Zoe to a comfy spot on the porch and brings out a Bible. In simple, rhyming text, Granfoo describes how God created everything in the world and tells the story of Jesus. After a preschool-appropriate description of sin—“the bad things we do”—Granfoo shares the more challenging story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Smith’s vocabulary is simple and accessible, and the rhymes scan well throughout. Yongco’s cartoon illustrations show the clearly loving relationship between grandparent and child (who appear to be part of a multiracial family), set against a lush green yard and large, rural-feeling porch. While some churches may hesitate to fully embrace the statement of original sin Granfoo espouses, Sunday school teachers and parents looking for a rudimentary explanation of the Christian story of sin, death, and rebirth may find Smith’s picture book a good place to start.
A straightforward rhyming explanation of the Gospel for the very young.Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-66420-250-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A simple, celebratory story of community collaboration and religious tolerance.
In Inuvik, a town 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, a makeshift trailer mosque is no longer adequate for the growing Muslim community.
The cost of building “a bigger one so far north” is prohibitive, so the Winnipeg-based Zubaidah Tallab Foundation steps in to help. Based on a true story, this picture book describes the remarkable project, from fundraising and building the mosque in Winnipeg to transporting it to Inuvik more than 4,000 kilometers away. The mosque’s long-distance journey is fraught with perils and challenges that require the efforts of many people to overcome. Road signs and power lines have to be moved to accommodate the oversized semitrailer conveying The Midnight Sun Mosque over back roads and country highways as it struggles to make it to the last Hay River barge crossing of the season before the winter freeze. Ghare's scenic, digital illustrations do the heavy lifting in this intriguing story narrated in straightforward, spare text. The artwork depicts racially and ethnically diverse communities of Muslims and non-Muslims in both locales. Roman Catholic clerics and Gwich'in First Nations elders are present at the official opening of the new mosque. A short introduction and author's note provide additional details for consideration and discussion.
A simple, celebratory story of community collaboration and religious tolerance. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2760-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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