Artistry and poetry preaching effectively to a particular sort of choir
Spoken-word artist Aragon brings her poetry to the picture-book page in her debut.
Love is a powerful creative force. Flowing from the tripartite God of love, its generative ability creates light, sky, plants, and animals of all kinds, culminating in humanity, the crown of creation. Human beings then, as image bearers of the Creator, with their own capacity for both love and creation, bring forth a child through the intimacy of husband and wife. This is a tale of two genesis stories, a poetic retelling of the biblical Genesis as well as the genesis of a family, all centered on love. Though the rhythm of the text is lovely, the implication of sexual intimacy in marriage as the exclusive means of creating a family unfortunately limits the audience to only heteronormative couples and nonadoptive parents. The colorful and bold illustrations are visually striking, depicting an appropriately brown-skinned Adam and Eve and a contemporary black family as the focal points of the dual creation narrative. A lovely celebration of the power of love and its role in the traditional nuclear family, though a bit on the exclusive side.
Artistry and poetry preaching effectively to a particular sort of choir . (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7369-7436-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harvest House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
Younger audiences may be mostly interested in the bonking and stinky parts, but the rudiments are at least in place for...
Ten tales from the Old and New Testaments, with plot points and lessons hidden beneath large, shaped flaps.
Higgins depicts Jesus as a bit larger than those around him but otherwise draws him and the rest of the cast—including angels—with similar-looking round heads, wide-open eyes, slightly crooked beards (on the men), and dark brown or olive skin. Cycling arbitrarily among various tenses, the abbreviated, sanitized, and informally retold episodes begin in “a garden” with the tree, most of Adam and Eve, and the “tricky serpent” who “will trick them” initially hidden beneath die-cut flaps. Lifting the largest reveals the disobedient first couple sporting flashy animal-skin togs and text that promises that “God had a plan to save people from sin.” After Noah boards the “crowded, noisy, and stinky” ark, Moses leads the escape from plague-ridden Egypt (“Frogs and locusts! Yucky sores and flies!”), and “David bonks Goliath.” God’s promise eventually bears fruit with the birth and select miracles of Jesus. In the climactic scene, three distant crosses hide beneath a flap that depicts Jerusalem, while behind a tomb in the foreground an angel literally fizzes with fireworks. Beneath a bush readers see Mary (Magdalen) weeping until the risen Jesus (beneath another bush) gives her a hug: “Go tell the disciples that I am alive!”
Younger audiences may be mostly interested in the bonking and stinky parts, but the rudiments are at least in place for homiletic discussion. (Novelty/religion. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5064-4684-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A likely choice for those seeking a children’s Christian Bible.
A children’s storybook features 45 foundational stories from the Christian Bible.
A young polar bear is having a sleepover with several friends of different species. After a fun day, Mama Bear calls the youngsters in for storytime. Explaining that the Bible “is the story God gave us,” she proceeds to tell stories from the Old and New Testaments. She begins with the Creation story in Genesis, moves on through Exodus, and concludes with Paul’s missionary work. The anthropomorphic little animals are an effective feature of the book, as they frequently comment on the stories and question Mama Bear. Why didn’t God simply put a fence around the tree with the forbidden fruit? wonders Little Otter, giving Mama Bear the opportunity to teach the little ones about free will and choosing to love and obey God. Little Cub wants to know how Noah was able to find land with the Ark, and Mama Bear explains about having faith that God will steer you correctly. The questions and the wonderment the little animals express well reflect the reactions and inquiries many children are likely to have. The illustrations are warm and colorful throughout, with interesting details to catch readers’ attention. Little Cub and his friends are particularly well drawn, combining both realistic animal details with human expressions. Characters in the Bible stories are olive-skinned humans.
A likely choice for those seeking a children’s Christian Bible. (Religion. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7352-9190-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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