Education and entertainment in a well-drawn, appealing first look into a major world religion.
A young girl walks through a vivid, vibrant world of Hindu gods in this illustrated debut children’s book.
As Radhika sits underneath her favorite tree, she starts to gaze upward, admiring the winged seeds of the tree that flutter down and through the wind. As she watches each seed get carried away or simply fall to the ground, she is struck with a question: Why doesn’t every single seed produced by a tree become a tree itself? This line of questioning begins her journey through a rich parable featuring Hindu gods. On the journey, Radhika learns of the elements of the world—space, air, fire, water and earth—and of the gods that represent these elements. Visiting Ganesha, Agni, Proothvi, Durga and many more, Radhika begins to understand the act of being grateful, the dichotomy and necessity of being both happy and sad, and how life is shaped by awe, grace, respect and love. Annan’s charming debut features colorful illustrations that are bright and inviting, as well as engaging, informational prose that should be easy for children to understand—a difficult line to walk with such a complicated subject. At the end of the work, Radhika is bursting with knowledge and ready to go forth and apply all that she’s learned, which should carry over into the lives of interested readers. All in all, the work offers a commendable introduction to the world of Hindu gods and the religion’s main tenets, especially for children who practice other doctrines.
Education and entertainment in a well-drawn, appealing first look into a major world religion.Pub Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490424330
Page Count: 44
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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