Seventeen tales, from the Creation to Jonah, carefully chosen to demonstrate that ``God wants everyone to trust in Him,'' recounted in an easy, colloquial manner and recommended for reading ``with the Bible, and not instead of it.'' Waddell's simplifications are very accessible but not irreverent—God ``took one of Adam's ribs and made Eve from it, so that in an odd way they were one person''; ``It may have seemed simple enough to God who can do anything, but it was a huge job for poor Noah''; or, ```This boasting has got to stop!' Jacob told Joseph. `What kind of a dream is that?''' Problematic stories—Cain killing Abel, Abraham offering to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob cheating Esau or being tricked into marrying Leah, the plagues inflicted on Egypt- -are omitted, together with most of the violence and vengeance. Leaving out Benjamin's special relationship to Joseph weakens their story, but otherwise the selections make an appealingly informal introduction that reinforces Waddell's theme. Patterson's bold and colorful illustrations contribute handsomely to the format; most are in the spirit of the text (though Goliath looks like a good-natured Elizabethan). A lively and attractive rendition that should find many uses. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-395-66902-2
Page Count: 70
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
As atmospheric as its companion, Twilight Comes Twice, this tone poem pairs poetically intense writing with luminescent oils featuring widely spaced houses, open lawns, and clumps of autumnal trees, all lit by a huge full moon. Fletcher tracks that moon’s nocturnal path in language rich in metaphor: “With silent slippers / it climbs the night stairs,” “staining earth and sky with a ghostly glow,” lighting up a child’s bedroom, the wings of a small plane, moonflowers, and, ranging further afield, harbor waves and the shells of turtle hatchlings on a beach. Using creamy brushwork and subtly muted colors, Kiesler depicts each landscape, each night creature from Luna moths to a sleepless child and her cat, as well as the great moon sweeping across star-flecked skies, from varied but never vertiginous angles. Closing with moonset, as dawn illuminates the world with a different kind of light, this makes peaceful reading either in season, or on any moonlit night. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2003
ISBN: 0-618-16451-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Did you like this book?
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2022 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
