A well-told, accessible Bible tale for young readers.
Jonah disobeys God’s instructions and finds himself in deep trouble.
God has told Jonah that he must go to Nineveh, Israel’s enemy, to tell them to change their ways and display kindness. Jonah prefers to have them punished, so he gets on a ship headed in the opposite direction. God is not happy and whips up severe storms that terrify the sailors, who call on their own gods for help. When they learn Jonah is to blame, he begs them to save themselves by throwing him overboard. Waiting below is the great gray whale, and Jonah floats right into his mouth. With nothing to do but think, Jonah comes to the conclusion that he must follow God’s orders. He needs a second chance, and therefore, so do the people of Nineveh. He eventually carries out God’s will, however reluctantly, and though successful, must learn yet another lesson in compassion. Forgoing traditional Biblical language and employing brief, almost staccato sentences, modern syntax, and lots of direct conversation between God and Jonah, Schwartz, a rabbi, presents the story to a new audience. All the salient action is there, but the important moral holds central importance. Sanchez’s illustrations have the look of modern animation; they capture the distant past in settings and costume, with the gray whale correctly having baleen. God does not appear, but all the human characters are dark-skinned with comically exaggerated facial features, and there is a strong sense of movement and action.
A well-told, accessible Bible tale for young readers. (author’s note) (Picture book/religion. 5-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68115-562-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here.
Kids teach a valuable lesson about community spirit.
A city block is ablaze with red and green lights for Christmas; one house glows blue and white for Hanukkah. This is where Isaac, a Jewish boy, lives, across the street from best friend Teresa, excitedly preparing for Christmas. They love lighting up their homes in holiday colors. After an antisemitic bigot smashes a window in Isaac’s house, Isaac relights the menorah the next night, knowing if his family doesn’t, it means hiding their Jewishness, which doesn’t “feel right.” Artistic Teresa supports Isaac by drawing a menorah, inscribed to her friend, and placing the picture in her window. What occurs subsequently is a remarkable demonstration of community solidarity for Isaac and his family from everyone, including the media. Galvanized into defiant action against hate, thousands of townspeople display menorahs in windows in residences and public buildings. This quiet, uplifting tale is inspired by an incident that occurred in Billings, Montana, in 1993. Readers will feel heartened at children’s power to influence others to stand up for justice and defeat vile prejudice. The colorful illustrations, rendered digitally with brushes of the artist’s devising, resemble scratch art. Isaac and Teresa are White, and there is some racial diversity among the townspeople; one child is depicted in a wheelchair. An author’s note provides information about the actual event.
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64614-087-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A visually pleasing collection with appeal for those families who wish to introduce a universal approach to religious...
This collection of short prayers from different religions around the world is presented with intricate illustrations showing related settings and people.
Over her extensive career, author/illustrator Demi has profiled many individual religious leaders in well-received biographies for children. With this collection, she introduces groups of short, often well-known prayers representative of many of the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Single prayers are included from Taoism, Shintoism, the Lakota people, and the Luba people of central Africa. The illustration for each prayer includes a group of representative humans, such as Buddhist monks and children praying at a Buddhist temple or a group of Jews praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Demi’s highly detailed illustrations with signature touches of gold are intriguing and well-researched, including people of many ethnicities and ages. An introduction from the author details her inclusive view of the common threads that underlie all these different religious traditions as well as her goal of fostering “tolerance and respect” through the combination of her choice of prayers and visual interpretations. Two concluding pages give specific notes on the prayers and on related illustrations.
A visually pleasing collection with appeal for those families who wish to introduce a universal approach to religious education, suitable for the religion section in larger libraries. (Picture book/religion. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-937786-69-4
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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