AT BREAK OF DAY

A lovely and poetic recasting of the Biblical creation story in a modern spirit, from the versatile Grimes (My Man Blue, p. 721, etc.). Father and son create together, beginning “Once upon a time there was no time.” There are whimsical touches, e.g., the father calls the waters seas because he likes the sound of it; the stars are made of the son’s laughter, and some of them are angels in disguise. Adam and Eve appear in shimmering silhouette, and the final view of the earth echoes the glorious photographs taken from space. Morin’s illustrations make use of fabulous textures in paint and fabric; his dense collages in their dark jeweled colors include shells, beads, and needlework. Other contemporary creation stories, such as Julius Lester’s What a Truly Cool World and Caitl°n Matthews’s The Blessing Seed (both, 1998) could be used with this one for a tender trilogy. (Picture book. 4-8)