What a Truly Cool World

Rating:
Summary: God Is More Than We Can Imagine
Review: A wonderful book for your kids, to read aloud at children's time on Sunday morning, or just to chuckle at by yourself. Julius Lester imagines God in his own way in the Jewish tradition of midrash, and humor and insight are the result. My favorite character is Shaniqua, the Angel in Charge of Everybody's Business. Children will see that their picture of God is not the only picture that exists, and also learn to revel in the joy and beauty of Creation. A must have for any thinking Christian family.

Rating:
Summary: Not everything is as it seems...
Review: I loved this book! I highly recommend this book because... It focuses on diversity. It brings to light a new version of the creation myth. Not only is it easy to read, but also "God" is not alone. He has help. Everyone is part of something. One can easily tire of the typical creation myths. Instead, this book allows us to consider other possibilities. It also causes us to question the creation myth and to acknowledge that there are different points of view. I would love to read this to a class along with other creation myth books. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll get the opportunity since it deals with religion. True, this book is not for everyone, but it is definitely a must read! It was also nice to see that God was portrayed as African-American. Even though I myself am not African-American, it is nice to see some diversity in children's books=) Also, the artwork was very colorful and well done! I look foreward to more books such as this one.

Rating:
Summary: The power of Story
Review: I was fortunate to attend a talk by Julius Lester just last night. His talk, titled "Story: A Way of Self-Knowledge," describes the power of story in helping us define ourselves, our beliefs, our loves, our fears, our pain, and our joy. Story is done and experienced by all people everywhere and has been since the dawn of mankind. Every religion has its own creation story that seeks to define how we relate the divine. In this adaptation of an African creation story, Lester uses modern sights, sounds, and realities to bring families together in the search for how to make sense of God and make God's love tangible. He read the book in its entirety and the entire room laughed and nodded throughout, finally giving him a standing ovation when he finished. It may not be for everyone, but the point is that all of us have our own stories that give meaning to our lives. You must find or create the one that works for you.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Faith-filled
Review: This book is absolutely wonderful and hilarious! It makes God someone we can relate to while also showing his (or her... I'm still not convinced!) amazing power. The author places his characters in a modern setting and uses humor to convey important messages to both children and adults. Bruce and Shaniqua are perfect "sidekicks"! Anyone witha sense of humor and an appreciation for diversity will love this book! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story and beautiful, colorful illustrations! I know I will treasure my autographed copy for years to come!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Faith-filled
Review: This book is an absolute joy. We originally found it at the library and my 4-year old son had me read it to him at least twice a day during the next 2 weeks. I am now purchasing it for him because I think it would be such a valuable part of his book collection. It is witty, irreverant, and just plain silly. But at heart it is a profoundly spiritual book. Reading it encourages you to recognize the beauty of our "truly cool" world. And what a beautiful thought - that God Himself is equally delighted with the beauty of the world! This book is meant to be read with children, to encourage them to love God's creation, to delight in it, and to look at God as someone like us - I can't think of a better way to encourage them to have a prayerful relationship with God. For the record, I take issue with the warning that some may find this offensive. I am white, and a devout Roman Catholic - and I found nothing in this book offensive. It is positive and faithful, and I intend to add more Julius Lester books to our collection.