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| The Judeo-Christian
tales differ from the regional selections in that they have
in common not a location but a spiritual basis. While there
are dozens and dozens of children's books based upon the Genesis
accounts of creation, I have selected several books that incorporate
a Judeo-Christian flavor and yet go beyond the story of Adam
and Eve. |
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Written
by Karen Greenfield Illustrated
by Claire Ewart
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Two things are going
on in Greenfield's story - as Sister Yessa walks through the
forest, she tells a tale of how animals came to populate the
various stretches of the world. Sister Yessa is also gathering
up the animals two-by-two to bring to her brother Noah's famous
ark. According to her account, the Great Turtle carried all
the animals of the world on his back. As he wandered through
various regions, he occasionally slipped or bent down to rest,
dropping off the animals in their selected environments. The
detailed and colorful illustrations boast lots of animal names,
making this an ideal book for young readers interested in animals.
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Written
by Harriet Ziefert Illustrated
by Todd McKie
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This very simple picture
book places solitary images in vibrant fields of color that
accompany Harriet Ziefert's rhymed verse about the creation
of the world. A feast for young eyes, the story brings readers
through different regions of the world (the jungle, the forest,
the desert) and introduces the animals living there. At the
end, we meet Adam, the first man, and are invited to talk about
our favorite animals. Ziefert was inspired to write this book
after coming across an African-American folksong circa 1928
entitled "First He Made the Sun".
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Other
Judeo-Christian Tales
Bible. Genesis; illustrated
by Ed Young. Geringer/Harper Collins, 1997.
Using the text of the King James
Version of the Bible, set in light script against a field
of black, Young's Genesis illustrates each verse with an
abstract, colored interpretation full of shadow and deep,
muted colors. The books endpapers feature the names of endangered
and extinct species.
Hickman, Martha Whitmore. And God
Created Squash: How the World Began; illustrated by Giuliano
Ferri. Albert Whitman and Company, 1993.
Hickman's tale features a jolly
little God with a fluffy white beard and eyebrows who talks
his way through the Genesis account of creation. Here, humans
are created to keep God company and are greeted with "Well,
bless you! I have big plans for you!"
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