My Father's House
by Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by Raul Colon
My
Father's House is a poetic look at a Biblical reference: "In
my Father's house are many mansions." Appelt interprets those
mansions as the many different ecosystems of the world -- the ocean,
the tundra, the temperate forest, the prairie, etc. Then she goes
beyond the earth to include the solar system and stars as she expresses
gratitude for all the parts of her home. The verse is lyrical and
filled with life and color.
It's
a very thankful and reverent look at the world and all the things
in it. The soft richness of Colon's illustrations match perfectly
to the soothing tone of the book. The book is a lovely read aloud
with a smooth even rhythm. It begins very concrete with action and
fun. For instance, when she describes the ocean, Appelt says "Where
blue whales snooze in water beds/ And flying fishes play."
By the end of the book, however, the abstractions may be a bit confusing
to the youngest listener with lines like "Thank you for your
many mansions/I'll keep them fast inside my heart." The accompanying
illustration of starts and planets dwarfed by a huge woman with
a glowing heart between her hands probably doesn't add to the clarity;
so if you plan the book as a read aloud for little ones, be prepared
for plenty of pauses to explain what the text means. Still, it's
a beautiful book and certainly an inspiring one for adults and older
readers.
I
enjoyed it.
|
The
Book |
Viking
/ Penguin |
May
2007 |
Hardbound |
0670036692 / 9780670036691
|
Picture
Book for ages 4 - 8 |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The
Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: |
|