Friday, May 11, 2012

Looking at History with Christian Eyes


A natural extension of my Africa picture book collection has been picture books that show African-American culture, especial religious life. (This passion has no doubt been encouraged by our relationships with brothers and sisters at Solid Word Bible Church in Indianapolis.) Besides picking up Under the Baobab Tree at Calvin College’s Festival of Faith and Writing last month, I bought The Beatitudes by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Tim Ladwig. 

Friday, May 4, 2012

Africa in a Child's Eyes


 I brought home several new books from Calvin College’s Festival of Faith and Writing a couple weeks ago. I have collected beautiful picture books since I worked in a Logos Bookstore children’s department when I was first married, long before my own kids. My children remember the antique glass cupboard with books that we looked at together, turning the pages carefully with clean hands. In recent years I have focused on books that represent Africa in a positive way.

The Carpenter's Son, Sample Chapter

This is the oldest of the stories in this collection, begun in a flurry of inspiration more than forty years ago and revised many times over...