Customer Reviews

In The Beginning: Creation Stories From Around The World (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A previous reviewer said that s/he couldn't understand why this was listed as a children's book. All I can say is that while I would love to think our first grader is a genius, he lets us know when a story is over his head. When it's a little too hard, he'll ask questions. When it's a lot too hard, he'll give up and let his attention wander. He asks questions occasionally with this book, but he'll ask for me to read the next one about half of the time too.

I also enjoyed the stories, and as an adult can get more out of the book than a kid. But one of the great things about a good story is that it's layered and different levels of comprehension can all enjoy it.

The pictures of the deities were not what I expected the deity to look like, but they are beautiful. It may also be worth noting that the versions the myths given here may or may not be "just like" versions you've seen elsewhere. Considering none are offered in their original language, and we've enjoyed these retellings, I don't have a problem with that. But I know some might.

The strongest point of the book in my mind is that it really is World mythology. It's a little skimpy on South America, and a tad strong on Greek and Middle Eastern, but it does have a variety of stories. All the inhabited continents are covered once.

North America: 4

South America: 1

Asia: 5

Africa: 4

Europe: 4 + russia

Oceania (Australia and Islands): 5

Each myth is followed by a short blurb about the people from which it came. At the end of the book there is a list of Useful Sources. I would have prefered the Table of Contents list the origin of the story in some fashion (part of the world, name of the people, etc), but since I now own a copy, I can pencil that in myself. :)

This is the perfect book to introduce readers of all ages to the creation myths of different religons and cultures. In these days when the teaching of evolution and modern cosmology are controversial, this book provides valuable perspective on the way different people have accounted for the earth and its inhabitants. It should be required reading for all public school administrators, and would be a valuable addition to any school (or home) library.

In this collection of tales, creation stories from around the world are retold by Virginia Hamilton. The book is beautifully illustrated with explanations included (for adults) about the choice of creation stories, and the categories they fall into. Reading this reminded me of the books of Greek myths I once read as a child. However, nothing I've ever seen compares to the beauty found within this collection's pages. Easily concerned parents beware. These stories haven't been rendered politically correct, nor have they been altered for modern sensibilities. In many tales, women are usually the catalysts of any problems with the world and violence occurs with steady regularity. Do not let this put you off. Though different, this is a text that deserves to be seen by all children from all walks of life.

It says quite clearly that this book is for grades 6 and up. I believe it also says ages 12 and up in another section, but I think where people get really confused (and I have seen this many times on Amazon) is where further down it says "ages 4-8".

I am pretty sure that this is meant to be grades 4-8 (here and on other pages as well), which makes more sense given the complexity of the subject matter and vocabulary.

I would still consider this a children's book, although I can see how adults who have been raised on (and passed on to their children) dumbed-down junk literature might be suprised that children can (and do) enjoy complex and layered literature with a varied and rich vocabulary as much as adults.

I'm puzzled as to why IN THE BEGINNING is listed by Amazon as a children's book! Perhaps a child would enjoy the astounding pictures, but it would be only a very advanced child who could read or understand the impact of this examination of the religious beliefs of other cultures. It's the perfect book for cultural anthropology students or mythology buffs. It would certainly tweak the curiosity of readers who wonder about the origins of religion.
I found it a book that led me into more exploration into a fascinating field.

With a little bit of interpretation, this book is fine for younger children. My 5-year old is already curious about the where the world came from. This book is a great way for her to begin to consider the historical context of the biblical creation story. We read the stories (for now I omit a few of the passages about death and suffering), and then we look at a globe to see where each story came from. We discuss how different people looked around at their world and drew different conclusions about it. We also read children's books about the big bang and evolution, and talk about why modern people see the world in a new way. The main point is that all people are curious about their world and feel connected to it in different ways.

This compilation of world creation myths is a very interesting and informational book; well written, and has beautiful paintings to accompany each creation myth. I find it intriguing that many cultures from around the world separated by continents, oceans, mountains, and time can have many similar characteristics and yet be all distinct and different from each other.

Cultures' and religions' myths featured include: Greek, Jewish, Christian, Mayan, Minyong, Egyptian, Marshallese, Tahitian, Babylonian, Nigerian, Icelandic, Zambian, Huron, Krachi, Northern Aranda Aborigine, Chinese, and many more for a total of 25 myths. One thing I would like to have been different was to have fewer Greek mythology tales and have had more lesser-known (or unknown) myths, and represented an even wider range of cultures from around the world.

The art work is rich and beautiful, and the stories are presented without bias and without unnecessary interpretation - the short commentary at the end of each story is sufficient. My third grader and I both love this book, and reading the stories together has allowed us to explore questions of creation myths in general and their role in various cultures and religions. The stories show how early people without the benefits of telescopes and scientific equipment constructed mythologies to explain the world around them, often with remarkable similarities between very diverse cultures. This has helped her to place the creation vs. evolution argument in a much better context, and to be able to defend her own emerging opinions on the subject. This book is a great complement to the "Parenting Beyond Belief" books.

Virginia Hamilton has collected an amazing group of creation stories from all around the world. Who knew that several cultures from disparate regions have a turtle bringing soil from under the water to form the world. Many others sound similar themes of the creation of light, but one starts with light and tells how darknes arrived. Humans must tell stories and these are some very special ones. Any classroom, secular or religious, would profit from having this book in its library.

An excellent book for the secular family or anyone interested in creation stories from long ago.