God and His Creations: Tales from the Old Testament [Hardcover]

Marcia Williams (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Behold! Marcia Williams retells the exciting adventures of Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, David and Goliath, and many more Old Testament characters in her compelling comic-strip style.

In the beginning there was only God . . . and then He started creating! The last and most troublesome of all God’s creations were men and women — and, as these wondrous tales reveal, God was forever having to give them a helping hand. Only the inimitable Marcia Williams, with her energetic narratives, voluminous illustrations, and gently humorous details, could make these Old Testament tales so vibrantly accessible to young readers. Certain to spark new interest in the original stories, GOD AND HIS CREATIONS is a heavenly creation indeed.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Williams presents 11 Bible stories in an engaging comic-strip format. Her now-familiar approach, applied to tales as diverse as Robin Hood, Greek myths, King Arthur, and the works of Shakespeare, places the main characters and their deeds within sequential frames of varying sizes. Done in watercolor and ink, the illustrations are colorful and filled with humorous touches. There are several pages per story; the book begins with "God's Creations" and "The Garden of Eden" and concludes with "Daniel in the Lions' Den" and "Jonah and the Great Fish." Angels and the serpent comment on the action from the borders. An introductory note points out that God's script comes directly from the New International Version of the Bible and that the rest of the text is invented, but inspired by that translation. Traditional bones of contention, such as nudity and Eve's role in The Fall, are sensitively handled. Humorous, succinct, and rooted in traditional elements, this offering is sure to be popular where Bible stories are in demand.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. In previous adaptations of classics (Tales from Shakespeare, 1998), British cartoonist Williams offered youngsters a faithful interpretation of a sophisticated text and humor, with explanations that made the story accessible. Many children will recognize the tales here, which include the story of the Creation, Noah's Ark, and David and Goliath, but this time out, the artwork, accomplished with good-natured silliness, seems simply to illustrate; it doesn't offer additional information to children who don't know the material. The artistic details, however, are wonderfully clever as they flow from Williams' pen and paintbrush. The Mediterranean and Egyptian peoples are pictured with appropriate skin tones, and the serpent and angels, who inhabit the page borders and provide numerous asides, run the gamut from rainbow hued to curly blonde to balding. One detail will play well with Harry Potter-besotted readers: a Golden Snitch-inspired toy meant for a game called "orb ball." This book won't stand alone as an early introduction to the Old Testament, but it's a solid additional offering. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First edition. edition (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763622117
• ISBN-13: 978-0763622114
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 12.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,742,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marcia Williams is famous for her retellings of classic stories. From Shakespeare and Dickens to the Canterbury Tales and Greek Myths, her humorous comic-strip illustration is hugely popular all over the globe. She lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My son is hooked, February 27, 2008

By 

DVM - See all my reviews

This review is from: God and His Creations: Tales from the Old Testament (Hardcover)

In an effort to provide some classical training to supplement what my children are learning in public schools, I got this book. Initially I, an adult, was put off by the, well...frankly, loud and busy artwork. I read it to my children anyway. My 3rd grade daughter was moderately interested, and my 1st grade son was fascinated. He requests it frequently and really enjoys the stories, making comparisons between Bible stories and Gilgamesh, Greek myths, and commenting on how the number 7 keeps popping up all over the ancient world. This book is not to my taste, but it's not intendend for me, and my kids are learning from it. What more can I ask?

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Format and Artwork, April 5, 2010

By 

Jason Crouch "voracious reader" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God and His Creations: Tales from the Old Testament (Hardcover)

I really like Marcia Williams' work. The artwork is so interesting to look at: you can always find some new detail on every page that you missed before. The comic format is very engaging to children, and my children enjoyed looking at it. We also have the Marcia Williams Shakespeare book, and I intend to buy all her other books. My only quibble is with the implied theology of the picture of "God." God is not, in my opinion, at all like a cute, old guy with fish in his pockets. Theology is very important to me, and it's also very important to me how my children think of God, so that's why I even mention it. Other than that, a very cute, sweet book that kids will love.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great comic-book style book for kids to learn about the Bible, February 4, 2009

By 

Christine M. Irvin (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God and His Creations: Tales from the Old Testament (Hardcover)

God and His Creations, written and illustrated by Marcia Williams, is a book of stories about people from the Bible, such as Adam and Eve, Noah, David and Goliath, and Daniel. But, it is not your ordinary storybook. Marcia retells and illustrates the stories in a comic book style that is both unusual and refreshing.

What I Like: The uniqueness of the book. I like the comic book style of the book and illustrations, as well as the vibrant colors used in the pictures.

What I Dislike: Having said that I like the uniqueness of the book, I'm not sure if the format is entirely appropriate for Bible stories. But, if this style of storytelling would get an otherwise reluctant reader interested, I'm all for it.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests the intended audience as 4-8-year-olds. But, I'm not sure I agree with that. This age group would probably enjoy all the short story lengths and the bright, bright colors of the illustrations. However, older children, ages 9-12, would enjoy reading the book themselves and they would probably enjoy the comic book style more than the little ones. 5 stars.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review