Sacred Places [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), David Shannon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

From such sacred sites as Easter Island and the Mayan temple of Copán to Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall and the Christian cathedrals of Europe, this magnificent collection of poems and paintings captures the essence of twelve holy and magical places throughout the world. A notes section gives information about further research into each of the places.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Yolen and Shannon, previously paired for the rollicking Ballad of the Pirate Queens, turn solemn in this verse-and-picture tour of sacred places around the world. Visiting 12 sites, the book attempts, with mixed results, an empathetic introduction to a variety of beliefs and practices from past and present religions. Subjects range from the ambiguous oracle of Delphi, speaking truth "from the perfumed cave,/ from the earth's dark center,/ from the navel of the world," to the Shinto shrine Itsukushima. While she relies heavily on repetition, Yolen's approaches vary: "Wailing Wall" reflects a contemporary view of Jerusalem; "Easter Island" asks who made the great carved heads; "Cathedrals" echoes the rhythms of nursery rhymes ("This is the crypt,/ This the nave,/ This the apse,/ These the graves"). Shannon's paintings more successfully capture different moods, as in a brooding and mist-shrouded Stonehenge, a glowing image of a stained glass window or a night view of Uluru (Ayers Rock) with animal forms from the Dreamtime creeping up its side. A bookend poem, "Hush," calls for respect and on its second appearance grandly but unconvincingly asserts that "Since you have been here,/ truth has been shaped,/ truth has been shifted,/ truth has been shown in its many forms." Ages 6-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9?Holy in the distant past (Delphi), or still sacred today (Mecca), the sites of Yolen's poetic tributes include some of the world's most celebrated spiritual and cultural power centers. The poems evoke, rather than describe, their subjects, with brief additional information on each provided in an appendix. Nevertheless, many of the references to places, gods, and concepts require further research for comprehension. Of the 12 sites chosen, one is in the U.S., one in Honduras, two each in the Middle East and the Pacific, and three each in Asia and Europe. Since one of the "places" in Europe is the vast category "cathedrals," Europeans appear disproportionately blessed with sacred sites. An otherwise helpful map unavoidably highlights the utter absence of sacred places in Africa and South America. The familiar "Ayers Rock" is rightly called Uluru, but Jerusalem's Western Wall is still tagged "Wailing Wall" here. Shannon's paintings are compelling. Recognizably realistic, they are nevertheless given expressionistic emphasis, from point-of-view, composition, coloring, or simplification of form, to suggest their spiritual dimension. Browsers may be attracted by the pictures, and if the text is too allusive for some readers, others may accept the mysteries as part of the allure of the sacred.?Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152699538
• ISBN-13: 978-0152699536
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magical portal, March 29, 2000

By 

Devavani Chatterjea (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Places (Hardcover)

Jane Yolen's text and David Shannon's shimmering illustrations come together in a lyrical, beautiful introduction to a collection of sacred places around the world. A sense of wonder and mystery that pervades a sacred place like the Ganges, Stonehenge or the Wailing Wall come through in a simple yet haunting manner that will touch children and adults alike.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Great Way to Introduce Kids to Idea of Sacred Places and Different Religious Perspectives, October 24, 2011

By 

L. Erickson "Mommy Mystic" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Places (Hardcover)

I was so sad to see this book out of print, but I recommend buying it used if you can. It's a beautiful offering by Jane Yolen, the author of many children's books, including the very popular 'How Do Dinosaurs...' books. This offering is a selection of poems, each centered on a sacred place somewhere in the world. The illustrator David Shannon has created lovely, somewhat abstract drawings to accompany each poem/place. Places covered include Delphi, the Ganges river, Stonehenge, the Bodhi Tree, Uluru, the Wailing Wall, Mecca, Cathedrals everywhere, and more. Most major world religious traditions are represented by at least one site. The poems themselves are more evocative than descriptive - they seek to evoke the feeling and intended use of the place. At the end of the book there are paragraph prose descriptions of each place. Children will need guidance to get anything from this book, but it is a great way to spur a discussion about the idea of sacred places, and about all the varying religions and spiritual traditions there are and have been in the world.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious, magical, awe-inspiring., November 6, 2005

By 

Feral Sirensong (Hallowell, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Places (Hardcover)

There are not words to describe how much this book rocks. My 4 year old son will actually sit and listen quietly to the beautiful, lyrical poetry in this wonderful book. It is pure enchantment when read aloud.

The book consists of poems written in honor of various sacred sites around the world: Stonehenge, Easter Island, Delphi, and others.