In this collection of tales from Ted Hughes, God appears as an artist who is sometimes surprised by his creatures. He puts an awful lot of care into fashioning the birds, whereas he simply pulls Newt out of the ground.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Like a cross between Kipling's Just So Stories and Twain's Letters to the Earth , these 10 original and imaginative creation tales by England's poet laureate will appeal to adults and children alike. Hughes's God spends considerable time trying to straighten out His mistakes. By accidentally breathing life into a miniature trunk made from leftover elephant clay, God fashions the earthworm. A half-done creature left unattended is saved by God's mother, who lends the turkey-footed bird a beautiful shawl, thus creating the peacock. Hughes's brave new world includes a fortune-telling moon that "was actually a smile without a face" and "lay on the sea's rim like a face on a pillow," mountains that dance, a black hole that consumes the songs of birds, and creatures that definitely have minds of their own. Davidson's engravings depict a multitude of animal life, and his striking black cover--adorned with the yellow eyes of creatures yet to be made--is perfect for a book of myths that sparkle with drama, humor, pathos and beauty. All ages.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up-- Hughes's stories result from imagination playing at the edges and in the gaps of Biblical narrative. There is a touch of "Just-so" etiology, and even an allusion to a famous Zen koan (the man who dreams he is a butterfly). Creation is the subject of each tale, but the creator God is hardly omniscient and far from omnipotent. He works obsessively but doesn't always get it right, gets frustrated and cross, is perplexed and surprised by bits of creation that "just seem to turn up." He has considerable trouble bringing Woman to life, and the advent of the flea baffles and terrifies him. When God tries to make a Dancer, he first produces Cat; then, on a second try, Mouse (hence, their rivalry). When Woman wants a playmate, God comes up with the uncontrollable Gorilla, so Woman helps God imagine the perfect playmate--Horse. The unpredictability of creation is as much a part of the poetry of this book as the lively, precise language. There are also Davidson's stylish, Bewick-like engravings. These stories are not sweet or reverent, but buoyant and unexpected and utterly engaging. There is wisdom here, but it's not neat or trite; like the creative process Hughes depicts, you've got to work at it to get it. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful bed time reading for children,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tales of the Early World (Hardcover)
Ted Hughes has written ten wonderful short stories about the early world, when God meticulously (or not so meticulously) fashioned all the animals out of clay. Each tale is a richly worded adventure, as God, his mother, Man, Woman, and their children live in the early days. Learn how the birds were created, how the Peacock got is wonderful plumage, and what sometimes happens to the leftovers from God's workshop when a tiny bit of thundercloud gets mixed in. The book has great illustrations by A. Davidson, but make no mistake, this is a book to be read to someone, one story at a time. Hughes' language takes listeners on a verbal safari with great nonesense words and sounds. Its a book for all ages, even adults, but I would think that children between 4-6 would love the whimsical logic behind the creation of each animal the most
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Prehistoric Pandemonium,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Tales of the Early World (Hardcover)
The view of a poet of the beginning of the universe. The poet views God as a being that creates things with clay and solves the problems that happen in the world. Quite unusual because there is no plot or adventure.
My favorite part was the disappearance of the birds. My interpretation for the main idea was how God created the universe and how and why things are the way things are. I honestly disliked Tales of the Early World because it violates my religion. I would recommend Tales of the Early World to preteens and young kids because it is nice enough to enjoy but provides some knowledge. -- Nathan
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