58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The First Story for a New Child of God, April 11, 2000
This review is from: Water, Come Down!: The Day You Were Baptized (Hardcover)
Walt Wangerin, professor, teacher, writer, pastor, and most of all, child of God, has given us a precious gift: an illuminating storybook about God's gift of baptism. This book fills a void in the world of children's literature, drawing children into their rightful place in the household of faith, The Church. The text is written in rhyming couplets, a style that children love; after hearing it a few times, they can supply the rhymes that follow each line (as they do with Dr. Seuss books). The story is told from the perspective of creation itself, rejoicing at the baptism of the child, and his/her place in the world. This is done gracefully and lovingly. The illustrations are glorious! The artist, Gerardo Suzan, has a simple, delightful style that children can interpret easily; yet included within the simple paintings are classic symbols of creation and Christian iconography. The illustrations and the text are a perfect marriage. The back of the storybook includes scriptural and theological clarification of the story and paintings. This is helpful for parents with their own questions about baptism; I believe that quality children's books offer something for the adults as well as for the children. This is a "lap" book, something to be enjoyed and shared for families. Baptism is the perfect occasion to give this book;on the baptismal day, have the family, the sponsors, the pastors, and the whole congregation sign the book as a remembrance.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A baptismal poem, October 31, 2008
This review is from: Water, Come Down!: The Day You Were Baptized (Hardcover)
This is a book that celebrates the glory of being baptized. When we are baptized, and become "children of God," all creation - sun, clouds, rain, and wind - join in the celebration of a "new life." The lyrical text makes the connection between rain from the Heavens (the water "coming down") and the baptismal font, citing both as God's creations.
And I am the water that flows in a river,
The River of Life, forever and ever -
Yes! I am the water came down to your town,
To find you, child, and you I found -
The day you were baptized.
I am the water they washed you in,
Your head, your heart, your soul, your skin,
Clean of the devil! Clean from sin,
The day you were baptized.
The author cites his use of a Biblical text, from Romans 8, to explain his approach to baptism: "The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God." Other verses in this book echo this sentiment, showing the sun, the clouds, the rain and the wind, all rejoicing in the baptism of a new "child of God".
The illustrations are a bit cartoonish but they are expressive and colorful and child-like, making them appropriate for a book of this nature.
What I Like: At the end of the book is a section called "The Story of Baptism." The author explains why we need to be baptized and cites Biblical passages for text used in the story.
What I Dislike: The story is written in rhyme. Most of the passages flow smoothly, but in some cases the rhyme is a bit forced, making the text a bit jarring. For instance, the author tries to rhyme "down" with "underground."
It's a truly lovely book, but I think it was written more for the adult than the child, even though it is certainly a picture book. I'm afraid most children wouldn't understand the symbolism in the poetry without a lot of explanation - - but, then again, children need a lot of explanation to understand the concept of baptism.
Overall Rating: Very good.
Age Appeal: 4-8
Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review
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