What A Truly Cool World [Hardcover]

Julius Lester (Author), Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up

In this wonderfully imagined story, God has many helpers. Those who assist in the creation of everything from music to butterflies include his wife, Irene God; his secretary, Bruce; and his beloved angel, Shaniqua. Bursting with vibrant folk-art style paintings, this witty and inspirational story will delight readers of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I allow my imagination free play here," writes Lester in his introduction to this fresh interpretation of "How God Made the Butterflies," a creation tale he retold more traditionally in 1969 in Black Folktales. An African-American deity looks down with satisfaction on the world he has just created, seated in a lounge chair in his computer- equipped, heavenly digs. Enter Shaniqua, "the angel in charge of everybody's business," who announces: "I don't want to hurt your feelings or nothing like that, but what you made looks kind of boring." In an attempt to make his world less drab, God snips off the tops of trees to create grass and bushes and sings into being flowers of many colors. But the blooms are lonely. Since God is too hoarse, Shaniqua takes over to supply companions for the flowers, and her song causes the angels, stars and planets to cry tears of various hues, which turn into tiny, colorful butterflies. The banter between Lester's characters more than makes up for a few leaps in logic. Cepeda's (Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey) oil paintings, with their vivid palette and hip particulars (Shaniqua sports a beehive 'do, electric-blue evening dress, pointy-toed orange shoes and luminous green wings), bring a funky dimension to this playfully outlandish depiction of how the world came to be. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Lester and Cepeda depict a down-to-earth God to whom children can relate in this remarkable book. Pleased with his creation of the world, He is about to call it an early night. Then Shaniqua, "the angel in charge of everybody's business," bustles in with the observation that the green, brown, and blue planet looks kind of boring. God agrees, and a series of amazingly creative acts results in the making of flowers and butterflies. With the help of Bruce, God's personal assistant, and Shaniqua's helpful suggestions, the world becomes more colorful and beautiful, as does Heaven. Children will feel completely at home in the "great beyond" with its overstuffed chairs, vacuum cleaners, and framed photographs on the walls. Heaven's inhabitants are also very much like the people they know. (Everybody has at least one Shaniqua in the neighborhood.) The vibrant oil paintings are cartoonlike in style, with a quiet humor that reflects the playful text. The main characters are African American but there is great diversity among the "Hallelujah Angelic Choir." As in Patricia McKissack's Mirandy and Brother Wind (Knopf, 1988), the dialogue is in a casual dialect, making it seem even more approachable. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of all is the way that God and the Heavenly community cooperate to get the job of Creation finished as perfectly as possible. While this is not your average Bible story, it is one that is not to be missed. It's unique, inspired, and truly cool.
Torrie Hodgson, Burlington Public Library,
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590864688
• ISBN-13: 978-0590864688
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in 1939, Julius Lester spent his youth in the Midwest and the South and received a B.A. in English from Fisk University in 1960.Since 1968 he has published 25 books of fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and poetry. Among the awards these books have received are the Newbery Honor Medal, American Library Association Notable Book, National Jewish Book Award Finalist, The New York Times Outstanding Book, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, Caldecott Honor Book, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and a National Book Award Finalist. His books have been translated into eight languages.He has published more than one hundred essays and reviews in such publications The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Op-Ed Page, The Boston Globe, The Village Voice, The New Republic, Katallagete, Moment, Forward, and Dissent.He has recorded two albums of original songs, hosted and produced a radio show on WBAI-FM in New York City for eight years, and hosted a live television show on WNET in New York for two years. A veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, his photographs of that movement are included in an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution and are part of the permanent photographic collection at Howard University.After teaching at the New School for Social Research for two years, Mr. Lester joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in 1971 where he is presently a full professor in the Judaic and Near Eastern Studies Department, and adjunct professor in the English and History departments. He also serves as lay religious leader of Beth El Synagogue in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.He has been awarded all four of the university's most prestigious faculty awards: The Distinguished Teacher's Award; the Faculty Fellowship Award for Distinguished Research and Scholarship; Distinguished Faculty Lecturer; and recipient of the Chancellor's Medal, the University's highest honor. In 1986 the Council for Advancement and Support of Education selected him as the Massachusetts State Professor of the Year.Mr. Lester's biography has appeared in Who's Who In America since 1970. He has given lectures and papers at more than 100 colleges and universities.His most recent books are John Henry, And All Our Wounds Forgiven, a novel about the civil rights movement, and Othello, a novel based on the Shakespeare play.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not everything is as it seems..., June 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What A Truly Cool World (Hardcover)

I loved this book! I highly recommend this book because... It focuses on diversity. It brings to light a new version of the creation myth. Not only is it easy to read, but also "God" is not alone. He has help. Everyone is part of something. One can easily tire of the typical creation myths. Instead, this book allows us to consider other possibilities. It also causes us to question the creation myth and to acknowledge that there are different points of view. I would love to read this to a class along with other creation myth books. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll get the opportunity since it deals with religion. True, this book is not for everyone, but it is definitely a must read! It was also nice to see that God was portrayed as African-American. Even though I myself am not African-American, it is nice to see some diversity in children's books=) Also, the artwork was very colorful and well done! I look foreward to more books such as this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! easy for children to understand, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What A Truly Cool World (Hardcover)

Being an African American parent it is hard to find books that my child can relate to. Beautiful colors and great illustrations are used to show the creation of a "cool world."

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The power of Story, April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What A Truly Cool World (Hardcover)

I was fortunate to attend a talk by Julius Lester just last night. His talk, titled "Story: A Way of Self-Knowledge," describes the power of story in helping us define ourselves, our beliefs, our loves, our fears, our pain, and our joy. Story is done and experienced by all people everywhere and has been since the dawn of mankind. Every religion has its own creation story that seeks to define how we relate the divine. In this adaptation of an African creation story, Lester uses modern sights, sounds, and realities to bring families together in the search for how to make sense of God and make God's love tangible. He read the book in its entirety and the entire room laughed and nodded throughout, finally giving him a standing ovation when he finished. It may not be for everyone, but the point is that all of us have our own stories that give meaning to our lives. You must find or create the one that works for you.