In Our Image: God's First Creatures

In Our Image: God's First Creatures

Winner of The Best of the Bunch from 1998 award by the Association of Jewish Libraries A 1999 Top 10 Religion Book for Youth by Booklist Nondenominational, Nonsectarian, Endorsed by Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish Religious Leaders "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...But something was missing..." Before creating humans, God said, “Let us make humans in Our image, after Our likeness.” In this playful new twist to the Genesis story, God asks all of nature to offer gifts to humankind―with the promise that the humans would care for creation in return. Then, woman and man were formed from the dust of the earth, in the image of God and in the image of all of nature. And it was very good, indeed. Whether you're large like the whale, small like the ant, lazy like the lizard or busy like the bee, this spirited story with its lively illustrations celebrates the interconnectedness of nature and the harmony of all living things. “A pleasantly imaginative twist to the story of the Creation….A simple story, charmingly told.” —Parade Magazine “Students of the Bible have long pondered who, exactly, God meant when in Genesis he used the plural in speaking about humankind in ‘our’ image. Swartz answers that question in a unique way…. The text is readily accessible to preschoolers, who will enjoy hearing all the animals declare and offer their special qualities…. Inventive watercolors, dappled with sunlight and cloistered by moonlight, capture the feeling of life that is the essence of the story.” —Booklist “Complex and magical.” —Publishers Weekly “The vibrantly colored illustrations nearly leap off the page in this delightful interpretation.” —School Library Journal “ In Our Image: God’s First Creatures is a superbly beautiful, memorable picturebook for children age four and up, and for all faiths and cultural backgrounds.” —The Midwest Book Review “The story sparkles…. This is a book that belongs in all parish catechetical libraries, not to mention all homes where young children live.” —The Catechist’s Connection “When all was created, ‘God saw that it was very good.’ And you will feel the same about this unique book.” —Shalom Newspaper “Lovely…. A wonderful reminder about the interconnectedness of all living things, this book should be shared often with all youngsters.” —Parent Council LTD. “This is a poetic story, beautifully illustrated and written to be non-denominational, introducing children to specific values and qualities they share with each other and with the world around them.” —Star Magazine “This exquisite interdenominational and multicultural telling of the story of Genesis will surely appeal to any family that recognizes its role in the stewardship of the natural world.” —Napra Review “ An enchanting twist to the tale of creation…. [Swartz and Hall] have created a visually gorgeous book and presented a Biblical story in a way that will appeal to children as well as adults…. Swartz's writing is simple yet lyrical; Hall's illustrations are colorful, energetic, and a joy to behold. What a lovely way to introduce a Bible story to eager listeners ages four and up.” —Northeastern University Magazine “This delightful book is perfect for parents and grandparents to read to the preschool set. The colorful illustrations will catch a youngster's eye while the creation story with a ‘twist’ is fun for adults, too.” —Buena Vista Ink “A charming retelling of the creation story with an inspiring twist…. It’s a lovely story, well told and lavishly illustrated.” —At Home With Our Faith "This book shines like the stars and beams like the sun. It is very, very good." ―Mitch Finley, author of  The Joy of Being Catholic   and  Prayer for People Who Think Too Much "A message all children should hear, presented in words and pictures that children will find irresistible." ―Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of  When Bad Things Happen to Good People  "What a pleasure to see the sweet community of all creation manifest in humankind―and one in God.” ―Walter Wangerin Jr., author of  The Book of the Dun Cow, The Book of God,  and other books “In this beautiful book all of nature offers its gifts to the first man and woman, and Nancy Sohn Swartz gives a gentle, loving gift to all of us.” ―Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of  In God's Name, God's Paintbrush  and other books Nancy Sohn Swartz is a certified elementary school teacher with more than 30 years of experience in various educational settings. She enjoys incorporating storytelling into her work with children. She lives in Randolph, Massachusetts, with her family. Melanie Hall has illustrated more than twelve children's books, including In Our Image: God's First Creatures.