In Our Image: God's First Creatures - Hardcover

Swartz, Nancy Sohn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1879045990 ISBN 13: 9781879045996

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 1998

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review

"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"

From the Author

Our connection to nature can be traced to the Creation.
The Biblical verse in Genesis "Let us make man in our image..." raises an interesting question. To whom was God speaking? I wrote "In Our Image" to express my response to that question, and to help children (and adults) of all ages think about how connected we are with nature. While there are a variety of interpretations to the Biblical text, my story suggests that perhaps God was speaking to everything that had just been created, and that man and woman are a reflection and a part of everything that came before us. We are created, I believe, in the image of God and in the image of all nature. In the ancient mystical writings of Kabbalah, it is written that within each individual there is a miniature universe, and all that is in the world is within the individual. My story echoes that view. The illustrations of artist Melanie Hall are magical, and can be appreciated by all ages. With a variety of mediums, she has transformed my words into vibrant images. A God-breeze of color and swirling lines and designs shows the presence of God in her captivating illustrations. And in the picture at the end of the book where all the animals are looking out at the reader, they are in fact doing exactly that, looking right at you, looking for their reflection in your eyes. This book is nondenominational and nonsectarian, and can be used as an excellent starting point for discussions with your child about our role in taking care of the environment. There are many open ended questions that can be raised between adult and child, about the choices we make and their ramifications in the world of nature. Although the size of the text is large to encourage younger readers, the concepts raised and the discussions they elicit, are appropriate for older children as well. I look forward to hearing your responses in Amazon.com and I hope you enjoy the book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1879045990
• ISBN 13: 9781879045996
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Hall Melanie