God's Dream

by Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams, Leuyen Pham (Illustrator)

Overview

With warmth and humor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu distills his philosophy of unity and forgiveness into a picture book for the very young.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has a vision of God's dream, which he shares here with the youngest of listeners. It involves people who reach out and hold each other's hands, but sometimes get angry and hurt each other — and say they're sorry and forgive. It's a wish that everyone will see they are brothers and sisters, no matter their way of speaking to God, no matter the size of their nose or the shade of their skin. Aided by vibrant artwork evoking such images as a rainbow and a sharing circle, Tutu offers the essence of his ubuntu philosophy, a wisdom so clear and crystalline that even the smallest child can understand.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536223538
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	256,847
Product dimensions:	9.31(w) x 10.88(h) x 0.14(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his lifelong struggle to bring equality, justice, and peace to his native country of South Africa. He also served as Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, from 1986 until 1996. In 1995, former South African President Nelson Mandela asked him to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which became a model of national forgiveness and coexistence. Archbishop Tutu co-authored God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time and is the author of Desmond and the Very Mean Word.

Douglas Carlton Abrams is the co-author with Archbishop Desmond Tutu of God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time. He lives in California.

LeUyen Pham is the author-illustrator of Big Sister, Little Sister and has illustrated many other books for children. She lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

Just as children have dreams, say Archbishop Tutu and Abrams (previously paired with Tutu for God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time), so does God: "God dreams that every one of us will see that we are all brothers and sisters-yes, even you and me-even if we have different mommies and daddies or live in different faraway lands." The authors understand that direct prose can often be the most reassuring; they tell readers, "God does not force us to be friends or to love one another.... But when we say we're sorry and forgive one another, we wipe away our tears and God's tears, too." Pham (Big Sister, Little Sister) forgoes much of the impishness that enlivens her best titles, but even though she's working with familiar brotherhood-of-man tropes (a global cast of children, some wearing non-Western clothes, gather in a single, idyllic location to play and worship), she nimbly sidesteps triteness through her velvety, saturated palette and the unassuming sweetness of her characterizations. This is not a book to win converts, but a wide range of believers, including children at the younger end of the target audience, should respond to its heartfelt appeals, Ages 2-8. (Sept.)

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Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2

Tutu teaches a message of peace and hope in this gentle picture book, echoing the theological ideology of his memoir, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time (Doubleday, 2004). "Dear Child of God," the narrator begins, "what do you dream about?" While children may dream about "flying high" or "being treated like a full person," God dreams about a world in which all of his children join hands in peace, reconciliation and unity. In simple, eloquent language, Tutu conveys the message that although we come from different lands, have different eyes and skin, and talk to God in different ways, we are still brothers and sisters. By "sharing, loving, caring" and "knowing we are family" we can "make God's dream come true." The incandescent graphite, watercolor, and ink illustrations of captivating multicultural youngsters engaged in the carefree pastimes reinforce the overarching themes of love and inclusiveness. The angelic, trusting faces reflect the hope that Archbishop Tutu holds for all the world's children of God. They hold hands and share welcoming smiles, creating a circle of love and acceptance. Parents may want to pair this inspirational book with Karen Lynn Williams's Circles of Hope (Eerdmans, 2005) or Alice McGinty's Thank You, World (Dial, 2007), two more stories exploring the importance of love, faith, and hope.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA

School Library Journal

Archbishop Tutu shares his philosophy in simple but eloquent words intended for young children, accompanied by Pham's appealing illustrations of sweet-faced children of different ethnicities. A brief introduction about a child's dreams segues into a lyrical look at what God's dreams must be: for a world of sharing, caring, forgiveness and tolerance of differences. These basic but important concepts are presented in easy-to-understand terms, such as the twin needs to apologize and forgive after an argument. The message that we are all brothers and sisters despite our differences is clearly conveyed in the tale, which concludes with a crowd of smiling children creating a rainbow with their own handprints. An extra-large trim size and big, bright illustrations make this a fine choice for reading to a group. The noteworthy illustrations include a touching spread showing children of different faiths all praying in their own way and attractive endpapers with a patchwork of African patterned fabrics. (Picture book/religion. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Unassuming sweetness…heartfelt appeals.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Incandescent graphite, watercolor, and ink illustrations of captivating multicultural youngsters engaged in the carefree pastimes reinforce the overarching themes of love and inclusiveness. The angelic, trusting faces reflect the hope that Archbishop Tutu holds for all the world's children.
—School Library Journal

Simple but eloquent.
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher