Paul Writes (a Letter)

by Chris Raschka

Overview

A charming introduction to Saint Paul and his epistles 

Caldecott Medal-winner Chris Raschka breathes new life into the letters of Paul the Apostle with this inviting book. Each sumptuous page distills the main themes of Paul’s epistles into approachable, appealing language. Chris Raschka expertly depicts Paul’s sincerity and compassion, sadness and pain, giving readers a true sense of who Paul really was. 

Paul Writes (a Letter) celebrates how one of the most beloved biblical figures changed the world through the written word.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802854940
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	204,788
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Chris Raschka received the Caldecott Medal for The Hello, Goodbye Window (Hyperion) and for A Ball for Daisy (Schwartz & Wade). His other books include Paul Writes (a Letter) (Eerdmans), Saint Spotting (Eerdmans), and the Caldecott Honor-winning Yo! Yes? (Scholastic). He has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as one of the most original illustrators working today, and he continues to create stories and art that appeal to readers of all ages. He lives with his family in New York City. Follow Chris on Instagram @chris.raschka.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/23/2018
Epistle, that fancy New Testament word, means letter, and Paul was a real human being who, “by writing letters to his friends,” the author asserts, “changed the world.” Caldecott Medalist Raschka (The Doorman’s Repose) paints Paul at his desk in bright colors, writing earnestly, the words floating around him on the page. With depth, he teases out the most important parts of the apostle’s teachings: “Dear Friends in Galatia, Only remember one thing: love others just the way you love yourselves.” Working in bold black outlines that illuminate the epistles, Raschka imagines the apostle bald, with a beard, wearing simple robes, sitting in a variety of rooms that reflect his journeys, until a subtle background shows him imprisoned in Rome. Sometimes Paul experiences consternation: “My earlier letter upset you. Good! Sometimes we need to be upset.” Sometimes he’s placid: “Be tenderhearted.” And sometimes he’s sagely funny: “Don’t be old lumps of bread. Be new lumps of bread.” Both those intimidated by and those appreciative of formal biblical prose will find Raschka’s version moving, real, and full of humanity: “I am sorry I have not come to you yet. I was feeling down.” Ages 6–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

— Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)
"With depth, [Raschka] teases out the most important parts of the apostle's teachings. . . . Both those intimidated by and those appreciative of formal biblical prose will find Raschka's version moving, real, and full of humanity."

— Kirkus
"This visually appealing introduction to Paul and his writing can serve as a useful starting point to help young readers understand a key figure in the spread of Christianity."

Wall Street Journal
“In Mr. Raschka’s excerpts from the Pauline missives, he captures the famous convert’s mingling of the personal and the theological using informal, even playful language. . . . ‘Don’t be ashamed of what you believe in,’ Paul writes to Timothy, in this gentle, engaging book for 6- to 8-year-olds. ‘It has been difficult for me too, and now I am a prisoner in Rome.’

From the Publisher

2018-08-01

Caldecott Medalist Raschka examines the writings of the Apostle Paul, an early missionary of Christianity, with this interpretation of some selected words from his epistles.

A brief first page introduces Paul and his belief in the teachings of Jesus, but that is the only mention of Jesus, and God is never mentioned in the book. The book's attractive design includes a double-page spread for each of the 14 books of the New Testament of the Christian Bible traditionally attributed to Paul. Each spread is structured as a letter, offering Paul's advice from the relevant book on how to live a good life. As these recommendations do not specifically refer to Jesus or God, it is not clear from the text that Paul was spreading the new religion of Christianity in his letters. The text consists of a few short quotes from each book, rephrased and condensed, with pertinent chapter and verse references at the bottoms of the pages. While many of the rephrased quotations are familiar passages, other widely known verses attributed to Paul are not included, such as the famous words from 1 Corinthians often read at weddings. The words of Paul are hand-lettered in pleasing arrangements, with related elements such as palm trees and columns integrated within the text and a view of Paul on each spread in the act of writing his letters. Raschka's loose watercolor illustrations show Paul as an aged man with brown skin and a white beard on the front and back covers; internal illustrations show him in different solid, pastel shades.

This visually appealing introduction to Paul and his writing can serve as a useful starting point to help young readers understand a key figure in the spread of Christianity. (map) (Picture book/religion. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews