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.
“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
Melanie Hallhas illustrated more than twelve
children’s books. She lives in the Catskill Mountains of
New York State and teaches children’s book illustration
at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
