Synopsis
Focuses on the parables of the sower and of the mustard seed to demonstrate how God's little seeds can take root and grow in one's heart and life.
Simple retellings of two parables of Jesus: "The Parable of the Sower" and "The Parable of the Mustard Seed." Illustrated with watercolor paintings.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-06-01 |
| Size | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 9.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.2 in | | Weight: | 12.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Focuses on the parables of the sower and of the mustard seed to demonstrate how God's little seeds can take root and grow in one's heart and life.
Industry Reviews
In this gentle gem of a book, Le Tord (The River and the Rain: The Lords Prayer) introduces children to two favorite parables of Jesus, "The Parable of the Sower" and "The Parable of the Mustard Seed." Following a brief description of the word "parable," Le Tord retells the two stories. In the first, a farmer sows seeds which the wind scatters and birds eat; the few that fall on fertile ground thrive, just as humans thrive on God's love. The second story compares faith to a tiny mustard seed that "grows to be a tall and graceful tree." Le Tord's spare writing presents the sometimes complicated biblical symbolism in the simplest terms ("He said such wise things that all people who listened to him opened their ears, their eyes and their hearts"); the result may well be powerful for readers. While young children may still struggle with such aspects of faith as "God is within us, always," Le Tord's confident tone offers reassurance. Her bright, sweet watercolors, in cheery shades of yellow, green and blue, suit the two tales of seeds taking root and growing in the sun. Ages 2-6. (June)
Lopate
PreS-Gr 2 Beginning with an explanation of parables, Le Tord then relates "The Sower" and "The Mustard Seed." Several of the sunlit, impressionistic watercolors are marvelous. The double-page spread that shows the seeds falling on "good earth" is ablaze with gold and yellow patches of color and an overlay of sketched stalks suggesting wheat. Many of the paintings, however, look very similar, with little visual action to maintain children's interest. In "The Sower," four seeds land on different types of ground, but the art is so subtle that the distinctions are not always clear. The significance of a seed falling outside a furrow, for example, is lost because the furrow is indistinguishable from the rest of the scene. Only the impact of one of the seeds is picked up in the exegesis: the author compares God's nurturing love to the "good earth." The second parable is followed by the conclusion: "God's words are his little seeds. He is our Father. Listen in your heart for his joy and songs." The total effect of all the seed imagery is likely to fall on deaf ears; the connections are loose and the language abstract. Still, Le Tord's book glows with warmth and good feeling. Teachers and parents intent on conveying the messages behind these stories may wish to use Tomie dePaola's The Parables of Jesus (Holiday, 1987) or The Children's Illustrated Bible (DK, 1994). Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
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