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Title: In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
ISBN: 0152387420
Author:
Virginia Hamilton
Publicate Date: 1991-09-15
Publish: 1991-09-15
List Price: $20.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.62
Amazon Merchant Price: $13.60
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Good for younger children too, with a little interpretation
With a little bit of interpretation, this book is fine for younger children. My 5-year old is already curious about the where the world came from. This book is a great way for her to begin to consider the historical context of the biblical creation story. We read the stories (for now I omit a few of the passages about death and suffering), and then we look at a globe to see where each story came from. We discuss how different people looked around at their world and drew different conclusions about it. We also read children's books about the big bang and evolution, and talk about why modern people see the world in a new way. The main point is that all people are curious about their world and feel connected to it in different ways.
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2: A comment on reading levels
It says quite clearly that this book is for grades 6 and up. I believe it also says ages 12 and up in another section, but I think where people get really confused (and I have seen this many times on Amazon) is where further down it says "ages 4-8".
I am pretty sure that this is meant to be grades 4-8 (here and on other pages as well), which makes more sense given the complexity of the subject matter and vocabulary.
I would still consider this a children's book, although I can see how adults who have been raised on (and passed on to their children) dumbed-down junk literature might be suprised that children can (and do) enjoy complex and layered literature with a varied and rich vocabulary as much as adults.
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3: This is good for much younger children.
This book works well as a read-aloud for as young as preschool age. The illustrations are very exceptional. My favorite is the painting of "Woman" on page 6.
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4: Good Introduction to World Mythology
A previous reviewer said that s/he couldn't understand why this was listed as a children's book. All I can say is that while I would love to think our first grader is a genius, he lets us know when a story is over his head. When it's a little too hard, he'll ask questions. When it's a lot too hard, he'll give up and let his attention wander. He asks questions occasionally with this book, but he'll ask for me to read the next one about half of the time too.
I also enjoyed the stories, and as an adult can get more out of the book than a kid. But one of the great things about a good story is that it's layered and different levels of comprehension can all enjoy it.
The pictures of the deities were not what I expected the deity to look like, but they are beautiful. It may also be worth noting that the versions the myths given here may or may not be "just like" versions you've seen elsewhere. Considering none are offered in their original language, and we've enjoyed these retellings, I don't have a problem with that. But I know some might.
The strongest point of the book in my mind is that it really is World mythology. It's a little skimpy on South America, and a tad strong on Greek and Middle Eastern, but it does have a variety of stories. All the inhabited continents are covered once.
North America: 4
South America: 1
Asia: 5
Africa: 4
Europe: 4 + russia
Oceania (Australia and Islands): 5
Each myth is followed by a short blurb about the people from which it came. At the end of the book there is a list of Useful Sources. I would have prefered the Table of Contents list the origin of the story in some fashion (part of the world, name of the people, etc), but since I now own a copy, I can pencil that in myself. :)
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5: Hamliton rises to the challenge
In this collection of tales, creation stories from around the world are retold by Virginia Hamilton. The book is beautifully illustrated with explanations included (for adults) about the choice of creation stories, and the categories they fall into. Reading this reminded me of the books of Greek myths I once read as a child. However, nothing I've ever seen compares to the beauty found within this collection's pages. Easily concerned parents beware. These stories haven't been rendered politically correct, nor have they been altered for modern sensibilities. In many tales, women are usually the catalysts of any problems with the world and violence occurs with steady regularity. Do not let this put you off. Though different, this is a text that deserves to be seen by all children from all walks of life.
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