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Title: What A Truly Cool World
ISBN: 0590864688
Author:
Julius Lester
Publicate Date: 1999-02-01
Publish: 1999-02-01
List Price: $15.95
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.58
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| Customer Review: |
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1: What A Truly Cool World
I love this book and story. The book was more worn than I expected, so I was somewhat disappointed with the quality, but I am happy I made the purchase.
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2: Sacrilege best describes this book.
I was absolutely appalled to see this disrespectful book. I would not allow my children to read it. As a published children's book illustrator, I was attracted to the whimsical cover and illustrations. I picked it up, and I started to read. I could not believe my eyes! As a Christian, I find this book to be one of the most demoralizing depictions of God that I have seen available to young people. Certainly, children need to learn that God is not a respecter of persons or races, and God is for everyone, and He does have a sense of humor, but I do not approve of God being brought down to a human level. He is Divine. The book depicts God as having a wife, which is not found anywhere in the Bible. Some may say, "Relax. It's only fiction." I don't think we should fictionalize God. To add to this, the dialogue in the book is improper grammar. God is perfect. Humans are not. Does it make sense that a perfect God would use slang language??? The other characters in the book use extremely casual dialogue when conversing with God. To cite an example, "Yo, Deity! What's going on?" "Yo, Deity," how disrespectful can you get? I am not intending to sound "holier-than-thou," but I am truly ashamed of What A Truly Cool World represents. The bits of humor and witty viewpoints of creation would have been cute, if used in more appropriate context. The way I see it is that the disrepectful view toward a holy God outweighs the cuteness.
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3: Appalled
I regret that the rating system for this book does not have an option of "0" stars because this book is not worth 1 star. My daughter checked this book out of her public school library and I stopped reading after the first page. I continued to read it myself and was totally offended. We are a christian family who believe that God deserves more respect than what is shown in this book. God is not like us and we should not allow ourselves to think we are equals. Many people applauded the book that it put God on their level like He was one of them. He is not one of us. He is the creator of our world. The way the characters spoke to God was disrespectful and disgusting. Some reviews said it was easy to read. Some of it's not even written in complete sentences people! Bruce tells his wife, "Don't wait dinner." and "Look what you done done." WHAT!!!! Are you kidding me? This is in our library and teaching our kids what? That God has a wife, that He actually needs help in creating the world, that you don't have to be respectful and you don't have to use correct English. I would not recommend this book to ANYONE. It is very confusing for children and offensive. DO NOT BUY IT!!!!
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4: Lucifer was the angel of light
Lucifer was the angel of light; however, his goal was to distract everyone from worshipping the God of Truth.
The pictures are bright and vivid as more color is added to the world. Unfortunately, that is the only positive comment that I have for the book. Oh, the spine seems nicely sewn.
One of our children got this book as a gift, but we screen all books for content and this one didn't make the cut. In short, this book is nothing but pure sacrilege including: the idea that God would need help to make this beautiful world, the contradiction of scripture that states that He made this world in six days, and that God would have such a deep relationship with a woman (albeit an angel) who was not His wife (that's a subtle one).
One reviewer states "Children will see that their picture of God is not the only picture that exists...." There is one God and He is presented in the Bible as an all-powerful one who is to be revered. The second commandment is that we should not create any false gods--especially an imperfect god who could not complete the creation alone. Doing so undermines the basis of our faith.
Another reviewer states "I can't think of a better way to encourage them to have a prayerful relationship with God." This book does not encourage prayer or relationship. Our relationship with God should be based on his sovereignty. I suggest that reading scripture and actually praying with your child might help.
Regardless of your race or ethnicity [I'm African-American], true Christians should strive to find literature that enhances the biblical depiction of God. Consider for contrast James Weldon Johnson's well-known poem "The Creation" (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15589). While many would argue whether God could ever truly be lonely, the poem presents an awesome and powerful God and does so without blasphemously contradicting the creation account in the Bible.
My biggest problem with the book is that it contradicts the Bible in so many ways. It doesn't suggest possible gap fillers or new insight behind different scriptures. It simply presents a different creation story. But if your argument is that you like to consider alternative views of the creation "myth" presented in the first chapters of Genesis, then should we also consider alternative views of Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, and 10:9? That is, are there alternative views of salvation? If we get to make it up as we go along, what is the Bible good for anyway?
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5: God Is More Than We Can Imagine
A wonderful book for your kids, to read aloud at children's time on Sunday morning, or just to chuckle at by yourself. Julius Lester imagines God in his own way in the Jewish tradition of midrash, and humor and insight are the result. My favorite character is Shaniqua, the Angel in Charge of Everybody's Business. Children will see that their picture of God is not the only picture that exists, and also learn to revel in the joy and beauty of Creation. A must have for any thinking Christian family.
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