Sunday Is for God

December 21, 2009
McGowan's debut picture book blends old-fashioned tradition with spontaneous freshness and humor, as the youngest son of a multigenerational family describes a typical Sunday in his small-town, largely African-American, church-going community. Johnson and Fancher's (The King's Taster
) earthy, pastel-hued acrylics appear against a collage background of hymns and scripture passages, demonstrating the extent to which faith weaves through the fabric of this family's life. In a painting that depicts the narrator praying, the “Greatest Commandment” (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...”) appears on his collar, while the Lord's Prayer is seen on his tie. Parents and elders exhibit both personal warmth and high expectations; illustrations show children participating in worship, behaving, but also being children (one boy sticks his tongue out at a friend). The narrator's voice rings true: chafing under his restrictive clothing he muses, “I guess that's what the Lord wants, but I wish He didn't.” This cheerful attempt to reclaim Sunday for worship offers a respectful nod to the past without being overly nostalgic, and provides an encouraging model for contemporary families seeking to honor the Sabbath. Ages 3–8.

January 1, 2010
Gr 1-3-Small-town America in the unspecified past finds expression in this portrait of a Sunday spent the old-fashioned waywith one's family in devotion to the Lord. An African-American boy describes the rituals and habits of his family as they rise early to a hot, shared breakfast, dress in their best clothes, and walk to church alongside other members of their community. McGowan's description of the service from the boy's point of view is spot-on. The child is both mesmerized and a little bored; he awakens from his reverie when a scripture verse or song lyric speaks to him. The day's idyllic pattern continues, with more delicious food and the companionship of friends and family. Johnson and Fancher expertly layer collaged hymns, Bible verses, and photographs beneath their impressionistic acrylic paintings of the families enjoying their day. For children whose lives include a community of faith, the Sunday related here will resonate. But for most youngsters today, the story may need a guide, and the quiet, lengthy narrative may not hold their attention."Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2009
Grades 1-3 The ecstatic feeling of a powerful church experience meets (and vanquishes) the fussiness of a youngster in this sweet slice of realism. Its Sunday morning and a young African American boy knows what that means: Sunday is for God. Thats what Momma says. Initially its not something to be savored; Sunday also means starchy collars and tight ties and having to sit still. Once inside the cramped church, McGowan unleashes a wealth of sensory details: you feel the motion of fidgety kids and fan-waving adults, smell the perspiration, and hear the fluttery rumble of the organ. Johnson and Fanchers artwork is sometimes static in subject, but gets a lift from its textured mix of acrylic and collage, with printed details of Bible verses, music notes, and other illustrations bleeding through the paint. The moments of fantasy are well handled (as when the boy pretends the blue carpet is a river), but no illustration is as evocative as the one on the title page, where a musical staff soars heavenward from the churchs steeple. A tender reflection of many childrens Sunday experience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)