First Light, First Life

Starred review from June 27, 2016
Fleischman and Paschkis return to the approach they used in 2007’s Cinderella-themed Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, expertly weaving together elements from global creation myths to highlight their surprisingly similar story lines. A boxed passage from a myth appears on each page, attributed to the place it’s told or the people who tell it. Paschkis’s earth-and-sky-toned gouaches draw on appropriate indigenous elements while keeping the imagery smooth and visually harmonious. The universe starts from some fundamental substance (“In the beginning, there was fire and ice. In the beginning, there was a single drop of milk”), and sacred beings create earth and humans (“All was water. Then Obatala climbed down from the sky with a snail shell filled with earth, the first dry land”). After humans learn, grow, and cause trouble, the gods destroy the Earth with water or fire, and a small number of good humans are saved. The stories’ references to weather and environment are specific, yet they share an essential understanding of humans as made by gods and at the mercy of events they can’t control. Humankind really is one family, Fleischman suggests. Ages 6–9. Illustrator’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

July 1, 2016
In this multicultural mashup, the duo behind Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella (2007) weaves a wonderfully chaotic creation story.It all begins with darkness. Fleischman's retelling then slips through bits and pieces of creation tales culled from cultures originating in Egypt, Mali, the Banks Islands, Israel, and many other geographical locations. Commonalities and unifying themes among the disparate stories soon arise. These threads depend on the details: the first humans born from the tears of the sun god, Ra (Egypt), Quat making the first humans out of wood and bringing them to life with the beat of a drum (Banks Islands), and so on. Woven together, the tales both contrast against and emphasize one another's specificities. Much of the cohesiveness is due to Paschkis' folk-art illustrations, which once again shine. Bold lines and vibrant colors characterize most spreads; curves, sharp diagonal lines, and other striking shapes coalesce as each scene spills into the next. One particular double-page spread depicting human-caused destruction (Mozambique) and an angry God setting fire to the earth (Gabon) embodies this pictorial unity to an electrifying degree. Yet the narrative stumbles a bit under its weight. Certain scenes flow better together, while others pull attention in different directions. Still, this wide canvas amazes. An origin tale as messy as humans can be. (author's note) (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 1-4-Conceived as a companion to Fleischman's acclaimed Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella, this title can be read as a stand-alone. Fleischman pieces together a variety of creation myths-each page representing a different country or state-to construct one relatively seamless myth. From the first page ("In the beginning, there was only darkness" [China]) through the end ("The sun warmed the earth" [Mexico]), this patchwork tale flows freely and smoothly from one page to the next. Many will recognize stories of major world religions ("God caused it to rain for forty days and forty nights" [Israel]), but will also likely discover lesser-known stories, such as one from the Banks Islands in the Pacific ("Quat made the first humans out of wood."). Inspired by traditional textiles associated with many of the cultures included, Paschkis's illustrations provide a vibrant, folksy backdrop upon which the myths unfold, but also contribute mightily to the continuity. She ties each myth to the next as visual elements from one country's page run into and are incorporated into the next. While this volume is largely successful, some of the myths' attributions prove problematic. A few tales, for example, are labeled by U.S. state rather than the Native American tribe of origin, hence masking the unique contribution of individual groups to the common body of creation myths. VERDICT Though this title is a succinct way to introduce creation mythology to elementary students, it will require supplementary discussion and information about the communities covered to render it fully useful.-Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Bright, golden folkloric artwork, swirling with stars and mystery, illuminates a variety of creation stories from around the world. This opens, of course, with In the beginning before quickly diverging into stories about the advent of animals and humans. From great floods to great fires, the world is made new again, and Fleischman and Paschkis use words and pictures to show us the commonalities between cultures, condensing them into one fluid telling. In Alaska, Raven steals a ball of light, and in Israel, God commands light's appearance. In Egypt, Ra creates people from tears, while in the Banks Islands, the people are composed of wood and a drum beats them into existence. A great flood compels Condor to float in a basket, just as in Iraq a boat floats and comes to rest on a mountaintop. The symbols Paschkis chooses from different culturesfaces in profile, masks adorned with stripes, and the zigzags of sunlight and lightningwill give children a beginning lesson in the basics of folk symbols. The book is a companion piece to the pair's Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella (2007), which illuminates similar stories from China to France. Let's hope they continue to elaborate on the stories our diverse world shares.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)