MBS Newsletter
Inspired at the outset by a story called "How God made the Butterflies" in Zora Neale Hurston's classic 1930's collection of Black folktales, author Julius Lester allows his imagination free play and expands his tale to include the entire story of the creation of the world. Lester's God (also know as Mighty Maker, Himself and Terrific Titan, among other hip nicknames) presides over a computer-literate heaven and a sizeable populace of angels, including a private secretary named Bruce and a sassy siren name Shaniqua who is "in charge of everybody's business." There's never a dull moment as God, goaded on by Shaniqua, creates music, flowers and - yes - butterflies, too. A storyteller out of the oral tradition, Lester provides a rhythmic text that cries out to be read aloud. Joe Cepeda's bold, inventive illustrations play a major role in the realization of Lester's "truly cool world." -- From Parents' Choice®