God Inside of Me (Jump at the Sun Books)

The star of CBS TV's "Touched By an Angel" weaves a warmhearted story of a feisty little girl who discovers God within herself and others.

Grade 1-4-Reese, a celebrity from the TV show Touched by an Angel, has spun a story that, despite its wonderfully oral voice, is long-winded and lacks child appeal. Kenisha knows that there's a piece of God in her, but it takes a lesson from her doll to see that there's also "...good in everyone, even those who get on our nerves." The girl's talking toys make up the main cast of characters and are not convincing. Also, Kenisha slips too often into an adult voice, revealing the storyteller's edifying intentions. The pastel and warm-toned watercolor illustrations are full of life and movement, but the human features are often so distorted that the girl and her brother not only look like different people on each page, but also appear elderly. Some schools or libraries may have an adult demand for this kind of Sunday-school story, but otherwise it holds little use.
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Singer and actress Reese, seen by millions of TV viewers each week on Touched by an Angel, calls on her experience as a licensed minister to deliver this thoughtful yet uneven picture book. Young Kenisha loves going to Sunday school to hear the smooth Bible stories and the sweet gospel singing. But Kenisha doesn't realize that she's not practicing what she hears in Sunday schoolAtry to be patient, kind and loving like GodAuntil her talking toys point it out to her. Dolly Dear reminds Kenisha that she goes "into a tizzy" when her brother dawdles on the way to church or when her toy, Clown, can't decide which shoes to wear. By story's end, Kenisha vows to be ever mindful of the tenet "let go and let God," aiming to see the good and the God in everyone. Reese's universal and inspiring message unfortunately lies buried beneath a disjointed, meandering story. The reliance on fantastical toys serves as a distraction here, rather than a revelation. Buchanan's sunny watercolors depict a pleasant-looking small town in simpler times, but her renderings of Kenisha are inconsistent and sometimes disproportionate. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The star of the popular TV series Touched by an Angel carries her preaching into this whimsical picture book. Kenisha loves Sunday school for the sweet singing and fine stories, but she is truly annoyed by how slow her little brother, Eli, walks there. When she comes home, full of music and spunk, her toys are aggravating: Rabunny with his "snore-whistle-snore," Rackeroon with her questions and questions, and Clown, who can't make up his mind. But Kenisha's Dolly Dear reminds her that all come into the world with everything they need inside of them, a piece of God. The story is a little wordy, and not all children may quite get the talking toys. Kenisha's annoyance with her brother and with her toys seems forced, and the lesson is very emphatic. The illustrations are quite engaging, however; beautiful color washes delineate the slightly exaggerated features of toys and people, and the light-filled interior and exterior views. Kenisha's toys have real personality: Dolly Dear wears kente cloth and a head wrap, Rackeroon is a raccoon with lipstick and a chapeau, Rabunny's overalls are patterned with carrots. GraceAnne A. DeCandido