God Went to Beauty School

by Cynthia Rylant

A deeply compelling collection of poems about God and our everyday world from a Newbery medalist. Cynthia Rylant takes teens on an invigorating spiritual journey as she explores what God's life on Earth might be like. Rylant's reflective and often humorous verse follows God as he tries out human activities such as getting a dog, writing a fan letter, and making spaghetti. God Went to Beauty School combines the awesome with the everyday in an accessible, thought–provoking, and intelligent manner.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Religion, Middle Grade, Teen, Fiction, Childrens

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Cynthia Rylant is an American author, poet, and librarian whose deeply felt books for children and young adults have made her one of the most beloved voices in contemporary literature. Writing across picture books, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry, she has published more than one hundred works, many of them rooted in memory, family, solitude, and the emotional landscapes of ordinary life. Her fiction often draws from her upbringing in West Virginia and reflects the textures of Appalachian life with unusual tenderness and clarity.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly and truly, I can certainly understand how Cynthia Rylant's collection of God themed poems for her God Went to Beauty School could prove a bit or maybe even more than a bit problematic and uncomfortable for Bible literalists and also for individuals, for Christians, who want and require God to be both seen and textually described as unapproachable, remote and judging, punishing (and thus of course not so much like Jesus Christ, who first and foremost should be considered as human, tolerant and also with everything that makes us human).

But for me personally, I really textually adore how Rylant in God Went to Beauty School in entertaining, evocative and often also nicely humorous free verse poems presents her incarnation of God not as some removed, impersonal deity totally above and beyond humanity and our experiences and feelings, but as someone with everyday desires and endeavours, occurrences to consider (such as going boating, getting a pet dog, cooking spaghetti, writing a book, and yes, even getting arrested), but (importantly, appreciatively) as God also being shown by Cynthia Ryland as someone who a times makes mistakes, has doubt and often feels insecure regarding His creation (and as the creator), leaving God Went to Beauty School as poetic, fun and engaging presentation of God as an entity that in particular my inner child totally loves, loves, loves (for I was as a child rather afraid of God as He is depicted in the Bible and basically find Cynthia Rylant's God themed poems touching and making God Went to Beauty School a great way for my childhood self to be able to get close to God and to escape from the to be feared deity of both the Holy Bible as well as Catholic and Protestant dogma).

Highly recommended for the right type of audience is God Went to Beauty School and for me, definitely solidly four stars, enjoyable, lyrically delightful, thought-provoking and first and foremost hugely fun, wonderfully engaging, and with my absolute favourite poem of God Went to Beauty School being Cynthia Rylant's delightfully satirical and irreverent take on the Bible (and that God is described as wanting people to know that He did not actually pen the Bible Himself and that the authors of the different "books" obviously forgot to edit, that their penmanship is pretty lacking and not how God Himself would be writing).

[Lexie Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was reading this book, I could tell that it was leading somewhere. There's alot of metaphors written about that really helps you understand what Cynthia Rylant is trying to say. By the time I finished this book, which didn't take too long considering it was a quick read, I was in tears. It really touched my heart and soul. It helped me grasp the idea that what God did, changed it all. Throughout this entire book, it's telling us of all the things that God did...as metaphors. Like going to beauty school, and getting a dog, and climbing a mountain, and cooking spaghetti, and things like that that make us human. However in this case, by the end of the book, we realize what the whole point of this story is. It's to tell us that Jesus went through all of this, lived on this world and experienced all the kinds of things we as humans go through so that He can relate to us. So that He can say, I went through exactly what you did; I experienced the good and bad parts of this world, and I died for you! It's such a touching analogy and it really opens up the mind to accepting what God did for us. I highly recommend this short little story to everyone. And I guarantee that you will appreciate Cynthia Rylant's amazing writing of our amazing God.

[Lisa RV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It's light & yet thought-provoking at the same time. Read it slow to let each poem settle into your unconscious. It made me appreciate the "little things in life".

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my! I have loved Cynthia Rylant's books for children for a long, long time (Her picture book "The Relatives Came" is an all-time favorite) but I had no idea she wrote for teens, or that she wrote poetry. A poem from this book was quoted in a recent church service, which inspired me to borrow the book from the library, and what a revelation it has proved to be! If your worldview allows for a vision of God that has humanity -- and even a sense of humor -- you'll like this.

God Went to Beauty School.

He got into nails, of course, because He'd always loved hands -- hands were some of the best things He'd ever done.

[Arminzerella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of poetry that flows like a stream of consciousness. Some people have criticized it for being "irreverent," but I feel like it encompasses everything that's heart-breakingly beautiful about "God's creation(s)." It shows a God who loves everything He made, who has been misunderstood by His creation in some ways. This is a gentle, loving, introspective God.

Chapters/titles include: God went to beauty school, God got a dog, God got in a boat, God bought a couch (from the pottery barn), God made spaghetti, God went to the doctor, God got arrested, God woke up, God took a bath, God went rollerblading, God caught a cold, God saw a movie, God wrote a book, God got cable, God found God, God climbed a mountain, God is a girl, God has a cousin, God got a desk job, God found some fudge, God wrote a fan letter, God went to India, God died.

You can read this in about a half an hour. It will make you smile, and laugh, and see yourself in God's image, or maybe God's self in your image. If you're me, you'll cry, too. The thing that caught me most this time was in God went to India...to see the elephants because they are the best thing He ever made:

"They mourn.
God understands mourning
better than any other emotion,
better even than love.
Because He has lost
everything He has
ever made."

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm...I guess what you think of this book depends on how seriously you want to take it. First, I completely agree you can't read this w/o singing "What If God Was One Of Us?" - it gets stuck in your head on repeat. (What ever happened to Joan Osborne, BTW? Why do we not ever hear from her but we're still blessed with Jewel? Anyway...) Yes, there are some biblical inaccuracies here, but they are not serious and this is a children's book that should be allowed some poetic license, I guess. Obviously it is about God deciding to take a break and become human for a while. The book is broken into free verse poems concerning things such as God buying a couch or riding in a boat for the first time. When God tries to make fudge, he accidentally makes Neptune. So, you see, it's cute, it's silly, it's definitely not too deep- when the reader is given a larger life issue to contemplate, it's in an almost warm, fuzzy manner. Most importantly to my students, it's an extremely quick and easy read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow wow wow. Two-time Newberry medalist Cynthia Rylant's God Went to Beauty School is a collection of short poems from the perspective of God--a very, very human God. In the poems, God goes rollerblading, takes a bath, gets arrested, comes down with a cold, and even--wonder of wonders--"finds God."

I read the entire thing out loud to my partner in under half an hour, during which (this is slightly embarrassing) I laughed and cried--twice. Totally brilliant and beautiful and funny and bittersweet.

Recommended for: people who like Jesus Christ Superstar; Unitarian Universalists, Quakers, members of the United Church of Christ, and other spiritual folk open to creative interpretations of God; people who are sad and need to read something to give them some comfort.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breath of fresh air, "God Went to Beauty School" is an intelligent and honest book of poetry from God's perspective as he's experiencing the world he created. He wears a human disguise to step in and just live in the world He created as though He's never seen it before. He embarks on several very ordinary adventures, such as going to beauty school to learn how to do a perm and instead loving doing nails because he was really proud of making hands, calling up Mother Teresa because he was lonely and wanted her to bring him a comic book, going to visit the elephants, trying to figure out how He had made Cain devoid of love if love was His bones, His veins, going to Boston and finding a holy place, smoking a cigar, and dying, just to do it. Beautiful book. Beautiful. Definitely one of my favorites.

[Jaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was left feeling a little uncomfortable, but I
don't know why. yet.
i re-read some and felt good about a lot of it, so
it evened out i guess.

my favorite from the book:

GOD CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN

And not just any mountain.
Mount Everest.
And you know why?
BECAUSE IT WAS THERE.
He was tired of hearing about it -
He decided just to
go do it.
And He did.
It was terrible.
It was awful.
He'd never been so cold.
He'd never been so tired.
He hated snow.
And it was like that
all the way to
the top.
Then at the top
He turned around
and His heart just broke.
Suddenly the whole world
was plain as day,
and still.
It was so still.
"Should've put everybody
on top of Mount Everest,"
God thought.
Nobody'd want to hit
the guy next to him
on top of Mount Everest.
"Next time," thought God.
Next time.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would happen if God found out what it was like to live like the rest of us? If He got a desk job? These short, thoughtful, irreverent poems, are the Pringles of poetry – enticing teens to read, write and think about poetry, with an alternate view about God, but which are great discussion openers. A lot more than meets the eye but which might be inappropriate in some libraries because of the initial irreverance.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, funny, fast and thought provoking.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I was laughing throughout the entire thing. I wish I had read this in religious education class so we could have discussed it.

[Christy Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short collection of related poems that place God at the center of trying human experiences, but with an awareness of the whole universe, this collection was amusing, insightful, and found the sacred in the ordinary. I enjoyed the response of surprise and fresh way of looking at a manicure, the beauty of hands or the disappointment at what it means to realize people may deal with pain in killing one another and being baffled by that. This is a God who has the curiosity of a child who looks with wonder and the wisdom of the ages all in one. A new to me poet, I'll seek out more of Rylant's work.

[Kerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender, light, and a quick read. Really delightful way to think about God experiencing everything we experience - the good and the bad.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since reading (and really enjoying) Inside Out & Back Again, I've been wanting to read some more novels written in verse (if you have any recommendations for me, please leave them in the comments of this post... 'cause I'm still looking for more!). I came across this book and thought it sounded like it might be interesting... although, to be honest, I had some reservations because I'm not a fan of Christian fiction.

This book turned out to be nothing like what I expected, though. It's rather non-denominational (well, it's told from a mostly Christian perspective, but not an exclusively Christian one. Yeah, that's kind of confusing... but you'll see what I mean if you read it). Really, this is a book that just about anyone might enjoy. There's no real plot to speak of; rather, the book is a series of short vignettes that offer a glimpse into the everyday life of God.

I giggled out loud at some of the early poems. There's something amusing about the creator of the universe trying to make spaghetti or getting addicted to his cable TV. But each poem makes you think as well, about some of the deeper questions that we all have. The last poem, especially, is a doozy, but it manages to stay consistent with the flavour of the rest of the book without getting too preachy or dogmatic.

God Went to Beauty School is a very quick read, but a worthwhile one. I really enjoyed it.

http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cynthia Rylant wrote 56 pages of poetry celebrating God, the world He created, and the majesty found in simple things. While I liked the concept, God being curious of the world He created and so decides to explore it, others might not be too happy about it. I am grounded in my faith, and I still believe in the faith and awe of God.

Some of the things Rylant uses in her writings:
God went to beauty school and learned how to give a good perm.
God discovered a stray dog by the railroad tracks, realized somehow He created it while feeling bad about the dog being cold and hungry, so he adopted it and named him Ernie.
When God rode in a boat, the whole world looked different--not like it does from the sky or the ground or the inside of a whale--and he says, "Wow!"
God likes spaghetti, but no one ever invites him over unless it's Holy Communion.

Just a sample of what Rylant writes---God is compassionate, God is amazing and still amazed with what and whom He created, and God wants to be a part of our lives.

My favorite part (which was hard to choose)
When God had a cold and went to the doctor, the doctor told him to pay attention to the skip in His heart. "He knew about that/skip in his heart./He knew it was nothing/fish could cure./That skip started way back,/when He first heard/ that some people/ didn't believe in Him. / It scared Him. Still does.


And it scares me as well.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed these poems about God's life on Earth! He seems to have enjoyed Himself living here too. It's a way of examining the familiar with new eyes.

[Ginny Messina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Rylant doesn't say that she based this book on any biblical text, but if she had, surely it would be Genesis 1:31: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

In this sweet and delightful book, God decides to taste some earthly experience. He learns to do manicures, gets a dog, tries rollerblading. He gets a cold, too, but that's okay because unlike the rest of us, he is able to call Sister Theresa to come take care of him. The poems are charming, touching, and funny—-and you can read the whole book in less than a half hour, although it's worth taking some time to savor it. Very traditional Christians may find a few things here to be offensive; to me, it was quirkily and appealingly reverent.

[Danylle DuPris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was okay. At first when you look at the title you think it will be all about God going to beauty school, but it's not. It talks about what God all created and how he acts. The book explains how he is actually among us, living as different people day by day. The lesson to this book explained that if you love something, let it go, if it was meant to be it will come back. I personally wouldn't read this book again because of the fact that I don't really like reading about religious aspects. I do recommend "God Went to Beauty School" to anyone who loves to read about God or religious.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I am not sure what to say about this book. I guess, I should first start with the fact that I am a relatively orthodox evangelical Christian, and as such, my deeply held theological perspectives do not align with Rylant's God Went to Beauty School. That notwithstanding, Cynthia Rylant can throw together some compelling verse. I found this little book (It took me 20 minutes to read it.) both compelling and touching. There are portions of the book that make me cringe from a theological perspective, but I still loved it. The poems about God going to beauty school and God getting arrested particularly caught my attention.

These poems are simple, humorous, and often lovely.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rylant's poems feature a bare bones-style that is funny, wise, and profound.
"...So God went back
to being God,
finally comfortable
with being called
All-Knowing
because now
He actually was.
And after that,
He made sure
He ate popcorn and
watched a movie
every Friday night.
Petted the cats.
Fed the birds.
And played the jukebox
at Kenny's Tavern.
God needed
to remember
what a cool thing
it was to be a guy.
Or a girl.
An eagle.
A pig.
To be life.
God went to beauty school.
He went there to learn how
to give a good perm.
But what He was really there for
was the hands."

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Cynthia Rylant for your free-verse tribute to God's love for us. I found myself returning that love to HIM through your depictions of His understanding and involvement in our every day lives. I love the humor. I feel the depth.

This is a MUST SHARE book. If there's anyone in the room with you when you're reading it, they will find themselves a captive audience, with you reading aloud these delightful passages.

Hint: don't get hung up thinking it's disrespectful or irreverent. If you think it is, it is. If you don't, you have a little journey to enjoy.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

God decided to see what it was like to live as his creation, so he went to beauty school but discovered that really, he liked hands best so he decided to open a nail salon. God also orders a couch, gets cable, adopts a stray dog, and does many other “normal” things, but not so normal for the creator of the Universe. This slim volume exploring God’s celebration of humanity will make you smile, chuckle, and even swipe at an occasional tear. Not didactic, blasphemous, or preachy. Just good, creative fun.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some would be offended by these as irreverent, but who of us can really know the mind of God? It starts with a poem about hands, and ends with another reference to hands, that I think refer to the nailed hands of Jesus. I had many favorite lines that made me smile or frown:
God Wrote a Book: "a sure way to get out of revising"
God Got a Cold: "Thou shall dot"
God Wrote a Fan Letter: "Dear God, I pray you will get a life."
God Went to India: "God understands mourning..."

Now on to the newly published & illustrated version, 'God Got a Dog"...

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to like? Uncomplicated poems that link together a story of a God who is all too human. Cynthia Rylant brings to life a God that had always lived in my head. A God who tries human activities, has a sense of humor and an interest in what he has created. Is it theologically correct? Mostly not. But that is what's so fun about it. My two favorites are the title poem, 'God Went to Beauty School' and, 'God Went to India.' I Love it. And if you don't, that's okay. But Cynthia Rylant is a hero for sharing her vision of God with readers like me.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at Blue Willow Books in Houston while I was visiting a friend. Actually, I found an illustrated version of this book and decided to order a plain text version for cheaper on Amazon. Sorry, Blue Willow! I bought other books from you! Ha.

Anyway, this collection rocked my socks off, even though I felt a little blasphemous enjoying it so much. I shared some samples with my creative writing students, and they wrote some of their own, including "God Orders Some Pizza" and "God Went to the Club."

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book of poems; whimsical, funny, and a little sad, it will make you laugh and smile. My personal favorites are "God got in a Boat" and "God went to Beauty School." For those that absolutely hate religion for whatever reason, these poems aren't "religious;" they take God and put him in everyday situations, like eating dinner and getting a dog. They make you think without really challenging you. Fun, amazing, and a quick read.

[Brooxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book!! I loved it! It literally took less than 15 minutes to read the first time. It is a series of poems about what it would be like if God did normal things like make spaghetti, get a dog, get cable, get arrested, etc! It would be a 5 if EVERY poem didn't refer to go as a he. The only poem that said God was also a she was still sexist! But, it is definitely on my mental list of books to read with my kids one day!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read this book last night in about 15 minutes. Other than the fact that many of the things about God are not quite right (but many are), it's a super cute read. It's in free verse poetry format and has a great flow. I would love to use it in my classroom but I'm not sure that the content is kosher (if you will) for 8th and 9th grades in a Mormon-dominated community. If any of you read it, let me know what you think about that. It's really a delightful little read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems about God that manage to be both iconoclastic and reverent. God goes to beauty school, gets a dog, buys a couch from Pottery Barn, and wonders how the world as it is came into being from all that is in Him.

I’m not religious, but I liked these poems sort of because of that; this is not the God of hatred and religious wars, but a very human God, very simply expressed. The poems are often funny, but all have a more complex kernel to ponder. I like that.