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What a Truly Cool World
Bursting with folk-art style paintings, this witty and inspirational creationstory is both joyful and outrageously funny. Full color.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1999
About the author
Julius Lester
121 books184 followersJulius Lester was an American writer of books for children and adults. He was an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 12, 2022
One of two picture-books about an African-American heaven that I have read recently - the other one was Margot Zemach's controversial
Jake and Honeybunch Go to Heaven
- prompted by Betsy Hearne's article, Nobody Knows... (available in the September/October 2009 issue of the Horn Book Magazine, devoted to the theme of "Trouble"), What a Truly Cool World is one of those books that I really want to love, but can't.
First, the good: I loved the idea behind this retold creation story, apparently adapted from and inspired by an African-American folktale, How God Made the Butterflies, which can also be found in Zorah Neale Hurston's Mules and Men . I see that some online reviewers were offended by the idea that God would require any assistance in creation, or that heavenly relations would be so informal. For my part, I appreciated both of these things, having never interpreted the bible literally, and having been taught to see it as a jumping off point, for a personal relationship with the divine, rather than a guidebook, or some sort of "history." I also really loved Joe Cepeda's bright illustrations, done in oil paint, with their brilliant colors and expressive sense of humor.
That said, I did not really care for some of the language choices here. Humorous colloquialism is one thing - God's secretary, Bruce, responds to him with a "Yo! What's up, Deity?" at one point - but poor language - the angel Shaniqua's demand "God? What you call that down there?" - is another. Of course, the border between the two is rather porous (and ever moving), and some might feel that the language here will function to make the story more "real" for young readers, but Lester's text just skated a little too close to that "other side" for my taste. Still, mileage varies, and so do opinions on this issue, so my recommendation would be to pick up the book and see for yourself. Really, that usually is my recommendation (and my practice!) in these cases...
First, the good: I loved the idea behind this retold creation story, apparently adapted from and inspired by an African-American folktale, How God Made the Butterflies, which can also be found in Zorah Neale Hurston's Mules and Men . I see that some online reviewers were offended by the idea that God would require any assistance in creation, or that heavenly relations would be so informal. For my part, I appreciated both of these things, having never interpreted the bible literally, and having been taught to see it as a jumping off point, for a personal relationship with the divine, rather than a guidebook, or some sort of "history." I also really loved Joe Cepeda's bright illustrations, done in oil paint, with their brilliant colors and expressive sense of humor.
That said, I did not really care for some of the language choices here. Humorous colloquialism is one thing - God's secretary, Bruce, responds to him with a "Yo! What's up, Deity?" at one point - but poor language - the angel Shaniqua's demand "God? What you call that down there?" - is another. Of course, the border between the two is rather porous (and ever moving), and some might feel that the language here will function to make the story more "real" for young readers, but Lester's text just skated a little too close to that "other side" for my taste. Still, mileage varies, and so do opinions on this issue, so my recommendation would be to pick up the book and see for yourself. Really, that usually is my recommendation (and my practice!) in these cases...
July 12, 2022
"Go on with your bad self, God!"
Blasphemy?
Nope. Just a rare compliment from hard-to-please angel Shaniqua. Thanks to her constant griping, we have flowers, and music, and butterflies.
A fun and colorful take on the creation myth.
With illustrations by Joe Cepeda.
Blasphemy?
Nope. Just a rare compliment from hard-to-please angel Shaniqua. Thanks to her constant griping, we have flowers, and music, and butterflies.
A fun and colorful take on the creation myth.
With illustrations by Joe Cepeda.
April 16, 2010
I love this book!! It is a new spin on how the earth was made. In this book God has advisors that help him figure out what new and nice things should go on earth. Great book!
January 24, 2011
My favorite children's book. Adapting it for drama class. Perhaps I can perform this book in American Sign Language....
February 22, 2022
A creation story -Julius Lester used African American and African folk tales he first encountered in Zora Neal Hurston's Mules and Men into a joyful, funny tale of collaborative creation.
Lester is quoted 0n the jacket flap as having said "So Étienne es i wonder if God doesn't get lonely because we take him so seriously. This book is my way of playing with God."
Joe Cepeda's illustrations are bright, exuberant and full of fun details, like the family pictures on God and Mrs. God's walls, or the bird that appears on every spread in which God is present.
A whole lot of fun. 🌍
Lester is quoted 0n the jacket flap as having said "So Étienne es i wonder if God doesn't get lonely because we take him so seriously. This book is my way of playing with God."
Joe Cepeda's illustrations are bright, exuberant and full of fun details, like the family pictures on God and Mrs. God's walls, or the bird that appears on every spread in which God is present.
A whole lot of fun. 🌍
January 3, 2022
What a truly cool book.
March 24, 2017
This was my favorite book I chose out of all of them. So this book is about god creating the world with help from different angels. The different is that God is black. That drastically different from than how the world represent him. The book has a lot different humor to keep children's attention along with very bright colors. Even when it talks about colors in the book, it turns the word into the color it is talking about. Even though the book is majority African American based it also represent other people as angels which is really cool. It has great plot which is one of the angel thinks the world god created is boring and challenges him to fix it. It has fluid storyline that flows straight through. The author is African American which makes sense for him to represent the characters as people like him and the people he is around.
September 5, 2010
This is a great African Folktale retold. The illustrations are bright and colorful and really show the reader the wonderful tale.
When God finished making the world he was pleased. But Shaniqua, the angel in charge of every body's business had a few concerns. She felt that the world needed more colors. God made the brown earth, blue water and green trees, but that was it.
In order for God to create more colors he had to sing a make a beautiful sound. Music was created. And because of that music beautiful colorful flowers bloomed all across the land. Shaniqua was happy and thought that the world was truly cool.
No all were happy though, the flowers whispered to God that they were lonely. God's voice was soar and hoarse from all of the flowers and colors he had created the day before. He called for Shaniqua to sing a song and soon butterflies were created to keep the flowers company.
When God finished making the world he was pleased. But Shaniqua, the angel in charge of every body's business had a few concerns. She felt that the world needed more colors. God made the brown earth, blue water and green trees, but that was it.
In order for God to create more colors he had to sing a make a beautiful sound. Music was created. And because of that music beautiful colorful flowers bloomed all across the land. Shaniqua was happy and thought that the world was truly cool.
No all were happy though, the flowers whispered to God that they were lonely. God's voice was soar and hoarse from all of the flowers and colors he had created the day before. He called for Shaniqua to sing a song and soon butterflies were created to keep the flowers company.
April 23, 2008
A delightful surprise! When I grabbed this from the library shelf, I was expecting something different, but I chuckled quietly to myself as I read it to my three-year old. When I read it to my husband he laughed out loud. It is a delightful re-telling of the Creation in easy modern language and with some joyful twists: the angel in charge of everybody's business, the heavenly choir chanting "God! God! He's our man! If he can't do it nobody can!" and a secretary who consults the "Library of Everything That Is Going to Be".
I am tempted to apply the term "irrevernt" to the text—and some might feel that it is—but I don't really feel like it is.
I am tempted to apply the term "irrevernt" to the text—and some might feel that it is—but I don't really feel like it is.
February 6, 2014
God created the world and thought it was good...until Shaniqua, the angel of everybody else's business, offers her opinion. "What you made looks kind of boring," suggests Shaniqua and so God endeavors to make the world more beautiful. God sprinkles the ground with grass made from tree clippings and sings colorful flowers into existence. This book is truly humorous and creative. I shied away from rating this book as 5 stars because it's not really informative nor does it offer any obvious lesson, but it's not always necessary for good literature to serve that role. This book entertains, does it well and that is good enough.
September 14, 2015
Based on a story that Zora Neale Hurston recorded in _Mules in Men_, _What a Truly Cool World_ is one of the first picture books I've found connected to her anthropological work. In the book, Lester "allow[s] his imagination run free" as he tells a story about how God created the world - with the help (and pressure for more visual, natural diversity) of angel Shaniqua. I've never been a huge fan of Cepeda's illustrative style, but I appreciate his bold use of color and I think the illustrations match the story well. Overall, an important text when considering contemporary African American children's literature.
October 28, 2014
This is a great African Folktale retold. I highly recommend this book because it focuses on diversity. It is easy to read and understand. Children can relate to the culturally appropriate and age appropriate language. One can easily tire of the typical creation myths. This book encourages children to explore different view points as well. The illustrations are bright and colorful and really show the reader the wonderful story.
June 11, 2015
First let me say that Julian Lester's style is more of a hip style that I had a more difficult time with. I also didn't think that it flowed. On that note, Julian Lester's style is not cookie cutter and different from 98% of the kids books that I have reviewed. I just couldn't get into the book enough to boost it to a 4.
October 2, 2008
I have to use my balls-to-the-walls five star ratings more judiciously. I don't want to be all Trump Plaza (conflating over the top glitz with elegance) with my reviews.
That said. OMFG ILOVEJULIUSLESTER.
That said. OMFG ILOVEJULIUSLESTER.
April 17, 2011
This book is about God creating the world. An angel thought it looked dull. God tried improving his creations but the angel was still not satisfied. She did not care for the colors of the world, until he added more colors. This story is good for using students imagination.
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October 7, 2012Joe Cepeda's bright, jaunty oil paintings with a sense of fun illustrate Julius Lester's humorous reworking of the creation of the world told in the vernacular with a few revisions. The language is a little dated for 2012- You the man! etc.- but the work is a ton of fun.
March 7, 2008
Wonderful illustrations and use of language. I've read this to both second and fourth graders. Both really liked it.
March 14, 2008
This is my favorite children's book. Cute characters and great language.
July 21, 2013
What a Truly Cool Book! Lester gives us everything we could want in a Creation account--humor, tradition, sillyness, revolution, color, comfort, and love. Amazing.
September 10, 2011
This creation myth is kind of odd...
April 18, 2013
I forgot all about this book! This was definitely one of my favorites as a child!
July 2, 2015
To say that this a unique way of telling the Creation is an understatement!!! I love it!
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February 7, 2019In this children's book we are given the story of how the world was created with a youthful voice. God is portrayed as an older man who is in charge of creating earth and all that is on earth. Shaniqua, an angel who knows what is going on in everybody's life, decided she liked everything God had created but there was still so much that should have been made. Everyday there is something Shaniqua corrects about creation and everyday God works to make it better and up to her standards. Then comes the day Shaniqua is given the task of creating and that is the day everything is complete.
This wasn't my favorite book. I was a little lost at some points and was confused as to whether this was telling the creation story in a Biblical manor.
I would only use this book if I was in a Christian school because the book is all about God and portrays a version of the creation story. I would do a storyboard with this book and then have my students find ways to compare and contrast the Bible and this story.
This wasn't my favorite book. I was a little lost at some points and was confused as to whether this was telling the creation story in a Biblical manor.
I would only use this book if I was in a Christian school because the book is all about God and portrays a version of the creation story. I would do a storyboard with this book and then have my students find ways to compare and contrast the Bible and this story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews