God's Dream

Now in a board book edition! With warmth and humor, Archbishop Tutu distills his philosophy of unity and forgiveness for the very young.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has a vision of God’s dream. It involves people who hold one another’s hands, but sometimes get angry and hurt one another — then say they’re sorry and forgive. It’s a wish that everyone will see that they are brothers and sisters, no matter their way of speaking to God, no matter the size of their nose or the sha de of their skin. Aided by vibrant artwork, Tutu conveys the essence of his ubuntu philosophy, a wisdom so clear and crystalline that even the smallest child can understand

Publishers Weekly

Just as children have dreams, say Archbishop Tutu and Abrams (previously paired with Tutu for God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time), so does God: "God dreams that every one of us will see that we are all brothers and sisters-yes, even you and me-even if we have different mommies and daddies or live in different faraway lands." The authors understand that direct prose can often be the most reassuring; they tell readers, "God does not force us to be friends or to love one another.... But when we say we're sorry and forgive one another, we wipe away our tears and God's tears, too." Pham (Big Sister, Little Sister) forgoes much of the impishness that enlivens her best titles, but even though she's working with familiar brotherhood-of-man tropes (a global cast of children, some wearing non-Western clothes, gather in a single, idyllic location to play and worship), she nimbly sidesteps triteness through her velvety, saturated palette and the unassuming sweetness of her characterizations. This is not a book to win converts, but a wide range of believers, including children at the younger end of the target audience, should respond to its heartfelt appeals, Ages 2-8. (Sept.)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts to bring equality, justice, and peace to South Africa. In 1995, Nelson Mandela asked him to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which became a model of national forgiveness and coexistence. Archbishop Tutu currently chairs the Elders, an international conflict-resolution group. He lives in South Africa.

Douglas Carlton Abrams is the coauthor with Archbishop Desmond Tutu of God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time. He lives in California.

LeUyen Pham is the author-illustrator of Big Sister, Little Sister and has illustrated many other books for children. She lives in San Francisco.