The Beatitudes by Carole Boston Weatherford

The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Tim Ladwig. Eerdmans, 2009. 36 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8
Recommended for: All ages

The idea of putting the familiar lines of the beatitudes to the African American struggle for civil rights is a worthy one. How many times have those verses described the brave men and women who suffered, stood for truth, died, and/or bravely led their people! This book features the entire text of the beatitudes inside the front cover; the words also run along the bottom of each page within the book. Beginning with slavery, the text and images not only chronicle the political history of civil rights but also strive to reveal some of the spiritual struggles and depth of these brave heroes (Harriet Tubman, unnamed slaves in a ship, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others). The final person pictured is President Obama. The illustrations are beautiful and complement the text nicely.

The author made a significant choice, though, that keeps me from fully recommending this book: the narrative is in first person, and the assumed narrator is the Lord himself. Of course the Lord was with his people during their struggles—he promises to be with all his children regardless of their particular struggles. Yet it is troubling to see it written in first person: “I was with (so and so) when (blank event happened).” We do well to avoid putting words into the mouth of the Lord. This book would be far more effective if a different perspective had been used. Worthy as a discussion tool with your children, but you might choose to use only the text of the beatitudes and the stunning illustrations.

Cautions: Worldview (see second paragraph)

Overall Value: 4 (out of 5)

• Moral/worldview value: 3.5
• Artistic value: 4.5

Categories: Multicultural, Christian, Life Issues, History, Picture Books

Cover image from Amazon