God's+Dream

**SUMMARY/REVIEW**
Open the first spread of this warm little wonder – just out as a durably thick board book for the chunkiest little fingers – and marvel at those sleeping, trusting, dreaming faces … one peach, one pink, one mocha, clutching their favorite stuffed toys atop multi-colored, multi-textured blankets and pillows spread across the wide floor, even their feline friend close by in trusting slumber. The book points out that “God does not force us to be friends or to love one another,” that even the youngest children can get angry and be hurtful, but forgiveness can “wipe away our tears and God’s tears, too.” Regardless of all our many differences, “each of us carries a piece of God’s heart within us … because we are all God’s children.” Put this hopeful book in the littlest hands. Peace has to begin somewhere … why not with //God’s Dream//? (1)


 * AUTHOR BIO**

Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in 1984, retired as Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1996. President Nelson Mandela then named him as Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the organization charged with bringing to light the crimes against humanity in South Africa under apartheid. The goal was to achieve reconciliation between those who were suffered and their oppressors. Still active as a lecturer throughout the world, Tutu was most recently a visiting scholar-in-residence at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In this inspiring volume written with Douglas Abrams, he sums up the ideas and beliefs that have served as the foundation of his sermons, speeches, and writings. He sees it as "a cumulative expression of my life's work." The author's experiences in South Africa have been a sign for him that God can achieve wonders in the most desolate and chaotic places and among the most hateful individuals and groups. Whether talking about the rainbow people of God, embracing our enemies, or letting our suffering ennoble and not embitter us, Tutu affirms the goodness of creation and humanity's co-partnership with God in the ongoing task of making a better and more just world. He encourages us to throw ourselves unstintingly into acts of transformation by setting aside our personal ambitions and serving others. Desmond Tutu's eloquent and heart-felt writing will resurrect hope in your heart. (2)

**COAUTHOR**


Douglas Carlton Abrams is the coauthor with Archbishop Desmond Tutu of //God Has A Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time.// His many books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He is the cofounder of Idea Architects, a book and media development agency working with visionary authors to create a wiser, healthier, and more just world. Douglas Carlton Abrams lives in California with his wife and their three children.

**ILLUSTRATOR**


LeUyen Pham is the author and illustrator of //Big Sister, Little Sister// and has illustrated many other books for children, including //Freckleface Strawberry// by Julianne Moore. About //God's Dream//, LeUyen Pham says, "Being a part of this book, which has such a peaceful message, has been an extremely significant experience for me, considering that I left war-torn Vietnam during the fall of Saigon when I was only a year old. My son was also born during the creation of this book, bringing the lovely message of hope and love full circle." LeUyen Pham lives and works in San Francisco with her husband and son.

**OTHER CHILDREN'S LITERATURE**

 * //Children of God Storybook Bible (2010)//
 * // Taking away the distance: a young orphan's journey and the AIDS epidemic in Africa (2007) //
 * // Fly, Eagle, Fly: An African Tale (2000) //
 * //Season of Rains: Africa in the World (2011)//

**AWARDS**
Nautilus Book Award- Silver Winner (3)

**HISTORICAL CONTENT**
Reaching out to people of all religious backgrounds, Archbishop Tutu shows you how to transform suffering into joy--both in your life and in our world. He offers an extremely personal and liberating message in a work that Tutu calls //a cumulative expression of my life's work. (4)//

**MAJOR THEMES**
religion, multiculturalism, inclusiveness, forgiveness, acceptance

**CITATIONS**
1.) http://bookdragon.si.edu/2010/07/26/gods-dream-by-archbishop-desmond-tutu-and-douglas-carlton-abrams-illustrated-by-leuyen-pham/ 2.) http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=8302 3.) http://www.candlewick.com/bookxtras.asp?isbn=0763633887&view=xtras 4.) http://godhasadream.com/