Wonderful illustrations and use of language. I've read this to both second and fourth graders. Both really liked it. ( )

In this story God is depicted as an African American which is very rare. I think it's important to show kids diversity in this way. I honestly can't say i've ever read a book that shows God as African American. It's a really fun book about the creation of the world that adds a lot of color to this world and story. ( )

This upbeat tale of creation uses colloquial language and common naming in order to make bring God and the creative process out of the mystical into the relatable. A fun read, but I'm not sure of how to use it at this point ( )

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... ( )

The author claims to be "playing with God" in this fun revision of the creation story in which God has help from his family in improving the world He created, adding music and color and even flutterbys. An accessible and just plain fun introduction to origin myths as cultural products--or simply a contemporary take on an old tale of the construction of our World. ( )