A heartwarming spiritual story that promises hope for all and provides useful advice.
By Bradford Ingram ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 22, 2020
In Bradford and Syria Ingram’s children’s book, a misunderstanding arises between angels and ravens. The angels, who live in a peaceful forest and play with deer, beavers, cats, and a skunk, are unaware of the ravens’ existence. The birds, who are described as “plain on the outside and not very smart,” have a song that is “not pretty but pure as the snow.” After hearing about the angels’ beautiful song, the ravens travel to see it for themselves, only to be met with fear from the angels. The ravens try to impress the angels with their song, but one of them eventually falls to the ground dead. This causes the angels to recognize the value of the ravens’ lives, and they each choose a bird, hold them, and sing songs to them. God then intervenes and revives the dead raven, who was trying “to sing and not merely to scream.”
This story offers a unique perspective on the innocence and ignorance of angels, as well as the harm that even an angel’s fear can cause. It also conveys the message that God loves all creations equally, and that all actions done in love are beautiful. However, Bradford Ingram’s narrative does not always treat ravens as objectively equal in beauty to other creatures. Syria Ingram’s illustrations of the angels give them a range of skin tones, though most are coded as young, thin girls with lipstick-red lips and long eyelashes. The pen-and-watercolor images depict a mild, spring-green playing field with cute, domesticated-looking creatures.
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Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1662872815
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Xulon Press
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2023