The Glorious Impossible [Illustrated with Frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto] - Hardcover

Madeleine L'Engle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0671686909 ISBN 13: 9780671686901

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1990

Synopsis

The birth of Jesus was a Glorious Impossible. Like love, it cannot be explained, it can only be rejoiced in. And that is what master storyteller Madeleine L'Engle does in this compellingly written narrative, inspired by Giotto's glorious frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. With a simple clarity that illuminates the life of Christ, Madeleine L'Engle gives eloquent voice to the miracle of God's love.

About this title

About the Author:

Madeleine L'Engle is the author of more than forty books for readers of all ages, including the 1963 Newbery Medal winner, A Wrinkle in Time, and the 1981 Newbery Honor Book, A Ring of Endless Light. Her most recent book, An Acceptable Time, was published in 1989. Ms. L'Engle lives and works in New York City.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5 Up-- Inspired Christian belief and high Christian art resonate in this beautiful volume as L'Engle retells 25 of the events of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of the Bible stories is accompanied by a full-page, full-color reproduction of one of Giotto's famed frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel or, as it is often called, the "Arena Chapel" in Padua. Despite the tragic depiction of the massacre of the innocents, the dark drama of the betrayal and crucifixion, and the solemnity of Giotto's famous lamentation scene, the tone of the retelling is full of joy, the drama explained as the will of Heaven, the death of Jesus as the victory of love, and the miraculous events as the "Glorious Impossible" that faith accepts and knows as truth. The stories are narrated in a poetic, informal style that incorporates familiar Biblical phrasing with modern, conversational comments and explanations. The text flows, and can be read aloud without showing the illustrations. At the same time, Giotto's frescoes are reproduced with such clarity and richness of color that they can be valued as quality reproductions of Renaissance art. The frontispiece photograph of the Scrovegni Chapel (although reversed) and an afterword about Giotto's place in art history add to the potential use of the book for art history. The text and the pictures fit so well together that L'Engle's words enhance the appreciation of Giotto's art, and the magnificence of the frescoes illuminates the Christian story. The result is a beautiful devotional book that will be a valued addition to the religious shelves of a library or an art-book collection. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0671686909
• ISBN 13: 9780671686901
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Giotto