FROM THE PUBLISHER

With reverence, splendid majesty, and grace, award-winning artist Demi celebrates the life of Jesus and creates a book to be treasured for all time.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Demi adds to her fine canon of religious picture books with Jesus, a compendium of passages from the King James Bible, paired with the artist's intricate, gild-accented paintings. Precisely designed frames surround each scene as a single column of text designated by headings such as "Jesus Walks on Water" or "Flight into Egypt"--on either side tells the chronological story of Jesus' life, crucifixion and Resurrection. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sheilah Egan

With text inspired by passages and verses from the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the artist has given us her usual deft treatment of a spiritual subject. Known for her biographies of other spiritual leaders such as Buddha, The Dalai Lama, Ghandi, and Mother Teresa, Demi has created a book to be treasured by families and those collecting books with inspirational or religious themes. Her fascination with gold in her art work is used to its fullest power in this telling of the life of Jesus. The paintings are reminiscent of antique icons, each one framed with elaborate borders—some of the pictures emerge from the frames or overhang the borders themselves. Brimming with angels and other symbolic designs this is a masterful homage to Jesus and the people in His life here on earth. This book has a halo all its own. 2005, Simon & Schuster, Ages 5 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Brilliantly colored artwork and text based on the King James version of the Bible tell the story of the life of Jesus, beginning with the prophesies and the annunciation and ending with his ascension into Heaven. Demi's paintings are full of bright, intricate patterns, and bold touches of gold produce a feeling of awe and splendor. The images are somewhat traditional in their depictions of winged angels and a white-haired God figure above the frame of several illustrations. This book is a beautiful creation, and a reverent tribute. However, it does not have a lot of appeal for children. The art, all enclosed in a series of frames, looks static and self-contained. The small size of the text makes it difficult to read. The biblical passages have an undeniable beauty, but no adjustments or simplifications have been made to make the language more accessible to a young audience. This volume will be a source of inspiration for readers already familiar with the story of Jesus. To introduce the topic to children, consider Sally Grindley's The Life of Jesus (DK, 2003) or Brian Wildsmith's Jesus (Eerdmans, 2004).-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Demi continues her series of biographies of world religious figures with this exquisitely illustrated life of Jesus, using selections from the King James Bible as her text. Major events and stories unfold in chronological order, using short excerpts from all the Gospels. The text is set on soft golden-yellow backgrounds with the words of Christ highlighted in red type. Demi paints her small-scale illustrations in glowing jewel tones, with gold highlights and patterned borders surrounding each vignette from Christ's life. The slightly flattened perspective, stylized arrangement of figures and limited backgrounds impart an ancient feeling, echoed by the traditional wording of the text. Her approach to symbolic representation of Christian figures is also traditional: God is shown in one illustration as an elderly man with a white beard at the top of one panel, and the devil is shown with wings, horns and a tail in another. The striking illustrations and thoughtful design add up to another winning addition to this series. (Nonfiction. 5-10)