Cain & Abel: Finding the Fruits of Peace

This book is gorgeous, stunning, and absolutely wonderful. I bought it when my older son was almost five and he had a new(ish) little brother who was just starting to crawl around and make trouble. I read it to Thomas and the second I finished the last line he cried "READ IT AGAIN!" I've never seen him so engrossed in a story. The wonderful thing Sasso does with the Cain and Abel story is talk about the depth of love the brothers had for each other before a misunderstanding made them both hatefully angry. She also illustrates wonderfully how the earth itself went into mourning over this first killing--the trees, which used to bear many different kinds of fruit at once (Orangeapples, banangerines etc!) were reduced to offering only a single kind of fruit. Dealing with the depth and complexities of sibling relationships--and how they shape the world as a whole-- in a way that children can take in is a gift--Sasso is amazing. I highly recommend all her work.

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is a gifted writer, and once again has written a book that is beautifully done and inspirational. The book is timely, in that it tells about the destructiveness of anger but also the reality of hope. I recommend this book for all ages. It's a wonderful way to teach children but also to teach adults about the ramifications of their actions.