Mother God

PreS-Gr 2–“You know God the Father, but God is your Mother too.” So begins this sumptuous picture book celebrating the feminine aspects of the Christian deity. Each spread presents a different feminine image. God is a birthing and nursing mother, offering comfort and nurturing love through the years. Other aspects of motherly love are portrayed through animals: God is a protective mother hen, a fierce mother bear, an instructive mother leopard. God is also a baker and a seamstress caring for others, a grandmother sharing stories, and the personification of Sophia wisdom. The overarching message of the text is that girls and women “are made in Her image, too.” Four lines of rhyming text portray each aspect of God, paired with vibrant illustrations. Heavily saturated colors and pervasive floral and celestial accents create a lush and mystical atmosphere. A diverse cast of women portray the images of God, with numerous ages, races, ethnicities, body types, and personal styles represented. One woman appears to be wearing a medical arm monitor, and another nurses her child next to a book on postpartum depression. While the publisher, a Christian imprint, notes that the feminine descriptions of God come from scripture, the book lacks any references to biblical passages or a note detailing those links. This may widen appeal, but leaves the volume open to potential challenges.