Simon and the Easter Miracle

K-Gr 2—Joslin uses Christian imagery and simple, elegant prose to flesh out the Gospel's one-line story of Simon of Cyrene, chosen at random by Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry his cross. Simon is on his way to sell his wine, bread, and eggs at market, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the violent ruckus surrounding the crucifixion. Commanded to help, he puts aside his wares, shoulders the burden, and is touched by Jesus's humble nature. Returning to market, he finds his bread trampled and his wine spilt; there remain a dozen eggs, which he takes home and stores in a shed. So far, the narrative has offered a gentle retelling with some simple symbolism for children to unearth. But the story becomes confusing when later, on Sunday (Easter), Simon returns to the shed to find the eggs broken open and empty (read here: empty tomb), making the unclear statement, "The eggs are…empty. They weren't eggs for hatching." Still curious, he is met with a dozen white doves, their presence somehow alerting him to a miracle. The last page of text continues onto the endpapers, where the warm sun brings an early spring. Readers understand that all of these things are connected to the Resurrection, but the clunky ending doesn't tie any of the images together. Luraschi's drawings are a fine complement to this uneven story. Caryl Houselander's Petook, an Easter Story (Holiday House, 1988) does a better job of illustrating the impact of Jesus on characters who don't know exactly what they have experienced.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC