Tell Me Why
Trista Hendren, Elisabeth Slettnes
Paperback
(CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Aug. 22, 2014)
Tell Me Why is a feminist twist of the creation story told with love from a mother to her son, in hopes of crafting a different world for them both.This is the third (newly revised) book in The Girl God series, written specifically with boys in mind. “Men, too, need the feminine divine in order to reconcile with, recover, and honor the repressed and denied feminine aspects of their own being and becoming.” –Jane CaputiPraise for Tell Me Why “Tell Me Why uses a reimagined version of the Genesis story of Adam and Eve as an opening to begin discussing the loss of Mother God with children, especially with boys. The book does a beautiful job of describing the loss that boys feel when they are denied the companionship of the feminine side of God and, consequently, a healthy relationship with women in their lives. It is not a book that bashes men or masculinity; instead, it exposes the wounds caused by gender stereotyping and patriarchal religion, while leaving readers full of hope for reclaiming an Edenesque harmony between men and women. This is an ideal companion to the earlier books in this series, The Girl God and Mother Earth.” –Monette Chilson, Author of Sophia Rising “Another gem from Trista Hendren and Elisabeth Slettnes. A beautiful and important message to all children, told here in the re-telling and re-writing of the Creation story, to Joey, by his mother. With Slettnes’ stunning artwork and inspirational quotes from other writers, it takes its place alongside The Girl God and Mother Earth as a future classic.” –Ruth Calder Murphy, Author of Spirit Song “Tell Me Why is a wonderful book for a boy to read with his mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, babysitter, friend. The conversation between mother and son at the beginning of the book, and the quotes and artwork throughout, provide a wonderful context for explaining to boys that the story of “why things are the way they are” isn’t about blaming boys or men, but about recognizing history and healing it, for the good of all.” –Liz Hall Magill, Author of Defining Sexism in the U.S.“Trista Hendren and Elisabeth Slettnes have created another significant book that is a piece of art as well as a good story. The message, important for both boys and girls: treat each other with kindess and respect, as equals. I love the surprise, several pages in, when after the mother has given her son all kinds of worthy advice, the boy becomes exasperated. He knows all this, he says; he just wants a story about why the world is the way it is. And she shifts into telling the tale. The colorful, dramatic illustrations are intriguing and once again the quotations from noted names add richness.” –Marilyn McFarlane, Author of Sacred Stories: Wisdom from World Religions “Trista Hendren has done it again. Incorporating beautiful pictures, meaningful quotes, and a story line that resonates she has created a wonderful book that will, hopefully, inspire hugely needed conversations between every boy, girl, man, and woman throughout the world.” –Peter Wilkes, Author of A Woman Called God
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