As she did in Bethlehem
and Easter
, French here envisions another Bible story in vividly hued watercolors inspired by classic stained-glass designs. This time it's the story of creation and Adam and Eve's eventual banishment from the lush garden of Eden. French's visuals adopt art nouveau conventions, and the book of Genesis in the King James translation provides a treasure trove of images for French to interpret, including sky and stars, the tree of life and the slithery serpent. Her compositions, consisting of flowing fields of color divided by thick black outlines that simulate window leading, have an appropriately mysterious but surprisingly kinetic feel. Several of the paintings offer a swirling or up-close perspective that will challenge younger readers to puzzle out shapes and objects. The appearance of an eye (does this represent God's eye?) in French's renderings of the sun may sometimes be disconcerting, but overall, the artist skillfully conveys the awesomeness of God's "handiwork" in fashioning the world. All ages. (Mar.)
