Easter Sunday... a book for children

By chance, I checked out a children's Easter book from the library recently. This morning, Easter morning, The Easter Cave, by Carol Wedeven, was stacked on the kitchen table with a  bunch of books I found on the theme of "The House That Jack Built."  That theme came to me about a month ago as a possible construct for a poem I'm creating in my mind.  I thought of Jack's theme as ‘one thing piled atop another’, as well as a ‘chicken or egg?’ question poser.  Via quick research, particularly looking for the English view – since it dates back to sixteenth century England – I found this, to my surprise: The phrase 'This is the house that Jack built' is often used as a derisory term in describing a badly constructed building! http://www.rhymes.org.uk/this_is_the_house_that_jack_built.htm

That interpretation has been rattling around in my head ever since, and lead me to check out the aforementioned bunch of books on the theme. 

So, I happened upon The Easter Cave on the kitchen table this morning.   The title surprised me… why, I tried to remember, would I check out a children’s book about Easter?  One whose author I don’t recognize?  One that has quite sentimental and prosaic art on the cover?  What possessed me?   Well, since it was Easter morning, I decided to give it a look. 

It opens with a Biblical citation about Joseph of Arimathea giving his tomb to Jesus … Matthew 27: 57-60. 

But over the next two pages, I saw the pattern of “The House That Jack Built” emerge.  Tacky, I thought, especially if this phrase evokes “a badly constructed building”.   And to take such a sacred moment and turn it all singsong?  Hmmm.

But as I read on, it grew on me.  Carol Wedeven has chosen her words and rhymes thoughtfully. And although I’m not very fond of the art, I do like the way each text box has an oval inset at the top that frames a detail image from the larger art on the opposite page.  O.K. It’s not a landmark book, to be sure, but I’d say if I had children I’d include this in the Easter books I’d share with them.  The repetition and rhyme really make the story stick in the brain.  I wouldn’t own a copy probably, but I’d get it from the library once a year, to help them learn this essential story from Christian culture.

The last page is another Biblical citation, Luke 24:6:

“He is not here; He has risen!”

This finally helped me reconcile the association with a badly constructed building… certainly that tomb was not built well enough entomb Jesus!