Poetry

Come Sunday

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 1997. COME SUNDAY. Ill. by Michael Bryant. Wm. B. Eerdmans: Michigan. ISBN: 0802851088.

PLOT SUMMARY:
The poetic free verse in this book begins on Sunday morning, where the main character's mother is waking her up to get ready for church that day. The story is told through the eyes of this character, a young girl, who loves everything about Sundays (with the exception of the blue-haired women at church pinching her cheeks). She loves the balcony and looking down onto the various hats being worn by women in the congregation, the way her mother's gloves look on her hands, and the music. This book takes the reader through LaTasha's baptism, her inner conflict with how much she should give in the offering, Sunday School, and the lunch at church after the service. It ends with her tummy growling (for the second time at church that day) and her father leading her out the door to start another week.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Anyone who attended church regularly as a child can relate to this book. The excitement of seeing what everyone was wearing, the jubilation of getting baptized, and the growling stomach at lunch time are all great connections to which many people will be able to relate. The illustrations are water color, and the development of shadows and lighting is very indicative of the fluorescent church lighting that the reader can envision overhead. The choir robes and clothes worn by parishioners reminds one of a childhood spent in the sanctuary of her own church. LaTasha's anticipation of the meal and her attitude about every event that takes place that day can only be described as sweet and delicate. Her attitude and this book can be summed up by her description of why she keeps an eye open while praying at the altar (which can invoke goose bumps in some readers!). She says she keeps her eyes open in order to "catch a miracle". She describes these miracles as, "the exact second God's Spirit touches" the person to whom the miracle is happening. She doesn't realize that the blessing may just be the fact that she is so dedicated to God's miracles in life.

REVIEW:
ALA Notable Book
California ReadersCalifornia Collection - elementary reading list
"Whatever their religious backgrounds, readers will smile at the jubilation." - Kirkus Reviews
"This is a wonderful book for introducing children to church life." - Publisher's Weekly

CONNECTIONS:
This book would really touch the young readers that have attended church at any point in their lives as text-to-self connections.
Text-to-text Connections:
"Because of Winn Dixie" (the church aspect of the book, the main characters)