Big Momma Makes the World

When Big Momma made the world, she didn’t mess around. First, she made the light, and then the dark. It wasn’t easy with a baby on her hip, but it didn’t stop her. On the second day, she made the sky; on the third day, she made the sun to look after the day and the moon to look after the night. After that, she made people, so that she had someone to sit on the front porch with and swap stories. And lastly, when she was ready to rest, she told the people to look after the world she’d created. Because every once in a while, when she was burping the baby, or making cookies, she’d look down at people and tell them to straighten up down there.

This beautiful reimagining of the Christian creation myth places Big Momma as Creator: a rounded, plain speaking woman with a baby, whose warm Big Momma voice speaks the universe into being. Phyllis Root’s no-nonsense, down-home text is full of rich rhythm, chronicling the sensual joy of the world, from the fruit-filled abundance of nature to the baby blue blanket of the soft sky. A truly amazing book to share.