Wie is Dit?
By Louis Barnard
Published by: Electric Book Works

So what is this book, that has the privilege of being the first book review to be published in Blaze, really all about? “Wie is Dit?” (meaning “Who is it?” for those of you who don’t speak Afrikaans) is an Afrikaans, illustrated children’s picture book of Bible stories with a quirky, modern twist. Now, since this book is in Afrikaans, I suppose I should really be writing this review in Afrikaans ... maar ek dink dis veileger as ek net met Engels bly (that was a sentence of Afrikaans, if you were wondering...) You can request the Afrikaans version if you would like, but don’t expect it to be very eloquent or long ... LOL

Back to the book... It contains double- page spread illustrations of the following stories- Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, The Tower of Babel, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob’s Dream, Moses and the Burning Bush, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Job, Daniel and the Lion’s den, Jonah and the Whale and Jesus’ Birth. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching, captivating the reader’s attention. Although, the book is aimed at children, it is sure to keep the adults entertained too! All the illustrations have writing in them with Biblical references and explanations of the stories anddifferent aspects of the picture.

Credit to author, Louis Barnard, for coming up with some really authentic ideas- there aren’t too many books you’ll find with Mary getting an ultra-sound scan or Daniel drinking tea with the lions in the den…it is a very unique book, in a class of it’s own altogether. Obviously, those of you who are illiterate in Afrikaans may have a problem with “reading” this book- but you will still be able to enjoy the illustrations and still get the gist of what is being conveyed, so don’t rule it out altogether!

We caught up with Louis Barnard and asked him a couple of questions ...Who can explain the book better than the brain behind it right?
Q: So, you studied Graphic Design at university level and did a Master of Philosophy degree in Visual Arts. It was at university that you thought about this book and the ideology behind why you did it…tell us more about how and why you were inspired to do this illustrated Bible stories with a modern twist?
A: The idea for the book began as a reaction to the traditional Afrikaans Children’s Bibles I grew up with. I grew up in a Christian household. During university, I started questioning the ideological underpinnings found in Religious imagery presented to children. The aim of the book was to alleviate Christian imagery from the preconceived notions of how Biblical characters are represented. 

Q: How would you describe "Wie is Dit?" to people who haven't heard of it?
A: I merely describe it as a “picture book”.

Q: Who do you think this book will appeal to?
A: Hopefully, this book would appeal to people from all religious persuasions, both adults and children alike. So far, the book has had a positive response from less conservative Afrikaans communities. I would like for the book to be translated into English and Xhosa for a wider reading market.  

Q: Do you have any particular favourite illustrations in the book?
A: Yes. Noah and the Ark. That is one of my favourite Bible stories.

Q: Are you planning to do any more books in the future?
A: I have numerous ideas in progress for future books. I just hope that publishers might be keen on them. Ideally, I’d like to work with a writer.

Final words from the reviewer? An entertaining, original idea sure to provide you with a chuckle or two... new, interesting approaches to those Sunday School stories we have all grown to love...