The Sleeping Bread

David M. Kelly is a teaching assistant at Brock University in St.
Catharines.

It is extremely rare to find a religious fantasy that presents a moral
lesson everyone will appreciate. Happily, The Sleeping Bread definitely
is a member in good standing of this all-too-rare genre.

In the sleepy little village of San Pedro, the not-so-kindly villagers
are horrified to discover that their supply of fresh bread has been cut
off. The bread, essential to the imminent festival of the village’s
patron saint, refuses to rise in protest against their mistreatment of
an elderly beggar. Only when the village experiences a change of heart
and receives the elder with kindness and acceptance does the miraculous
bread dough consent to rise, just in time to save the festival.

Written for younger children (an ideal bedtime story for ages 4-7), The
Sleeping Bread introduces the universal lesson of every individual’s
worth to his or her community. The religious elements are subtle and
positive, suitable for any church affiliation. The language is simple
and direct, with that just-right mixture of sympathy and humor as the
plot progresses smoothly.

Of special note is the quality of Czernecki’s illustrations, a
delightful collection of precisely detailed pictures set in brilliant
vibrating colors. These, along with the comfortably readable text,
reveal much about Latin American society.