Sun Moon Star

By Kurt Vonnegut and Ivan Chermayeff

The only children’s book by the author of Slaughterhouse-Five “spins the Nativity tale in a cerebral, humanist direction” (The New York Times Book Review).
 
Sun Moon Star is the story of the birth of Jesus—as told by Kurt Vonnegut. This children’s book takes the newborn Jesus’ perspective, offering beautiful and insightful descriptions of the world from someone newly born into it. In this book, we follow Jesus and meet the people most important to his life—presented in new and surprising ways. A powerful departure from Vonnegut’s more adult work, Sun Moon Star gives readers a rare glimpse of the writer’s talent in a format that’s unique and unexpected. This book’s well-crafted simplicity is sure to make it a favorite—with both children and adult readers who are Vonnegut fans.
 
“Vonnegut tells the story of the Nativity in his own original style that’s both delightful and charming. Complete with illustrations, this is a read suitable for both children and adults alike.”—The Bookbag, UK
 
“It’s Vonnegut’s descriptions of the sheer newness of human experience (the child’s ‘fourth dream was simply green. It had never seen/ green/ before’) that make this an intriguing and memorable perspective on the Incarnation.”—Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9780795335525

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was a master of contemporary American Literature. His black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination first captured America's attention in The Siren's of Titan in 1959 and established him as ""a true artist"" with Cat's Cradle in 1963. He was, as Graham Greene has declared, ""one of the best living American writers.""

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Reviews for Sun Moon Star

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Celebrated adult novelist Kurt Vonnegut turns to the story of the Nativity in this single children's story in his body of work, chronicling the experiences of the Creator of the Universe on the first day of its existence as a human being. Although Vonnegut never uses the names Jesus or Christ, he does use the names Joseph and Mary, and sets his story in the traditional stable, making it absolutely clear which narrative he is seeking to tell.An extended meditation on the changing perceptions of the Creator, now that it is in human form, and must rely on the limited eyes of a newborn baby, Sun Moon Star was originally published in 1980, was out of print for many years, and then was reprinted in this new edition by Seven Stories Press in 2016. I am amused to see that some online reviews have criticized Ivan Chermayeff's illustrations, finding them ill-suited to Vonnegut's story, as the story was originally written by Vonnegut as a response to the artwork, which came first. Obviously, Vonnegut thought that this was just the story to pair with these visuals! Leaving that aside, I found the story itself quite thought-provoking, and really enjoyed this non-traditional take on the idea of a divine being coming into the world as a mortal one. Recommended to Kurt Vonnegut fans, and to anyone looking for a different take on the Nativity story.

[basvat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The christmas story told in a very special way

[rybie2 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

what a disappointment. A waste of time to read, and of money to purchase. There's no sign of Vonnegut in this book, despite the claim that he wrote the prose. Fans of KV ought not waste their time with this xmas turkey.