Stellar illustrations uplift this thankfulness prayer.
Lock pens a hymn of praise in thanksgiving for all the Lord has provided.
From the morning breeze to the harvest that feeds us, our homes to our friends, Lock lists the many things we have to be thankful for, also sprinkling in the responsibilities that come with those gifts: “We thank you for the countryside— / help us to care for plants and animals.” “May we share your riches with one another.” And she asks for further blessings of peace, safety, and joy and offers recognition of God’s presence in everything around us. The verses vary widely in terms of accessibility, lyricism, and stiltedness: “Oh, the sway of the ripening wheat!”; “With friends, with family, / you shine love within.” Paradoxically, this last is illustrated by boxing bunnies. Verses from Psalms start and end the book. Cann’s watercolor, collage, and colored pencil art is the real star, combining naturalistic flora and fauna in spot and double-page-spread illustrations representing each country/region highlighted. For Greenland, readers see a seaside community of houses connected by paths through deep snow from the viewpoint of geese flying overhead, while Japan’s illustration includes a gingko tree, a pagoda, and an arched bridge. From the first spread of a sunrise to the closing one of a tan-skinned child asleep, the illustrations subtly move through both a full day and the seasons of the year. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Stellar illustrations uplift this thankfulness prayer. (thumbnails of countries represented) (Religious picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5595-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here.
Kids teach a valuable lesson about community spirit.
A city block is ablaze with red and green lights for Christmas; one house glows blue and white for Hanukkah. This is where Isaac, a Jewish boy, lives, across the street from best friend Teresa, excitedly preparing for Christmas. They love lighting up their homes in holiday colors. After an antisemitic bigot smashes a window in Isaac’s house, Isaac relights the menorah the next night, knowing if his family doesn’t, it means hiding their Jewishness, which doesn’t “feel right.” Artistic Teresa supports Isaac by drawing a menorah, inscribed to her friend, and placing the picture in her window. What occurs subsequently is a remarkable demonstration of community solidarity for Isaac and his family from everyone, including the media. Galvanized into defiant action against hate, thousands of townspeople display menorahs in windows in residences and public buildings. This quiet, uplifting tale is inspired by an incident that occurred in Billings, Montana, in 1993. Readers will feel heartened at children’s power to influence others to stand up for justice and defeat vile prejudice. The colorful illustrations, rendered digitally with brushes of the artist’s devising, resemble scratch art. Isaac and Teresa are White, and there is some racial diversity among the townspeople; one child is depicted in a wheelchair. An author’s note provides information about the actual event.
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64614-087-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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BOOK REVIEW
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A visually pleasing collection with appeal for those families who wish to introduce a universal approach to religious...
This collection of short prayers from different religions around the world is presented with intricate illustrations showing related settings and people.
Over her extensive career, author/illustrator Demi has profiled many individual religious leaders in well-received biographies for children. With this collection, she introduces groups of short, often well-known prayers representative of many of the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Single prayers are included from Taoism, Shintoism, the Lakota people, and the Luba people of central Africa. The illustration for each prayer includes a group of representative humans, such as Buddhist monks and children praying at a Buddhist temple or a group of Jews praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Demi’s highly detailed illustrations with signature touches of gold are intriguing and well-researched, including people of many ethnicities and ages. An introduction from the author details her inclusive view of the common threads that underlie all these different religious traditions as well as her goal of fostering “tolerance and respect” through the combination of her choice of prayers and visual interpretations. Two concluding pages give specific notes on the prayers and on related illustrations.
A visually pleasing collection with appeal for those families who wish to introduce a universal approach to religious education, suitable for the religion section in larger libraries. (Picture book/religion. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-937786-69-4
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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