A WORLD OF PRAISE

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.