While children’s situations won’t always match those presented here, the author has provided a model for how to talk with...
Christian prayers in everyday language address the common fears, hopes, and worries of children.
As young children turn to their parents for help and solace, so too do many turn to God in times of trouble and in gratitude. But what language to use? Does praying help? Steinkühler’s collection addresses those questions by pairing concerns of children—fear of the dark, a grandparent’s death, moving, loneliness, sickness, jealousy—with passages from the Bible. When a lost pet is found, the prayer is like that of the prodigal son’s father. Sibling rivalry? Pray like Mary’s sister Martha or Joseph’s brothers. But the audience for this is difficult to pin down. Much of the language and issues are aimed at older children than those who are afraid of thunderstorms or desperately want a pet: “Wise King, Bright Light, / I ask for forgiveness.” And several are less prayers than one-sided conversations with God: “You’ll look the other way, won’t you? / When I do this one small thing?... / Even though I know it’s not right.” The vignette and full-page illustrations vary among biblical scenes and symbolism and more modern ones. The people’s faces are expressive though not especially diverse. A table of contents arranged by topic and a list of the referenced Bible verses in the back help readers address specific matters.
While children’s situations won’t always match those presented here, the author has provided a model for how to talk with God. (Picture book/religion. 5-10)Pub Date: March 26, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5493-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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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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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