This thoughtful collection will be useful for Christian families or for teachers in church school classes, best for dipping...
A petite trim size and an inviting cover design in soft aqua invite readers in to peruse this wide-ranging compendium of Christian prayers, meditations and Bible verses.
The collection is divided into thematic sections that organize over 200 selections for easy access. Many are actual prayers, including original compositions by the author as well as familiar short devotions suitable for younger children and well-known pieces by St. Francis. Many short Bible verses appear, including the expected choices, such as Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer. This British import presents quite a few prayers and some poems from the British Isles, but the collection attempts inclusiveness with a prayer from Japan, a meal blessing from Africa (the specific region or culture is not identified) and two Native American prayers, among others. Some of the prayers, especially the original ones, are really for children, while others, such as two selections by Gerald Manley Hopkins, are for more sophisticated readers. There is an index of first lines but none of authors, which can make finding a particular prayer again a challenge.
This thoughtful collection will be useful for Christian families or for teachers in church school classes, best for dipping into over time. (Religion. 9 & up)Pub Date: July 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7459-6347-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Lion/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
Barnard’s brave effort to cram such an immense subject into 40 pages leads to some debatable claims. He opens with a sweeping history of Muslim expansion (“Early Muslims knew they had a lot of catching up to do to equal or surpass the great civilizations that preceded and surrounded them”) and continues generalizing throughout (“Until the twentieth century, most buildings in most cities owed much of their look to Islam”). Single-topic spreads cover the development of Arabic calligraphy and the mass production of paper, revolutions in mathematics and medicine, artistic and architectural motifs, astronomy and navigation, plus the importation of new foodstuffs, ideas (e.g., marching bands, hospitals) and technology to the West. The array of street scenes, portraits, maps, still-lifes and diagrams add visual appeal but sometimes fall into irrelevancy. Labored stylistic tics stale (the Caliph’s pigeon post was “the email of the day,” the astrolabe was “the GPS device of its day,” the translation of Classical texts was “the Human Genome Project of its day”). The author winds down with a discussion of how the dismissive attitude of Renaissance “Petrarchists” led to a general loss of appreciation for Muslim culture and scholarship, then finishes abruptly with a page of adult-level “Further Reading.” Enthusiastic, yes; judicious and well-organized, not so much. (Nonfiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: April 5, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-84072-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
Though the tone refrains (barely) from utter didacticism, the values-driven narrative just misses the goal.
An otherwise unremarkable sports biography hammers home the values of determination and hard work with an unapologetic Christian slant.
NHL forward Mike Fisher's professional and spiritual life reveals the physical and emotional battle scars he suffered on the ice. Each chapter addresses a separate season (even hockey aficionados may be shocked by the numerous times his playoff games resulted in defeat). Portrayed as a near-saint, this charity-supporting, gracious athlete received support from his religious mentors, though not with immunity from grief; the illness and then death of a beloved coach results in a cutting loss. Religious fervor is maintained in quotations and repeated references to Romans 12:12. Bubbly, fast-paced commentary hits on each score, while stats naturally blend within text. Words occasionally repeat in close proximity, disrupting the text's fluidity. Overt enthusiasm for the sport lends it a tone akin to a high-drama broadcast, though statements can veer into ludicrous territory: “Like previous years, the unknowns and distractions make life a lot like balancing on Jell-O in a blizzard at midnight.” Small black-and-white action photographs fail to evoke the rink's aggressive drama. A glossed-over review of the pro's recent marriage to singing sensation Carrie Underwood will disappoint both country-music fans and romantic hopefuls.
Though the tone refrains (barely) from utter didacticism, the values-driven narrative just misses the goal. (Biography. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-310-72540-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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