THIS IS WHAT I PRAY TODAY

The Divine Hours is a popular series of prayer manuals for adults written by Tickle, a well-known religious educator. This addition to her series is aimed at very young children, offering three short, original prayers for each day of the week. An introductory poem explains that the prayers are to be read in the morning, at rest time and at bedtime, although many of the prayers are more general in subject and suitable for any time of day. The prayers are written in a simple, gentle style, often using a structured format with soothing repetitive phrases. The author uses the terms God and Lord (but not Father), and there are no references to Jesus or to any specific religion or religious practices. Warnick’s watercolor illustrations in soft pastels provide a pleasing setting for the prayers, which are inserted in white inset blocks decorated with spot illustrations of animals, plants and toys. A concluding author’s note for adults explains Tickle’s approach to fixed-hour prayer. Her intent is that her collection can be used by families of any religion. (Nonfiction. 2-5)