A mixed message/muddle of a parental prayer.
Parents enumerate the traits they pray their child will have in life.
Every parent hopes for the best for their child, but best means different things to different people. For this small, tan-skinned family, success is rooted in God and biblical teachings: “take the narrow road,” “grow righteousness,” “speak the truth in love.” Ardeleanu’s brightly colored, imaginative illustrations round out the at times opaque text; “I pray you’ll give in secret, / but your kindness will be bold” shows wrapped gifts floating down on parachutes from a blimp. But they can’t always illuminate the text. “I pray you’ll sharpen others / (maybe learn to juggle swords?)” shows two children in armor juggling swords, but readers’ takeaway lesson isn’t at all clear. Other messages may be concerning: A page about being brave and not letting fear rule you because God is always near could lead to kids’ thinking it’s OK to take risks since God will always save them. Another page encourages kids to “Sing because God gives you breath, / not to get awards.” Are awards bad? Is pursuing passions wrong? The ABCB rhyming scheme keeps the pages turning, and the children depicted are racially and ethnically diverse, though all have similar body types. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A mixed message/muddle of a parental prayer. (Religious picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0333-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
Stick to separate books about parental love and prayer instead.
This Is Us actor Metz and her partner, songwriter Collins, present a rhyming children’s book about prayer and parental love.
“When I talk to God, guess what I do? / It’s really quite simple: I talk about you.” Fields’ pencil and digital illustrations show different parent-child animal pairs throughout, from bears to otters to skunks, ducks, deer, and more. But from this auspicious beginning, the authors’ point of view and direct address to “you,” the child, makes the majority of the pages seem like affirmations of what they love about their child and not what the parent actually prays for. Adults reading this aloud may see this as a prayer of thanksgiving for their child’s gifts and qualities, but little listeners will not make that connection. In the final pages, the parent tells the child that they can talk to God, too, and that God is always by their side. The last spread states, “You’re my sweetest prayer.” While the individual parts are sweet and affirming of a parent’s love and pride in their child, the sum of those parts isn’t what’s advertised in the title and repetitive refrain “When I talk to God, / I talk about you.” The gentle artwork in soft colors anthropomorphizes the animals’ facial expressions to make their loving relationships clear. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Stick to separate books about parental love and prayer instead. (Religious picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52524-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
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