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THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

Name: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
Author: Dubravka Kolanovic
ISBN: 978-1-58925-569-2

A COLLECTION OF JOYFUL SONGS

illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2014

Still, those willing to overlook these annoyances will find this title acceptable

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Starting with the traditional “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and ending with “Now the Day is Over,” this collection of 10 Christian hymns, songs and prayers is aimed at parents wanting to pass on their faiths.

Each song is paired with cheery drawings of happy children, dancing animals, rainbows and flowers, among other traditional nursery iconography. Printed on board pages with a padded cover, it will hold up to many bedtime readings. Odd editorial choices may bother some readers. “If You're Happy and You Know It” starts with the well-known refrain of the title and then goes to “If you’re happy and you know it, say amen” skipping the better-known and frankly more enjoyable verses—clap your hands, stamp your feet, shout hooray. A song about Noah's ark set to the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again,” while widely available on the Internet, isn't true to the Biblical text. Since Noah only took two of each animal, singing that they went five-by-five or seven-by-seven will rub children the wrong way. Additionally, in a book this sweet, it just seems mean to say, “they turned out the monkey because of his tricks.” Jesus is drawn as a white man with a curly blond beard. Better—and more multicultural—choices are available.

Still, those willing to overlook these annoyances will find this title acceptable . (Board book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-58925-569-2

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THANK YOU GOD, GOOD NIGHT
by Marianne Richmond ; illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic

- BOOK REVIEW
GOD LOVES YOU, LITTLE ONE
by Samantha Sweeney ; illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE RAINDROP
by Joanna Gray ; illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic

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BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME

by Juliet Groom ; illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2016

A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey.

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A cheery child gives thanks to God.

“When I see a rainbow / High up in the sky / I say a little prayer of thanks, / And here’s the reason why: // Because God loves me!” This board book’s focus is the comforting notion that God loves all his children, and no matter what, he will always look out for them. The text follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, breaking after every stanza to repeat the phrase “Because God loves me!” The small, light-skinned child has spiky brown hair and wears a dress; both the child and a chubby accompanying dog are appealingly illustrated with a bright, simple color palette and scratchy lines that appear to have been made with colored pencil. God is the only name given for the deity, implying a primarily Christian audience. The book’s message is clear, and its construction is sturdy, suiting this well to parents who are beginning to have conversations with their little readers regarding their beliefs.

A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-58925-237-0

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
ALWAYS IN MY HEART
by Juliet Groom ; illustrated by Róisín Hahessy

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PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE

by Vivian Kirkfield ; illustrated by Jill Weber ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 12, 2019

In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable

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A mouse searches for and finally finds her missing Seder plate.

Pippa is an industrious house-cleaning mouse. And no wonder—Passover is starting this very evening. Dusting and sweeping finished, she turns her attention to setting the table as a pot of chicken stew bubbles away on the stovetop. But there is one very important object that is missing: the “special Seder plate.” Frantically, the mouse searches through boxes and cupboards and finally ventures into the yard. First she encounters a very large cat and asks if it has seen the plate. “No,” answers the cat and points her to a snake, who sends her to an owl, who directs her to Golda Fish, prettily swimming in the water. Success! Kirkfield’s little tale is written in rhyming couplets with much repetition of “QUIVER! QUAVER! SHIVER! SHAKE!” for emphasis with each interaction with a predator, so readers will be mightily puzzled when the formerly frightful critters join Pippa at the holiday table. Weber’s gouache, crayon, and collage illustrations are sweetly pretty. The final illustration features a Seder plate with transliterated Hebrew and an English translation of the components. Readers familiar with the holiday may find this mildly enjoyable, but others will likely want and need more information.

In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable . (Picture book. 3-5)