Warren, author of the mega-bestseller The Purpose Driven Life (2002), and Watson join forces for a thoughtful and visually appealing introduction to the Protestant version of the Lord’s Prayer (with forgiveness for debts, not trespasses). Each line of the prayer serves as the text for a double-page spread with an illustration of a child (or several children) relating to that phrase in some imaginative way. For “give us this day our daily bread,” a little boy feeds a flock of birds in a readily obvious choice of illustration, but for “as it is in heaven,” a line of joyous children and animals (including a lion and a lamb) skip along in a procession into a mysterious swath of swirling stars and streaks of sunshine. The illustration for “lead us not into temptation” is inspired, showing the image of a solemn-faced boy in a mirror against a dark background lit by a single candle. The final pages include smaller reproductions of each page with short commentary by Warren to help explain the meaning of each phrase of the prayer. Watson’s light-filled, expressive paintings bring the famous prayer into focus for younger children with greater accessibility than any other currently available edition. Both highly useful and beautiful—an unusual and welcome combination. (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (Picture book/religion. 3-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-310-71086-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
A wondrous, historically grounded Christmas story with vivid images.
This picture book offers a retelling of the Three Wise Men’s journey to visit the newborn Jesus.
Over the Arabian city of Petra, a great star appears in the night sky. The elder Melchior recalls a Jewish prophecy that the star is a harbinger of a great king’s birth. Consulting with his younger peers Balthasar and Casper, Melchior takes this news to Nabatea’s ruler. The king, fearful of insulting the cruel monarch Herod, who apparently has welcomed a new prince, sends the three men to Judea with tributes representing their land’s greatest riches: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And so the Magi begin their journey to greet Jesus, following the “moving star blazing overhead” and finding the newborn king in a small, sparse home. Arroyo’s book seeks to strip the Magi story of the “fictional embellishments” the tale has gained over time, returning the classic Christmas story to a more biblical, historical Bethlehem. These men are not majestic kings from Persia but theologians and star readers bound by the period’s politics. Le Feyer’s Magi are a triumph of representation, a far cry from the usual bland Nativity scenes, pulling beautiful, accurate features and diverse skin tones from the cultural melting pot of Nabatea and Judea. The illustrator makes heavy use of shadows, but the pictures never seem cold or dark. Light, be it from a candle, a star, or the divine, brightens and inspires with the awe of the season.
A wondrous, historically grounded Christmas story with vivid images.Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 9781644136201
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Girls will hear the answer to the titular question.
Teaching our daughters how to love themselves is the first step toward the next generation’s owning its power.
It’s heady stuff for a picture book, but it’s never too soon for a woman—even a little woman—to know her worth. Denhollander (the first of sex offender Larry Nassar’s abuse victims to speak out) presents a poetic discourse that resonates beyond its young intended audience. Her simple rhyming couplets speak to the power of image and the messages that shape how we become who we are. The eloquence comes not from the words or phrasing as much as the message as well as the passion. Denhollander, an attorney, a mother, and a former gymnast–turned-coach for a time, delivers stanzas infused with sweet sentimentality as well as fiery fierceness. New artist Huff provides lovely, expressive illustrations depicting girls of many racial presentations in various stages of self-discovery and acceptance. The figures are smiling and cartoonlike, with oversized, round heads and sturdy bodies—though none could be called fat, none exhibits twiglike proportions. Denhollander’s book is unapologetically Christian in approach, with more than one reference to “Him” or a creation by a greater power. With sincerity helping to mitigate occasionally artless text, this is a worthwhile message for young girls who, in an age of shrinking women’s rights, need all the encouragement possible to find their voices and love themselves.
Girls will hear the answer to the titular question. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4964-4168-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tyndale House
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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