Still, this is sure to help parents explain to children that God knows their prayers, needs, and hopes before they even have...
Roark explains prayer in a basic way to the youngest children.
For soap bubbles, there is nothing more fun than popping. But Billy Bubble can’t pop until he’s delivered a little white, green-eyed girl’s prayer to God in heaven. Though he grows increasingly tired and scared, he is very careful to avoid all the obstacles on his way skyward: leaves, a crow, an airplane, and everyone’s subtle peer pressure in the form of the book’s refrain, “SPLURT! SPLAT! PLOP! / Hey little bubble, / it’s time to POP!” Finally, Billy hears the voice of God telling him that he’s been brave. “I’m here with you…and with the green-eyed little girl. I knew her prayer before she whispered it….I always hear my children.” God thanks Billy and gives him a message for the girl. Billy floats back down and pops on God’s command. The girl hears “a whisper on the wind— / ‘I heard you. / I love you. / It will be okay.’ ” The tale ends with a prayer journal for readers to record prayer requests and answered prayers. Billy’s face is expressive, and the earnest bubble takes his missions very seriously. Little readers may find themselves wondering what the girl’s prayer was, a question that’s never answered.
Still, this is sure to help parents explain to children that God knows their prayers, needs, and hopes before they even have the words for them. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9986243-0-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Lamb Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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
In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable
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)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4162-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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