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THANK YOU, GOD!

Name: THANK YOU, GOD!
Author: Sophie Allsopp
ISBN: 978-1-4169-4754-7

A YEAR OF BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS FOR LITTLE ONES

by Sophie Allsopp & illustrated by Sophie Allsopp ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2009

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This chronological compendium of 24 short poems, Christian prayers, biblical verses and snippets from familiar, old-fashioned hymns is arranged with a seasonal approach, moving from early spring through the calendar year to the Christmas season. Interspersed throughout the volume in Jolly Postman–fashion are ten small envelopes, each containing an illustrated prayer card with a related Bible verse. The final envelope offers a Christmas card with a blank interior and an invitation to young readers to write an original thank-you prayer. The soft-focus illustrations have a pale prettiness, but the children in the spreads appear pale and washed-out, especially the thin, tow-headed boy who is one of the main characters used to illustrate the verses. One intriguing aspect of Allsopp’s illustration style is the inclusion of photographic elements used as subtle accents within the art: Real wheat stalks, leaves and shells add a welcome dash of spice. Children will enjoy the element of surprise in the cards hidden in the envelopes, but the ephemeral nature of the prayer cards makes this an unsuitable choice for libraries. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4169-4754-7

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Little Simon Inspirations/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2008

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S RELIGION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LION BIBLE TO KEEP FOR EVER
by Lois Rock ; illustrated by Sophie Allsopp

- BOOK REVIEW
A FLOWER IN THE SNOW
by Tracey Corderoy & illustrated by Sophie Allsopp

- BOOK REVIEW
GOODNIGHT, ANGELS
by Melody Carlson & illustrated by Sophie Allsopp

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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THE CRAYONS GO BACK TO SCHOOL

by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2023

Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings.

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The Crayons head back to class in this latest series entry.

Daywalt’s expository text lays out the basics as various Crayons wave goodbye to the beach, choose a first-day outfit, greet old friends, and make new ones. As in previous outings, the perennially droll illustrations and hand-lettered Crayon-speak drive the humor. The ever wrapperless Peach, opining, “What am I going to wear?” surveys three options: top hat and tails, a chef’s toque and apron, and a Santa suit. New friends Chunky Toddler Crayon (who’s missing a bite-sized bit of their blue point) and Husky Toddler Crayon speculate excitedly on their common last name: “I wonder if we’re related!” White Crayon, all but disappearing against the page’s copious white space, sits cross-legged reading a copy of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man. And Yellow and Orange, notable for their previous existential argument about the color of the sun, find agreement in science class: Jupiter, clearly, is yellow AND orange. Everybody’s excited about art class—“Even if they make a mess. Actually…ESPECIALLY if they make a mess!” Here, a spread of crayoned doodles of butterflies, hearts, and stars is followed by one with fulsome scribbles. Fans of previous outings will spot cameos from Glow in the Dark and yellow-caped Esteban (the Crayon formerly known as Pea Green). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings. (Picture book. 4-6)