The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord Is My Shepherd, illustated by Anne Wilson, uses Psalms 23 as its text. The text is broken down into sentences, with each segment illustrated in a unique way. The poetic language of the Bible verses lend themselves well to the vibrant, double-page illustrations throughout the book.

What I like: I like the artwork. Its eclectic and impressionist nature grabs your attention right from the start. The first sentence, "The Lord is my shepherd," shows a figure standing in a blue circle, surrounded by circles of various colors and patterns flowing out to the edges of the pages. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastture" is illustrated with a painting of a patchwork of field-like segments, with a group of figures lying in a circle on a patch of green.

What I Dislike: The title suggested, to me, a book of more depth about the 23rd Psalm. I thought it would be either a book about how God "shepherds" us through life, or an annotated explanation of this favorite psalm.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, the book is intended for 4-8-year-olds. That is probably because of the minimal text and abundance of color illustrations. But, I think older children, and adults, would appreciate the book more as they would understand its contents. The younger children, however, would certainly enjoy the bright, kaleidoscope of colors and patterns used to illustrate the text.

Publishing Info: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2003; ISBN: 0802852505; Hardcover, $16.00.

Buy now at Amazon for $12.48.

Special Info: Visit the illustrator's website.