Thank You, God!: A Year of Blessings and Prayers For Little Ones

There is something delightful and irresistible about Thank You, God!: A Year of Blessings and Prayers for Little Ones. The book starts with the New Year, then goes on to spring and Easter, summer, fall and Thanksgiving, winter and Christmas.

Each two page spread in the book is done on heavy stock paper, and features a collection of famous quotes (such as Folliot S. Pierpoint’s “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies…”), lines from favorite hymns (“Joyful, joyful, we adore thee…”), Scripture verses, and poems.

The reader will also discover one or two tiny envelopes on each spread. The envelopes open at the top and hold mini thank you notes written to God in simple and kid-friendly terms. (The first card, for example, says “Thank you, God, for each new year. Thank you for the promise of new beginnings, of new hope, and new life. Amen.”) The very last page of the book holds the biggest envelope… and a surprise. The card is blank! The reader is encouraged to write his own thank you note on it.

The illustrations, done by Sophie Allsopp, are beautiful. The brightly colored scenes are filled with warm tones, friendly animals, and inviting landscapes. Allsopp depicts a variety of ethnic children as they enjoy each season and a few holidays. Each page seems to burst with life. In addition, the book has a padded cover, which gives it a cozy feel.

What I Like: The book is sturdy. And most children will find the envelopes enticing. Although there is no real story, it’s the kind of book that young kids will enjoy for the novelty of it. The concepts in the book are meaty enough that parents could take one two-page spread at a time and use it as a short family devotional centerpiece. Best of all, Amazon has a BARGAIN PRICE on this book. It would make a nice gift book.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: None is given. As a read aloud, younger kids would enjoy it, but it's probably best suited for the grade K-2 crowd.

Publisher Info: Little Simon Inspirations, 2009; ISBN: 141694754X; Hardcover, 16 pgs., $12.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $9.99
OR Buy it at Amazon.com for a BARGAIN PRICE $5.20.

Special Info: Read a CCBR review of another book illustrated by Sophie Allsopp. You can also find a similarly structured book by Allsopp called Dear God: Letters For Little People. This book contains eleven mini envelopes with prayer cards. Another book of prayers by this author is Our Father: And Other Classic Prayers For Children.