I Can Say a Prayer

Having examples for prayer is the best way to teach a child how to pray. Sophie Piper offers a dozen examples of how to pray and what to pray for in I Can Say a Prayer. These model prayer for children, but also assure them that their prayers are heard by God.

Illustrations by Emily Bolam further emphasize the rhymes and prayer from mini-chapters such as "I can find a quiet place" and "I can kneel down." 

What I Like: The topic of prayer is divided so kids learn where you should pray, how you should pray, things you should pray for, all in rhyming form. The inclusion of scripture, paraphrased and referenced, is a wonderful touch that allows readers to go directly to the Word of God and see what it says.

All of the short poems are varied, so they all have their own rhythm. I found this refreshing, even though I did have to readjust a little when reading aloud. Some of these may be appropriate to teach your child to recite, like this one from the section, "I can share a meal":

"Let us take a moment
To thank God for our food,
For friends around the table
And everything that's good.

Let us say
A thank you prayer
For the food
That's here to share."

The pictures in this are so cute! They're bright and cheery, just the sort of thing to engage young kids.

Also, the format is great because you don't have to read the whole book at once, which is wonderful, if you've got busy kids like mine! While it's not designed to be a bedtime book, reading one or two of the mini-chapters (all of two pages long) would be a nice way to cap off the day.

What I Dislike: Nothing, but see the special info section below.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 2 - 5

Publisher Info: Lion Hudson plc, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-7459-6233-7; Hardback, 30 pgs., $12.99

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Special Info: I would say these are neither good nor bad, but items parents should be aware of. First, the Lord's Prayer at the end of the book is from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, so it may not be a familiar version to all. Second, several scriptures are paraphrased, but they are directly referenced so you and your child can read the original text. Also, Jesus' face is shown at least once; He is shown as a Caucasian.