Monday, June 18, 2007

My First Book of Prayers

My First Book of Prayers, illustrated by Stephanie McFetridge Britt, is a good introduction to praying. Nine prayers are included in this board book, many no more than one paragraph; longer prayers are broken down into digestible segments. These are primarily prayers of thanks written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abbie Burr, Herbert Stoneley, and anonymous authors. Some are delightfully simple:

"Thank you for the fish that swim;
I really like to look at them.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you Lord for everything."

While others show a little more depth, asking God to keep the child in his care, guide the child through the day, and help the child to stay "sweet and true." Some are familiar:

"I see the moon
And the moon sees me.
God bless the moon
And God bless me."

And:

"Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Watch over me throughout the night
And bring me safe to morning light."

While others may not be:

"Lord, teach a little child to pray,
And, oh, accept my prayer;
I know You hear the words I say;
For You are everywhere."

What I Like: The text is very simple and therefore suitable for helping small children come up with ideas for their own prayers. I like that these prayers aren't all about asking for things; there's a lot of praise going on, too. The illustrations show children of a variety of ethnic backgrounds praying and playing, and while they are nothing spectacular, they are appealing.

What I Dislike: It might have been nice to have one or two prayers that dealt with asking the Lord to forgive sin, or that dealt with difficulties in life.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: Infant - preschool.

Publishing Info: Candy Cane Press, 2001; ISBN: 0824941969 ; board book, $6.95.

Buy Now at Amazon for $6.95.

1 comment:

Bellamama said...

I think the book meant to leave out a specific religion and that is why there is nothing about sin. I was actually surprised to find this book listed on a Christian site because I was just sharing it with a non-denominational crowd. I specifically search for books that leave out Christianity because I am not a Christian myself. I am not attacking a religion or anything. I am just mentioning my beliefs to back up my reasoning for thinking this book meant to remain a specific religion out of the subject.

I'm sure it appeals to more religions that way too. Smart publishing.

Thanks for posting your review!