About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

In this small gem, childlike prayers and paintings for each day of the week illuminate an understanding of God as one who nurtures, teaches, protects, comforts and blesses children and their loved ones. The Newbery-winning author fashions simple rhymed verse that young readers may easily commit to memory: "Monday make me good and kind/ to all creatures that I find./ Help me love God's whole creation./ Make my life a celebration." As in other works Rylant has illustrated (Dog Heaven), the paintings here resemble children's artwork. Each is idealized: the girl petting the bunny under the apple tree, the boy flying his kite with his dog. Rylant's poignant renditions, with their warm, crayon-box colors, present a world safe for exploring, for pondering and for praying. Her work offers both a model for how to pray to God, and the assurance that God's love and grace provide the foundation on which all prayers begin. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

PreS-Gr 1-Similar to Rylant's Bless Us All: A Child's Yearbook of Blessings (S & S, 1998), this vibrantly illustrated, appealing book contains one rhyming prayer for each day of the week. Each simply written verse has a different focus. "Monday make me/good and kind/to all creatures/that I find." Tuesday's prayer is for faith, caring, wisdom, and sharing. On Wednesday, "Give me gladness,/give me grace./Shine your love/upon my face." Concisely and sweetly, the author expresses a young child's joyous religious faith and outlines rules by which to live one's life. This title is suited for parents and children to share and would also be appropriate for Sunday-school classes to read and discuss. The colorful acrylic paintings, done in a primitive style, echo children's art and provides a perfect match for the innocence of the prayers.-Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.