Cotner, June, ed. AMAZING GRACES: PRAYERS
AND POEMS FOR CHILDREN.
New York: HarperCollins, 2001. 60p.
0-688-15566-9; hb., $12.95. 0-688-15567-7;
lib.bdg., $12.89. 99-029158 PreS-Gr.
3 242.8
Poems are divided into chapters for morning, mealtime,
bedtime, and anytime. The index, arranged by titles includes authors
within the entry. Poets come from a wide range of backgrounds and times:
L’Engle, Emerson, Farjeon, Browning, Nash, Cummings, Schweitzer, Merriam,
Grimes, several unknown, and numerous lesser known poets are included.
Birth and death years are given for the poets. Children are sprinkled
throughout the book in the illustrations.
Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, Michigan
French, Fiona, Illus. EASTER: WITH WORDS FROM THE KING JAMES
BIBLE.
New York: HarperCollins, 2002. 32p. 0-06-623929-X
hb. $15.95 Gr. K-3 226.052036
This title is a companion book to French's BETHLEHEM
(Harper, 2001) about the birth of Christ. Like that title, the illustrations
in this one are inspired by stained glass church windows. French has edited
the text from the authorized version of the King James BIBLE. The book
begins with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Psalm Sunday, then moves on to
the last supper, the betrayal, the trial, wearing a crown of thorns, carrying
the cross to Golgotha, the crucifixion, burial, resurrection, visiting the
disciples eight days later, visiting the fisherman at sea, and ends with
the ascension into heaven. This book is great for personal giving,
church libraries, and public library collections.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
Griffith, Linda Hill, ed. BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS FOR LITTLE BEARS.
Illus by L. Griffith.
New York: HarperColliins,
2002. 32p. 0-06-623689-4 hb. $15.95. PreS-Gr.1
j242.82
The thirteen short prayers are illustrated with full-page
colorful illustrations that feature a bear family and create a “warm fuzzy”
feeling. Some of the prayers are unknown blessings, but some contain
well known first lines: “All things bright and beautiful,” “Thank you
for the world so sweet,” and “He prayeth best, who loveth best,” and
“Now I lay me down to sleep.” The latter has been changed so that the
third line and fourth lines are not “If I should die before I wake,/ I pray
the Lord my soul to take” to the less frightening “Thy love be with me through
the night,/And keep me safe till morning light.” Six of the prayers
are by unknown authors while some are by people of stature such as Emerson
and Coleridge. This will make a handsome gift as well as be suitable
for public library collections.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
High, Linda Oatman. A HUMBLE LIFE: PLAIN POEMS.
Illus by Bill Farnsworth.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. 40p. 0-8026-5207-6;
hb., $17.00 Gr. 2-7 811.54
The 17 poems are about the Amish and Mennonite communities
in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. All of them, especially "Barn Raising
Day," can be used with Yolen's RAISING YODER'S BARN (Little, 1998).
Some of the poems like "Come Spring," "Muggy Summer Nights," "Thanksgiving
Dinner," "Pumpkins and Mums." and "When the Pond Freezes Solid" can be read
aloud during the appropriate seasons with no connection to the plain people.
The muted oil paintings are a perfect complement for the text. This
poetry book adds diversity to poetry collections.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI 49855
Hildebrandt, Ziporah. THIS IS OUR SEDER. Illus. by
Robin Roraback. New York:
Holiday House, 1999. unp. 0-8234-1436-1,
hb.; $15.95 Gr. K-2 296.4
This book has minimal text and busy pictures. The
author leads us through a Seder meal without telling us why the family is
dipping greens or telling a story after dinner. If a child is already
familiar with the Seder tradition, that child will enjoy the book. Other
readers will understand the elements of the meal, but not know why the elements
are important. An explanation of Passover and the Seder meal can be
found on the very last page for parents or teachers to use for background
information.
Lynette Suckow, Peter White Public Library, Marquette,
MI
Margaret Hodges. MOSES.
Illus. by Barry Moser. Orlando,
Fla: Harcourt, Inc., 2007.
ISBN-10: 0152009469 hb. $16.00
Gr. K-6 j222.1095
The significant events of Moses’ life are played out in a
child-friendly way in Hodge’s new book. Starting
out as an infant traveling down in the Nile in a basket to delivering the Ten
Commandments on Mount Sinai, Moses is shown as a humble servant of God and
leader of the Jewish people. Cream-colored
pages with and beautifully bordered watercolors bring visual reminders of the
many trials that the Jewish people faced in Moses’ time and beyond.
A list of the Ten Commandments brings a proper conclusion to the book. Recommended for all ages.
Amy Becker, Technical Services, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI
Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. CELEBRATING RAMADAN. Photos by
Lawrence Migdale.
New York: Holiday, 2001. 32P. 0-8234-1581-3;
hb., $16.95 297.62
Like the many other photo-essays including CELEBRATING
KWANZA (Holiday, 1993), CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR (Holiday,
1998), LAS POSADAS (Holiday, 1999), CELEBRATING PASSOVER (Holiday,
2000), Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale have created a memorable and informative
book about ethnic Americans. In this new title, they follow Ibraheem,
a fourth grader who lives near Princeton, New Jersey, and his family for
the month of fasting to celebrate Ramadan, a 1400 year-old celebration.
Ibraheem is one of 5 million American Muslims who celebrate the time when
the Prophet Muhmmad received the Qur’an (Koran), the sacred book of
Islam in a revelation. The family fasts to show obedience to Allah
as well as to experience what it is to be poor. During this time, Muslims
end disputes, ask forgiveness, and are kind to everyone. The
photos and maps are clear and of the quality one might expect in books by
this pair. Information is provided through text, sidebars, and photos.
Some sidebars include: The five pillars of Islam, the five daily prayers,
the Islamic calendar, and the call to prayer. A glossary and a recipe
for Ghorayyibah, cookies, are included. Because the Muslim calendar
is based on a lunar year of 354 days, there is no season for this holiday.
The celebration that ends Ramadan concludes the book. This is an important
ethnic book, especially in these times when we are trying to understand Americans
of Middle Eastern descent.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
Knoulton, Laurie Lazzaro. GOD BE IN MY HEART! POEMS AND
PRAYERS
FOR CHILDREN. Illus. by the author.
Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills, 1999. 32p.
1-56397-646-3., $9.95
98-71793 PreS-Gr. 3
291.4
Fabric collages illustrate eleven short prayers
by Knowlton, unknown poets, Psalms, and The French Book of Hours.
Knowlton's peace poem is especially good: "Dear Lord./Tonight/I pray for
peace with all my might/That kids across the world unite/and teach our parents
not to fight." This collection would be more suitable for public libraries
than public school libraries. Purchase as needed.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
Maccarone, Grace. A CHILD'S GOOD NIGHT PRAYER. Illus. Sam Williams.
New York: Scholastic, 2001. 32p.
0-439-23505-; hb. $10.95 PreS-K 291.4
This bedtime book begins with "Bless the moon/Bless
the Stars" and ends with "Bless the children everywhere." In between
those blessings, the child blesses the night-light, trucks, bears, family,
pillows, water, earth, air and eight other items. This nondenominational
book makes a good evening read-aloud.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI 49855
Pinkney, Jerry. NOAH'S ARK. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
New York: SeaStar Books,
2002. 40p. 1-58717-201-1
hb. $15.95 Gr.K-3. j222.11
This is a retelling of a classic parable from the Old
Testament of the great flood. The various levels of the story speak
in a secular manner to man's inherent responsibility for the earth and all
of its creatures. The illustrations are truly magnificent; meticulously
detailed, very expressive drawings of pencil, colored pencil and watercolor.
On a scale of one to four, this is easily a ten. In some manner or another,
the story of the great flood persists across cultural and societal lines.
The words in this telling just flow, as do the illustrations, literally,
from cover to cover. I hesitate to confine the appeal to K-3, as I
firmly believe that the appeal cannot be age-defined. This is A MUST
BUY!
Kay T. Elzinga, Member, Superiorland Board of Directors
Staub, Leslie. BLESS THIS HOUSE: A BEDTIME PRAYER FOR THE WORLD.
San Diego: Harcourt, 2000.
32p. 0-15-201984-7; hb. $16.00. reS-Gr. 2 j 242.82
The oil on gessoed paper illustrations show a unixex
child in blue pajamas with yellow animal slippers in a bedroom. The
child blesses, in rhyme, the room, moon, parents, pillow, and creatures that
live outside. The animals are named by noises, "quackers and howlers...crowers
and yowlers" by locations, and by attributes. Children will enjoy
identifying the animals. "Bless us with kisses and plenty
of hugs" shows the child enfolded by parents opposite a page showing children
of many races "Bless every last one of us--even the bugs." Using a
red bedspread as the cape the child, cat, and stuffed animal fly around the
world. The last page shows the child in bed with a cat and stuffed
animal. This is a satisfactory bedtime book with a theme that can be
read by children of all faiths.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
Tilton, Rafael. MOTHER TERESA. Illus. by Photos.
The Importance Of series. San Diego: Lucent,
2000. 128p. 1-56006-565-6;
lib.bdg., $23.70 99-35395 Gr. 6-9 j
271.97
This book covers the subject from birth to death and
includes information about the Balkan wars and World War I. An added
bonus is historical information on the area where Agnes was born in modern
day Macedonia; her parents lived in Prizren, the capital of Kosovo,
Serbia. The first part of the book can be used for information about the
Balkans and Kosovo where Agnes Bojaxhiu grew up. Phonetic spelling
for her birth name is useful.
Valuable additions to the book are a time line, notes by chapter,
for further reading, works consulted, and an index. There are black
and white photos on almost every page as well as numerous sidebars and
maps to add interest. Numerous quotes from biographies of Mother Theresa are
included. Readers learn about the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa's
work with lepers, her work in India, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ethiopia,
her awards especially the Nobel Prize, her relationship with Princess Diana,
and her role as Peacemaker. The book ends with her funeral, successor, and
legacy. This is a comprehensive, well documented, worthwhile addition
to middle, high school, and public libraries.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
Zalben, Jane Breskin, comp. LET
THERE BE LIGHT: POEMS AND PRAYERS
FOR REPAIRING THE WORLD.
Illus by Zalben. New York: Dutton, 2002.
unp.
ISBN 0-525-46995-8; hb., $15.99
Gr. 1-5+ j242.2
Collages illustrate sayings from the great religions and
philosophers starting with “In the Beginning…” from Genesis.
Other sources include: The
Koran and The Desiderata. Some
cultures represented are: Jewish,
Eskimo, and the Shona of Zimbabwe. Famous
religious leaders include: Lao-Tzu,
The Buddah, Jesus, David the Psalmist, St. Francis of Assisi, The Dali Lama, and
Gandhi. This is for public
libraries who want to strengthen their multicultural and world religion section
in children’s collections, although this book will probably be checked out
more by adults than by children.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
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These 26 readings about gods and heroes help students
understand Greek mythology while improving their reading and performance
skills. Each reading has a paragraph about the character, presentation
and delivery suggestions, and lists of characters and props. The readings
include one or more narrators who provide background information about the
situation. It is amazing how much mythological information is packed
into the readings without being heavy handed. Book, video, and
web site bibliographies and extensive pronunciation guide are useful.
Purchase where mythology is studied or where dramatic readings are needed.
Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
Dixon-Kennedy, Mike. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRECO-ROMAN MYTHOLOGY.
Denver, CO: ABC-CLIO, 1998. 370p.
1-57607-094-8 lib.bdg. $65.00
Gr. 6-12 j292.1
The over 1,4000 entries are arranged in alphabetical
order and see also references at the end of each article provide added access.
Variant names and spellings are given for each name if needed. After
the name of each entry, the origin is given (Greek, Roman, or Greco-Roman).
If there is more than one origin for a myth, all are given.
Dixon-Kennedy’s sources are two volumes of Robert Graves’ THE GREEK MYTHS,
Homer’s ODYSSEY and ILIAD, and Virgil’s AENEID.
Helpful appendixes include chronologies for Ancient Greece and Rome and a
list of Emperors. There is also an extensive bibliography.
In the index, Dixon-Kennedy puts the main entry pages in bold numbers to
save time for readers in a hurry. This is an excellent book for public
and school library reference collections, especially in schools where classical
mythology is part of the curriculum.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
Marzollo, Jean. LET’S GO PEGASUS. New York: Little & Brown Co., 2006. 28p. ISBN 0316741361 hb. $12.99 Gr. 1 –5. j292.13
Marzollo presents a retelling of the Pegasus myth with bright watercolor illustrations. Pegasus is sent off to kill the Gorgon, Medusa, by an evil king who hopes that Pegasus will end up dead. However, Pegasus is aided by the Greek gods and defeats Medusa. A row of owls is cleverly illustrated across the bottom of the page to discuss, explain, and ask questions about the text, acting in a similar way to a Greek chorus. LET’S GO PEGASUS is a staple in the area of mythology and is recommended reading. Eric Smith, Ontonagon Township Library, Ontonagon, MI
Wilkinson, Philip. ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF MYTHOLOGY:
HEROES,
HEROINES, GODS, AND GODESSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
Illus with
photos. New York: DK, 1998. 128p. 0-7894-3413-X,
hb. $24.95. 98-22992 Gr. 5+ 291.1
The first chapter focuses on common elements found
in all mythologies. The rest of the book is arranged by nine geographical
regions. Although classical mythology receives more coverage, the
book is important because it covers mythologies not often found in other
sources; i.e., Inuit, Mesopotamia,, Hindu, China, Japan, Slav, Pacific
Islands, and several Native Americans tribes. The photos come
from museums around the world and are placed next to the appropriate text.
Schools who teach Spanish will want the book because the pages devoted to
the Maya, Aztec, and Inca. The section on Finnish mythology
is the capstone that makes this book an essential purchase for U.P.
libraries. Although this book should be in the reference collection,
it needs to be circulated. Unfortunately most small libraries can't
afford to own two copies but larger libraries might consider purchasing two.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
