(4) K-3 Illustrated by Carolyn Digby Conahan. Each of ten rhyming prayers is matched with a Bible verse and a lively, cartoony illustration, as of a family together or children at play, that reinforces the poem's theme. Apparently meant to be read in two voices, each poem has a for-kids refrain--"God smiles at me" or "God believes in me"--that occurs at regular intervals. Although collectively repetitive, the poems individually have an easy, light touch.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. In this ebullient adaptation of Psalm 104, the natural world created by God is celebrated at a child's level. The author's interpretation of the Psalm captures its joy if not its depths or shadows; the somewhat faded watercolor illustrations aptly depict flora and fauna but are less successful with the dimensions of the human figure.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. This "contemporary hymn" lists things that will "sing to the Lord a new song": "Classrooms and labs, loud boiling test tubes...." The Sendak-inspired, crosshatched illustrations show a Mickey-esque boy in top hat and union suit cavorting through humorously drawn settings. Neither text nor art shows narrative progression, but the visual details will attract readers to this pleasantly pious work. A musical score is included.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. The familiar hymn that joyfully celebrates details of nature and daily life has been set as a play performed by a child and several animals. The pen drawings with watercolor wash are skillfully rendered and owe a lot to Sendak. But the facial expressions are often grave and a bit world-weary, even when the subject is smiling--an odd treatment for such an innocently uplifting text. The music appears on the last page.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(3) K-3 Peter is directed to entertain his younger brother every Sunday, but this is no small task because they are not allowed to play on the Sabbath. After praying about the problem, Peter makes a toy ark with which the brothers are permitted to play. The formal relationship between the brothers--and between the father and his sons--is clearly reflective of the Victorian era the pictures portray, but there is genuine warmth here as well.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.