From the Publisher
This touching good night prayer brings the beauty and sincerity of a child's simple wishes to life. The rhyming text, in a young child's narrative, captures the essence of childhood and all that is held near and dear. This book is the perfect way to prepare children for bedtime--inviting them to contemplate their own good night blessings and comforting them as they drift off to sleep.
Publishers Weekly
Previously paired for A Child Was Born, Maccarone and Williams offer an unusually gentle bedtime verse, a sweetly distilled prayer for the very young. The work opens with a view of one pajama-clad child kneeling on a crescent moon to wave at another child, who leans over a star on the facing page; "Bless the moon" appears within the crescent, "Bless the stars" within the star. A series of multiethnic children goes on to bless toys, self and so on, ending with "Bless the children everywhere." God stays unnamed, which allows parents to decide how to adapt the verse to their own spiritual practices and leanings. Another distinctive aspect of this book is the author and artist's embrace of a childlike perspective: the blessing conferred on "the family/ in its house" is depicted in terms of a happy girl looking into a well-populated dollhouse. The warmly lit watercolors are scaled to show children large on the page, creating intimacy and implying the child's sovereignty over his or her small world. And with no more than six words per spread, even youngest members of the target audience will find it easy to commit the verse to memory. Ages 2-6. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Publishers Weekly
Originally published in hardcover as A Child's Good Night Prayer, this gentle title, Bless Me by Grace Maccarone, illus. by San Williams, now appears in board-book format. Spare text follows an array of multiracial children as they bestow blessings on toys, family and the "water, earth, and air." Of the original, PW noted, "God stays unnamed, which allows parents to decide how to adapt the verse to their own spiritual practices and leanings." Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Marilyn Courtot
-
Children's Literature
The original book entitled A Child's Good Night Prayer has been transformed into a board book and also been given a new title. The text is pretty simple with the phrase "Bless the..." repeated on each page as young children name all of the things familiar to their world. It starts out broad with the moon and stars and then closes in on the things found in a kid's room such as a night-light, toys, stuffed animals and a pet. It then moves out of that close world to ask for a blessing of the water, earth and air and finally "Bless the children everywhere!" The sentiment is admirable, and the monotony of the text is relieved by Williams charming illustrations of a variety of kids and the world around them. It will appeal to younger children looking for a gentle way to settle down for the night. 2004 (orig. 2001), Scholastic, Ages 6 mo. to 3.
School Library Journal
PreS-A sweetly rhymed, very simple litany of blessings is asked upon things dear to little ones: the moon and stars; toy cars, trucks, and animals; chairs and table; pet mouse; dollhouse family; pillow, bed, and nightlight; myself from head to toe; water, earth, and air (as seen at the beach); and children everywhere. Softly colored, cartoon-style, double-page illustrations show winsome, sturdy, multiethnic boys and girls enjoying their favorite possessions and experiences. The appealing pictures and gentle rhythm of the words should soothe any preschooler to sleep.-Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A sweet ode of gratitude for the simple pleasures in a child's life. Maccarone's (A Child Was Born, not reviewed, etc.) rhyming verses, containing just a twinkling of humor, enumerate the many things for which little ones can be grateful. The eclectic list begins in a haphazard fashion; each four-line stanza is organized more according to rhyme than category, with the blessings heaped on the night sky and toy cars with equal fervor. Yet, despite this unorthodox coupling, Maccarone gets at the core of a child's universe, the favorite and familiar: the toys, furniture, and all the minutiae adults so easily pass over but are so vital to and loved by children. By the conclusion, the narrators have expanded beyond the limits of their own sphere to include a heartfelt blessing of the wide world. "Bless the water, / earth, and air / Bless the children / everywhere." Williams's (Sleepy Me, p. 590, etc.) softly drawn illustrations reflect the spirit of the poem. Full-bleed paintings in a symphony of sleepy-time hues set the tone for slumber. From mischievous tots whimsically perched atop the moon and stars to a child cuddling with stuffed animals, Williams deftly combines fantastical landscapes with cozy, comforting real-world images. A gentle reminder for youngsters (and adults, too) to be grateful for the small things. (Picture book. 2-6)
loading...