AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Midwest Independent Publishers Association, Winner, Children's Picture Book (2004)Booklist, Top Ten Religion Books for Youth (2005)Catholic Library Association, Regina Medal (2006)Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Caldecott Medalist Goble has created a stunning prayer of praise. . . Goble's instantly recognizable illustration style is at its best, from the herd of charging wild horses on the cover to the snowy mountain on the final page."
Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Goble's sweeping vistas . . . show a gorgeous cross-section of God's gifts to the world."
Children's Literature "The author . . . here combines the song of praise to God from creatures and elements of the earth with distinctive watercolor illustrations in his signature style. . . . Many parents and church schools will find this lovely book an asset, both to help children see the relationship of an ancient religious text to our own time and place and to make vivid the timeless world of the Black Hills."
In crisp, evocative watercolors that depict a wide spectrum of nature's beauty, Goble (The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses) creates harmony with lyrics that have their roots in the Book of Daniel as well as The Liturgy of the Hours and The Book of Common Prayer. "O all you works of the Lord, bless you the Lord: praise him, and magnify him forever," begins the text. Subsequent verses, some appearing in fine print, akin to captions, implore all manner of flora and fauna, from dandelions to vultures to moose, to praise the Lord. Goble's sweeping vistas of beasts roaming the mountains and plains, moths in the night skies and scarlet-capped redpoll birds perched on snow-covered tree branches show a gorgeous cross-section of God's gifts to the world. This presentation will surely help young readers develop or bolster an appreciation of Divine handiwork. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
For those familiar with the author's body of work drawing on the legends and natural environment of the Plains Indians, this book may or may not be a surprise. The author-illustrator has taken his text from the Benedicite, a canticle in the Daily Office of the Anglican Church; readers may recognize it from the Book of Common Prayer or as an adaptation of Psalm 148. The author, who has known these words since his school days in England, here combines the song of praise to God from creatures and elements of the earth with distinctive watercolor illustrations in his signature style. The sweeping spreads show avocets, cormorants, and geese; bass, trout, and sunfish; buffalo, moose, and wolves; lightning, snow, and fire, all in praise of creation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Especially effective is the depiction of sandhill cranes soaring above the earth in a vista reminiscent of Winged Migration. To encourage children to create their own verses, local flora and fauna are included in some small-print examples ("O you pine trees, bless you the Lord"). As American Episcopal priests traveled to the Dakotas in the nineteenth century to evangelize and minister to Native Americans, there is a connection not at once suspected. Many parents and church schools will find this lovely book an asset, both to help children see the relationship of an ancient religious text to our own time and place and to make vivid the timeless world of the Black Hills. 2004, Eerdmans, Ages all.
—Barbara L. Talcroft
Gr 1-4-An author's note introduces this story as an adaptation of the song from The Liturgy of the Hours and The Book of Common Prayer. The basis of this text is the song of praise that saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from death in the furnace from the Book of Daniel. Goble includes the familiar verse, in which heavens, angels, sun, moon, and the entire Earth sing songs of praise, and includes animals and plants of America as additional elements that also send out prayers to God. Dandelions, meadowlarks, cranes, vultures, and moths are raised to the level of stars of heaven and winds of God in singing praise. The refrain, "praise him, and magnify him forever," appears after each element sings its praise. Fans of Goble's distinctive style will enjoy examining the detailed illustrations. A white buffalo calf rubs noses with others in his herd, woodpeckers nestle in birches, and great sturgeons swim among sunfishes and trout. Goble also honors the natural world, and the book never becomes didactic or preachy. An attractive, contemporary offering.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Caldecott Medalist Goble has created a stunning prayer of praise with his interpretation of the Benedicite from The Book of Common Prayer. The calming, repetitive text follows the same pattern throughout the work, naming all the forces of nature and many of the creatures and plants of the earth, with the same repeating refrain. ("O you stars of heaven, bless you the Lord: praise him, and magnify him forever.") This same prayer is repeated within many illustrations in smaller type for individual creatures. Goble's instantly recognizable illustration style is at its best, from the herd of charging wild horses on the cover to the snowy mountain on the final page. Several breathtaking spreads show an entire environment: a sky full of birds, an underwater scene with different species of fish, the Great Plains filled with hundreds of buffalo. Notes at the front of the volume indicate the sources and offer a short commentary on the religious significance of the text. (Picture book/nonfiction. 3-10)
