In this prayer primer, simple first-person messages of thanks accompany illustrations of multiethnic family gatherings-a beach stroll, dinner, campfire-along with majestic depictions of sun, moon, stars, and the natural world. A judicious use of rhythm and sound characterize Wigger's (Together We Pray) poetry: "Thank you, God, for the rain-drips, plops, and drops-splashing the ground and pooling in puddles." Jago's (Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing) digital paintings, in hues of gold, sea green, and burnt orange, often convey joyful movement (children climbing trees or running in rain), but also quietly observation. One illustration shows a bird in a birdhouse, watched from below by two children; the prayer: "Thank you, God, for home-the floor under my feet and ceiling over my head" seems to come from both bird and child. In another, a spry, pale-skinned girl and an old, cane-bearing man with darker skin walk toward each other against a backdrop of a rising sun, each seeming to pray: "Bless you, God, for this day, for life." An inspiring and accessible introduction to the practice of prayer. Ages 3-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-Created with digital paints and photographic textures, this religious picture book is elegant and enjoyable. An extended family gives thanks to God for their many blessings, including family and friends, food, shelter, the beauty of nature, and love. Told in the form of a prayer, the narrative is comforting and melodic, soothing and uplifting. Each page contains beautiful, full-page, detailed illustrations in muted colors. The font is large and clear, making for easy reading. The diversity is refreshing and reflective of many families, a pleasure to see in children's books. This book would be a great tool for devotions in the home, classroom, or church.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Simplicity made plain and lovely carries a nondenominational prayer of gratitude for all that is.Jagos images, rendered in digital paints and photographic textures, are striking and occasionally startling: Layers of color combine with multiple swirling lines, waves and textures to create very clear images of adults, children, animals and the natural world. The words are not flashy, eschewing sentimentality and didacticism. A childs voice expresses thanks for family, for home, for food, for new words I learned today, / / for songs sung, / and for love whispered. There is gratitude for the whole world, as well as its plants and animals, rain and sky, night and light. The human figures may represent one family or all families, as they gather around a table or at the seashore, with differing skin tones and hair textures and a variety of ages, from babies in arms to elders using canes.God is not defined or delimited in any way, so that any believer might find a way to prayer in these words. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* This book of gratitude opens with an interracial family awakening against the beams of a rising sun. As they proceed through their day, they have much to be thankful for, and each two-page spread begins with the words Thank you, God. Family, friends, shared meals, and shared stories are just a few of the everyday familiars with which readers will identify. But some of the spreads artistically recreate the natural world, and these pictures, rendered in digital paints and photographic textures, make an especially strong impression and capture the wonder of the universe. The thoughtful text is both poetic and child-friendly: Thank you, God, / for the rain drips, plops, and drops / splashing the ground and pooling puddles / watering the land, turning dirt into gardens. The final spread of a red-haired girl and her elderly African American grandfather making their way toward each other as the sun sets is a fitting conclusion that encapsulates the joyful themes of the book.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2014 Booklist