There comes a time in every book reviewer’s life (I assume) when the book titles trickle in slowly. Sometimes, they arrive in a rush of books so beautiful that I’m left with a full and happy editorial calendar—those are the good days. But sometimes, I’m left trawling through that vague “Religion” section at the library or clicking thumbnails on Amazon almost at random, hoping there’s a new book out by a favorite author or something worth sharing with you.
I’m in that place now: there are a number of new books coming out this spring (by Jennifer Trafton! And Douglas Kaine McKelvey!), but they’re not here yet. And I have a number of books on hold at the library, but I’m not holding them yet. And so I went book-hunting on Amazon and—success!—found The Lord’s Prayer.
I have reviewed a number of Tim Ladwig’s books, and I know by now that his illustrations don’t sit quietly in the background, behaving nicely while the text tells the story. No, they spring from the mind of a storyteller: as the text tells its story in print, Ladwig tells his in pictures, harmonizing with the written word and illuminating the humor, heartbreak, or joy in each sentence.
The Lord’s Prayer is no exception: many of us have heard it recited plenty (our church says it aloud together every Sunday), and so I imagine it’s challenging to find a way to illustrate such familiar words. But by centering his illustrations around a father and daughter who set out to serve an old woman, Ladwig shows how each line of the prayer can be lived out in practice. A whole story unfolds behind Jesus’s words, and it draws them out of the realm of rote repetition and holds them close enough for us to see what it looks like to ask God for “our daily bread,” or to “deliver us from evil.”
This book quickly became a favorite among our girls. We had fun finding details in the illustrations and talking them through together (“What is she doing? Why do you think he did that?”). But Ladwig’s strength, really, lies in his characters’ faces—he gets those expressions just right, and that brings his paintings to life. A gentle look passed between father and daughter, or the grateful smile of an old woman convey as much or maybe more than plain text could.
The Lord’s Prayer
Tim Ladwig (2002)
Christina Johnston Atwood says:
What a beautiful book! I have been so blessed by your reviews. If you’re looking for more titles, I might have some help. The following are some that we have read and loved:
Bible storybooks by Mary Auld, illustrated by Diana Mayo (Joseph and His Brothers, Moses in the Bulrushes, Exodus from Egypt, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, etc.)
Lift the Flap Bible retold by Sally Lloyd Jones, illustrated by Trace Moroney
Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier
The First Seven Days illustrated by Paul Galdone
Poems and Prayers for the Very Young selected and illustrated by Martha Alexander
One Candle by Eve Bunting illustrated by K. Wendy Popp
A Great Miracle Happened There by Karla Kuskin illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
The Christmas Story by Patricia Pingry illustrated by Wendy Edelson
The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
The Story of Easter by Patricia Pingry illustrated by Lorraine Wells
Also, I’ve recently discovered this blog, and have only read one book on this list (I’m particularly intrigued to see the book about Job): https://www.thinkingkidsblog.org/2017/02/15/fabulous-christian-picture-books-children/
We used this lady’s book list for advent, and I’m looking forward to working through her general booklist as well: http://worldstillpoint.blogspot.com/p/resources.html
Finally, I may have mentioned this blog to you before, but you might find some great titles here: https://orangemarmaladebooks.com/
Keep the great reviews coming! God bless you!
February 24, 2017 — 10:29 am
Thea Rosenburg says:
Oh, yay! What a beautiful list! Thank you so much for the recommendations. I’m adding them to my library queue now 🙂
March 4, 2017 — 6:08 am