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The gentle cadence of a nursery rhyme paired with enchanting art are sure to catch the ear and eye of young children in I See the Moon by Kathi Appelt. The familiar opening line -- "I see the moon, and the moon sees me" -- leads into a little girl's dream. Lost at sea in a tiny boat, she is fearful and wonders how to find her way home. Stars, wind, the sun, and a dove miraculously lead her back to shore. Home safe and sound, she has learned that God steered her back. The text is simple yet carries so much meaning, sure to be appreciated by both the grown-up who reads this book aloud, and the listening child will understand God's love always surrounds us.
The accompanying artwork, rich two-page spreads throughout, is gorgeous. Frothy waves, cascading stars, swirling winds, all create a magical, dream-like atmosphere yet retain the realistic outlines children need. Artist Debra Reid Jenkins combines beautifully shaded, deep-toned pastels and gold leaf for a remarkable glowing effect. She renders the faces for the moon and the sun with a serenity and benevolence that aptly convey the comfort of God's constant watch over us.
"Read it again!" will be the response to Whose Eyes Are These? by Elizabeth Burman Patterson. Irresistible rhyming riddles and art with a unique perspective on animals will have children anywhere from two to six giggling with delight as they identify each of 13 animals portrayed. The extra fun surprise ending is a mirror panel for the last rhyme:
Whose Eyes Are These? is truly an interactive book, engaging the senses, the imagination, the intellect -- and tickling the fancy, too. Adults and children will enjoy this together again and again.
Max Lucado's allegorical tale, You Are Special, is a story both whimsical and profound that children as young as three can take to heart. The Wemmicks are small wooden people who go about their village, giving each other stickers -- gold-star stickers for the pretty, clever Wemmicks and gray-dot stickers for the unattractive, clumsy Wemmicks. Punchinello is a Wemmick covered with gray-dot stickers and pretty glum about it. His life is changed when he meets a Wemmick who refuses to wear the stickers and introduces Punchinello to Eli, the woodcarver who created all the Wemmicks.
Eli's patient love and caring impart a new perspective on life to Punchinello, and he determines to spend time with Eli every day.
Lucado's choice of stickers in his metaphor is brilliant, since these are the coin of the realm among the young set. God loves us always -- whether we rack up points in the worldly scheme of things or not.
Illustrations by Sergio Martinez impart a quaint old-world feel to You Are Special with slightly goofy Wemmicks busily going about their self-appointed task of ranking each other. This story originally appeared as a chapter in Lucado's award-winning children's book Tell Me the Secrets.
Jeannie Crawford Lee is a reviewer and mother of two young readers in Nashville, TN.
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