This new edition commemorates the diamond anniversary of the award-winning modern classic's original publication.

Prayer for a Child: Diamond Anniversary Edition

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This is a prayer written for one little girl, but it is a prayer for boys and girls all over the world. It is full of the intimate gentleness for familiar things, the love of friends and family, and the kindly protection of God. It carries a universal appeal for all ages and races, and brings to our hearts and minds the deep responsibility of preserving for all times the faith and hopes of little children.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Celebrating its initial publication 60 years ago, the Caldecott Medal-winning Prayer for a Child: Diamond Anniversary Edition by Rachel Field, illus. by Elizabeth Orton Jones, reappears in a paper-over-board format. The complete prayer, written in rhymed couplets, appears on the first page; then a few lines per page accompany serene illustrations of a girl in tender moments-stargazing out a window or smiling up at her parents. "Bless the lamplight, bless the fire/ Bless the hands that never tire/ In their loving care of me/ Bless my friends and family." This lovely book lends itself to nightly repetition (a reference to Jesus tags it for a Christian audience). Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sue Stefurak

Originally published in 1944, this Caldecott medal winner's diamond anniversary edition is still a treasure. In the poem by Rachel Field, the sweetness and innocence of childhood is evoked. The poem speaks of blessing the milk, the bread, my friends and family. The perils of World War II are pushed back as she prays: "wrapped in sweet security through the darkness, through the night, let no danger come to fright." Elizabeth Orton Jones' illustrations use mellow tones and soft strokes to capture some quiet moments in a child's life, gazing at the stars, holding onto her "little painted chair," sitting by the fire, reading. The close-up technique used in some of the illustrations draws our attention to the little blonde's adoring eyes, or her mother's "loving care" as she buttons her daughter's dress. The final illustration of children from over fifty cultures around the world mirrors our present day sentiments of keeping all children "safe and free from fear." 2004 (orig. 1944), Simon and Schuster, Ages 4 up.