Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Book Note: The Lord's Prayer for Little Ones by Allia Zobel Nolan; Illustrations by Janet Samuel

Illustrator Janet Samuel uses soft, soothing colors to create a diverse group of children in familiar settings like the beach, the playground,the park and school while author Allia Zobel Nolan presents the Lord's prayer in language a little one can understand in any circumstance in "The Lord's Prayer for Little Ones" (Harvest House, 2011). It's a neat hardcover edition that will also appeal to adults wanting to open up conversations about faith on a level children can understand.

The Lord's prayer is provided, then paraphrased over a two-page illustration. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," for example, is accompanied by the text "Until we get to heaven, we pray that everyone gets along. That means no one makes fun of anyone else. We share toys. And there are no wars. That's the way it is in heaven. we pray that on earth, we will act the same way."

In addition, there are some additional resources, much like those in "The Ten Commandments for Little Ones," on which the author and illustrator also partnered. "Digging Deeper" provides a list of questions and answers about what has been learned, "The Lord's Prayer in Dance" provides another way to enjoy the prayer and "words and Their Meanings" offer some terms key to understanding what the Lord's prayer means.

Nolan's skillfully crafted text allows children to feel as though they are an important part of the story, rather than the targets of a lesson. Samuel's illustrations evoke a feeling of happiness and tell stories themselves with many objects for little readers to discover and question.

You can purchase the book here.
-- Lauren Yarger

Note: Allia also is a Connecticut resident and I know her through the CT Press Club. A review copy was provided by the publisher.

1 comment:

Allia Zobel Nolan said...

Thanks, Lauren, so much for your lovely review. I think explaining the prayer Jesus left us to little ones is important because when they learn it as youngsters, and understand it's meaning,chances are they will say it more often and with all their heart.

Daily Inspiration

The Blind Side

Read about the real life mom from "The Blind Side."

Lifeway: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169816

Guideposts: http://www.guideposts.com/story/sandra-bullock-blind-side-football?page=0,1

Read Matt Mungle's review of the movie at http://www.buddyhollywood.com/.

Lauren Yarger, Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the 2000 Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists.

Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.

In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with a Christian perspective for Reflections in the Light (http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/) and is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection. She also is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com

She also reviews books for Publisher's Weekly and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. She formerly was Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp, a national theater web site bsed in New York and a reviewer for American Theater Web.

She also served as Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

She is a freelance writer and member of the Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The CT Critics Circle.

A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger lives with her husband in West Granby, CT and has two adult children.

Copyright Notice

All contents copyright © Lauren Yarger 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, contact masterworkproductions@yahoo.com.

Scripture from THE MESSAGE Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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