Hear My Prayer - eBook

Lee Bennett Hopkins, one of the nation’s most distinguished poets and anthologists, has written and edited many award-winning books for children and young adults, as well as professional texts and curriculum materials. His awards include the 2009 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, the Christopher Medal and a Golden Kite Honor for his autobiographical book of poetry, Been to yesterdays, Poems of a Life, and he is the recipient of the University of Mississippi’s Medallion for “lasting contributions to children’s literature.” His creativity is the result of his passion for poetry and his unflagging dedication to bringing children and books together. “You must teach children to love books,” he insists. Mr. Hopkins lives in Cape Coral, Florida.

Lee Bennett Hopkins has collected an array of short prayers in the children's picture book Hear My Prayer. Some are well-known jingles we have heard all our lives, such as, "I see the moon, the moon sees me. God bless the moon, and God bless me." Others are excerpts of poems, such as Robert Browning's single sentence from Pippa Passes: "The lark's on the wing; the snail's on the thorn: God's in His Heaven--all's right with the world." (Note: the table of contents lists a prayer from Charles Dickens that does not actually appear in the book.) Bennett, himself, contributes two of the prayers to this collection, but most of the contributors are listed as "anonymous."

Illustrations by Gretchen “Gigi” Moore feature basic watercolor representations of children with their grandparents strolling through the busy city with its tall skyscrapers and working police officers, school teachers, students, and firefighters, or youngsters lying in open fields observing the pretty flowers and multi-colored flying birds. The various drawings depict racially diverse families in America, and the prayers underscore a message of appreciating God's love, protection, creativity, and care. The words are simple enough for beginning readers, and the artwork is colorful enough to engage young minds. – Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com