A Child's Book of Prayer in Art [Hardcover]

Sister Wendy Beckett (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

"...introduces children to art as a means of discovering faith... this is a remarkable book, not only for its innate spirituality and wisdom, but also for its harmonious partnership of great art and astute interpretation". -- Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6?Sister Wendy, a TV personality in Britain, shows that art and religion are still mutually illuminating on the page as well as on the screen. Here, for each of a dozen works of art, she finds a moral quality to commend. Ghirlandaio's painting of a child looking raptly up into the face of an old man with a warty nose, for example, is taken by Sister Wendy to illustrate "love." The other qualities covered are respect, family, understanding, learning, forgiveness, choosing heaven, true happiness, thinking, determination, selflessness, and listening. In each case, the verso shows the whole picture; on the right are two sections of it, slightly enlarged. Two chunks of black type present Sr. Wendy's description of the painting and reflection on its moral lesson. In the center of the page is a block of large red type in quotation marks: a prayer, requesting that the petitioner be able to act on this particular moral principle. Every one is a prayer of petition for the child's own moral character: there are no prayers of glorification, thanksgiving, contrition, etc. All of the art, whether overtly religious (i.e., Christian) or secular, is turned to a specifically religious purpose. No one could reasonably object either to the sterling qualities showcased, or to the lovely reproductions. However, the didactic aims of this book are obvious. Adults who feel that this sort of didacticism?teaching virtue?is just what kids need will love this book. Those who may feel that art is its own excuse for being can still enjoy the pictures.?Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. Linking the work of 15 different artists, from Michelangelo to Millet, to a spiritual value such as respect or forgiveness, Sister Wendy Beckett introduces children to art as a means of discovering faith. She contends that "looking at art is one way of listening to God," and her text reveals that neither looking at art nor listening to God is a passive activity. She even suggests that adults not "sincerely trying to live in love and truth" themselves refrain from discussing the ideas presented with children, who "learn more from what we are than from what we say." Each oversize, double-page spread presents a large painting, two enlarged details, and brief description and commentary, with a lovely, simple prayer appearing midpage in big, red type. The commentary is insightful and wise. Beckett's evaluation of Millet's Seated Shepherdess, for example, communicates the shepherd girl's poverty and isolation as well as her apparent contentedness while it emphasizes the need for quiet times to think and to make choices that matter. "Nobody can tell us how to live," Beckett writes. "We all have to work out the wisest way for ourselves. God waits to help us . . . ." With appeal to older as well as middle readers, this is a remarkable book, not only for its innate spirituality and wisdom, but also for its harmonious partnership of great art and astute interpretation. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1St Edition edition (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564588750
• ISBN-13: 978-1564588753
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful for all ages, April 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Child's Book of Prayer in Art (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I took it to work where it was loved by all, including atheists. Sister Wendy truly is imbued with the Holy Spirit and it just comes pouring right out of the pages of this book. Reading level is listed as 4 - 8 years of age, but my 9 year old and I and love it too. The prayers are simple, honest, direct and lovely. Suitable for use with even the youngest child. The paintings and her comments lend themselves to medidation by people of all ages. Sister Wendy helps us to see the divine joy in art, and through it, life.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Sister Wendy, March 14, 2006

By 

J C Teacher "Dr J" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Child's Book of Prayer in Art (Hardcover)

Loving Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations, I wanted to share the love with my nine year old grandson. Advice: Take one picture, one meditation, and elicit from him what he sees in the picture, what he thinks it means, etc. In a few days, or next week, sit together and discuss another picture. This is a "delicious" menu which must be savored slowly and deliberately, to be enjoyed for its best. Do not, repeat do not, read it with your child as though it were a novel. Do it right and you and your child will love it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Spiritual Resource for the Interchurch Family, October 10, 2007

By 

M. Glauber (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Child's Book of Prayer in Art (Hardcover)

I found this book in the library first before I bought it and I liked the values that it would teach through the paintings of some of the greatest artists of all time - Giotto, Diego Velazquez, Jean-Francois Millet & Caravaggio. It is inspiring for children and adults alike. It teaches children what they really need to know about: love, respect, family, understanding, learning, determination, forgiveness, choosing heaven, true happiness, thinking, selflessness, & listening. Sister Wendy has really understood the concepts of Vatican II, rediscovering Christian Unity, and she presents them in a very ecumenical way so that this book can be used by all Christians and it is especially useful in an interchurch home.