From Publishers Weekly
In the book of Daniel appears the Apocrypha, a hymn of praise that was sung by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Jewish captives in Babylon who were thrown into a fiery furnace and saved by an angel. "O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him forever." In her dazzling paintings, Baynes takes the naturalistic view that God is everywhere and in all things. But this book is more for adults than for young readers; the elaborate illustrations do not illuminate the text, but complement it for the more sophisticated eye.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1 Up A stately but fervent paean to the Lord, sung by Ananias, Azarias, and Misael (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) in the Apocryphal addition to the Book of Daniel, calls upon all of God's creationangels, heavenly bodies, seasons, waters, hills, plants, animals, birds, mento bless, praise, and magnify him forever. Exquisitely illustrated with paintings in the glowing colors and flat, decorative patterns reminiscent of both medieval illuminated manuscripts and traditional Indian art, the result is a multi-imaged, almost dizzying celebration of the wonderful variety of mankind and nature. Each picture is contained by an elegant frame, but some are so filled with action that the objects break through the restraining lines with supplicating hands, swishing tails, fluttering leaves, and probing roots. The ingenuous, fanciful figures all raise their eyes to heaven in awed admiration. Although the artwork is always dynamic, its mood varies from the wildness of wind, rain, and fire to the wintry calm of an icicled tree, jeweled snowflakes, and a hibernating animal snug in its burrow. Pat Pearl, First Presbyterian Church Library, Martinsville, Va.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.