All Things Bright and Beautiful [Hardcover]

Cecil Frances Alexander (Author), Bruce Whatley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

All Things Bright and Beautiful is one of the most beloved hymns ever written.

Cecil Frances Alexander's timeless ode to nature calls everyone to celebrate the wonders of life, great and small, seen and unseen. Now Bruce Whatley offers a fresh interpretation of this classic for the whole family to enjoy. Through his lush paintings, we join a little girl's country ramble and share her appreciation of the beauty around her: a flower, the wind, a mountain view, all gives her reasons to pause and praise, and inspire us to do the same.

Ages 2+

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Whatley has interpreted this 19th-century hymn, which celebrates both nature and the omnipotence of the Creator, in beautiful, panoramic watercolor paintings. They feature a girl dressed in dungaree overalls, a straw hat, and boots walking on a farm with her dog. The illustrations are consistent in their wonderful, soft colors. However, the artist's talent overwhelms the simple text. Notes and lyrics appear on the last two pages.

Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Cecil Frances Alexander was born in Ireland. She began writing poetry as a child and wrote nearly 400 hymns. She wrote All things Bright and Beautiful, one of her most popular, to help explain to children the opening words of the Apostles' Creed, a Christian statement of belief. The wife of an archbishop, she was known to be a generous woman who cared for the poor and opened a school for the deaf with her sister.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060266171
• ISBN-13: 978-0060266172
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Childrens' Book, August 19, 2002

By 

Robert Steelman (Yadkinville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All Things Bright and Beautiful (Hardcover)

This is an easy review - the book is simply great! If parents are willing to sit down with their children and read, especially starting before they are two years old, this book will help to spark the imagination of practically any child. The song couldn't make a better subject for a book. The story should help form the foundation for a strong moral and religious background. The illustrations are beautifully done and our twenty-two month old picks out things that we hadn't even noticed. I recommend the book to all parents and encourage them to read it nightly, taking the time to discuss what they see in the pictures. I sincerely hope the author has more projects in the works!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SOLD UNDER RECORDABLE, December 9, 2010

By 

Barbara Mccalmon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All Things Bright and Beautiful (Hardcover)

I WANTED TO BUY A RECORDABLE NON HOLIDAY THEME BOOK FOR MY NEICE. THIS BOOK WAS UNDER THAT CATAGORY, HOWEVER WHEN I RECEIVED THE BOOK IT WAS JUST A STORY BOOK WITH A SONG TO BE SUNG OR PLAYED IN THE BACK.
I WAS VERY DISSAPOINTED BECAUSE I WANTED MY MOTHER TO RECORD THIS FOR HER GRANDDAUGHTER.

ALL IN ALL I DID NOT GET WHAT I EXPECTED, BUT I STILL LOVE THE BOOK AND THE THEME. I KNOW MY NEICE WILL ENJOY AS WELL.

BMCCALMON

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated version of this classic!, July 31, 2008

By 

HeatherHH - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Things Bright and Beautiful (Paperback)

This is a beautifully illustrated version of the 19th century hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful." The illustrations follow a country girl as she explores the world around her. The illustrations propel the text's message to the next level, powerfully demonstrating the beauty of God's creation. It's worth pausing at every page-spread to admire the pictures for a few extra seconds, and it doesn't detract from the reading of the story at all.

Each 2-page spread has 2 lines from the hymn, and a 2-page illustration spread surrounding the words. The text is a nice large size. In the back two pages, the hymn is printed if you'd want to play it or sing it with your children.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with young children that they want to teach of God from their earlist days.