Let There Be Peace: Prayers from Around the World
Grade 2–5—Brooks has assembled a collection of traditional and modern prayers, many of them composed by people living in war-torn regions like Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East. Selections written by St. Francis of Assisi, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Lao-Tzu round out the collection. By selecting prayers representing a variety of religions, Brooks reinforces his unifying message that people of different faiths actually share many of the same beliefs. In a brief introduction and subsequent explanatory notes, he expands upon this theme, reminding readers that peace begins on an individual level and that "we also need to live in peace with our world." One of the shortest but most powerful verses is a traditional prayer from Africa. "The world was not left to us by our parents./It was lent to us by our children." Although the verses address such adult themes as war, violence, world peace, and forgiveness, they convey important lessons for readers of all ages. Daly's subtle illustrations are painted in a varied palette of soft pastel and jewel-toned acrylics and feature people of many nations drawn in the artist's characteristic economical style. This title could be paired with Brooks'sA World of Prayers(Eerdmans, 2006) and is a good supplement to more comprehensive volumes like Mary Joslin'sThe Lion Book of Best-Loved Prayers(Lion, 2008).—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.