Book Description
for The Circle of Days by Reeve Lindbergh and Cathie Felstead
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
According to a note in this 11 1/2 x 10" illustrated version of Canticle of the Sun, that 13th century assemblage of writings by the founder of the Franciscan order of monks has been adapted in poetry and song throughout the centuries. Lindbergh's reworking of the original ideas has pleasing appeal for today's young readers and families as a poem or a prayer of praise. She writes, For all her children, fierce or mild, / For sister, brother, parent, child. / For creatures wild, and creatures tame, / For hunter, hunted, both the same. / For brother sleep, and sister death, / who tends the borders of our breath...For all your gifts, of every kind, / We offer praise with quiet mind... Wonderfully designed double-page spreads usually contain one large illustration and several smaller images suggesting a global scope. The author and artist each discovered effective ways to interest children while honoring the wide diversity within earlier written presentations of this famous poem. Felstead's captivating images were done in watercolor, gouache, and collage. (Ages 3-7)
CCBC Choices 1998. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1998. Used with permission.