What do you think?
دعاهای زمینی پدربزرگ
A beautiful and moving picture book about the bond between a grandparent and child—and the enduring spirit of love.
"Grandad and I likes to go for walks in the woods together. We didn't walk very far. Or very fast. Or very straight. While we walked, I would ask him questions about things I wasn't sure of. One day, I asked Grandad about prayers.
"'Did you know, boy,' Grandad whispered, 'that trees pray?'"
Grandad is the boy's best friend. Being with him always makes the world seem right. And how vast that world is. A world of tall trees that reach for the clouds and sun and moon and stars—and what else is reaching for heaven but a prayer?
Each time that he and Grandad walk in the woods, the boy listens for the prayers of the earth. And while he isn't always sure he hears them, Grandad's words inspire him to keep listening.
Finally, the boy asks the hardest question of all: "Are our prayers answered, Grandad?"
And, one day, long after Grandad is gone, after many, many prayers, after the boy is grown, he understands Grandad's reply: "Most prayers are not really questions. And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer."
Douglas Wood, author of OLD TURTLE, has written a wise and moving story for readers of all ages. With paintings by acclaimed artist P. J. Lynch, this beautiful and uplifting picture book just may change your life forever.
"Grandad and I likes to go for walks in the woods together. We didn't walk very far. Or very fast. Or very straight. While we walked, I would ask him questions about things I wasn't sure of. One day, I asked Grandad about prayers.
"'Did you know, boy,' Grandad whispered, 'that trees pray?'"
Grandad is the boy's best friend. Being with him always makes the world seem right. And how vast that world is. A world of tall trees that reach for the clouds and sun and moon and stars—and what else is reaching for heaven but a prayer?
Each time that he and Grandad walk in the woods, the boy listens for the prayers of the earth. And while he isn't always sure he hears them, Grandad's words inspire him to keep listening.
Finally, the boy asks the hardest question of all: "Are our prayers answered, Grandad?"
And, one day, long after Grandad is gone, after many, many prayers, after the boy is grown, he understands Grandad's reply: "Most prayers are not really questions. And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer."
Douglas Wood, author of OLD TURTLE, has written a wise and moving story for readers of all ages. With paintings by acclaimed artist P. J. Lynch, this beautiful and uplifting picture book just may change your life forever.
36 pages
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Douglas Wood
94 books89 followersComposer, recording artist, wilderness guide, and self-taught naturalist-Douglas Wood is perhaps most widely known as the highly acclaimed author of OLD TURTLE, a 1993 ABBY Award winner and an International Reading Association Book of the Year. Author of several books for readers of all ages, Douglas says he is always seeking themes that are universally significant to both children and adults. His first book for Candlewick Press, GRANDAD'S PRAYERS OF THE EARTH-winner of the Christopher Medal for "affirming the highest value of the human spirit"-quietly explores the theme of grief and healing while celebrating a human connection to the natural world and the enduring spirit of love. Douglas Wood kept in mind someone very special to his own life when writing GRANDAD'S PRAYERS OF THE EARTH. "I feel I've been getting ready to write this book all my life, for it is about my wise and gentle hero, my Grandad. It's a prayer and a thank you, a walk in the woods, and a remembering smile; and it is for anyone who has ever had a woods to walk, a prayer to whisper, a hero to love."
Douglas Wood lives with his family in a log cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
Douglas Wood lives with his family in a log cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 9, 2016
This book was wonderful and amazing. I loved every second of it.
This surprised me, because everyone knows how much I despised Wood's other children's book: Aunt Mary's Rose. Who knew that he had an amazing book inside him? I was shocked.
ANYWAY.
This book starts out to be about a little boy and his grandfather. It is very touching.
When I was little, my Grandad was my best friend. Being with him always made the world seem just right.
Grandad and I liked to go for walks in the woods together. We didn't walk very far. Or very fast. Or very straight.
While we walked, I would ask him questions about things I wasn't sure of.
“Why is it, Grandad...?” I would ask. And “What if...?” And “Does it ever...?”
One day I asked my Grandad about prayers.
Oh, great, I thought to myself. This is going to become one of those religious books. I'm going to hate this. But instead,
For a long time, Grandad was quiet. He didn't say anything until we came to the tallest trees in the forest.
Grandpa explains that trees pray.
“See how they reach for the sky,” he said. “They reach and reach – for clouds and sun and moon and stars. And what else is reaching for heaven but a prayer?”
Then Grandad explains that rocks pray too.
“They are still and silent, and those are two important ways to pray.”
I thought hard about the rocks. I picked up a pebble and stuck it in my pocket.
All I could think about at this point was how much my papi would have loved this book. (Not literally, he hated books.) But my father believed that trees and rocks were alive.
Of course trees are alive, Carmen. Duh.
Hmmmmm, no, that's not what I meant. I mean my father believed that trees and grass and rocks had a consciousness and desires and a will. You can find out more about this in my review of Michael Pollan's book The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World.
ANYWAY. Grandpa goes on to explain how water prays and how grass and wind prays, how birds and animals pray. Lastly, he explains about people praying:
“Bending down to smell a flower can be a prayer,” said my Grandad.
“Quietly watching the sunrise, feeling the slow turning of the earth and saying hello to a new day is one of the oldest prayers....”
He describes more nature prayers and then
“Sometimes,” said Grandad, “people pray when they are sad or sick or lonely, or have a problem too big to carry by themselves. They may say words they have learned from their fathers or mothers or grandads or great-grandmothers. But often they must find their own words. The important thing to remember is that the words will always be right if they are real and true and come from the heart.”
This is amazing.
Then we deal with another huge issue:
...I had one last question.
“Are our prayers answers, Grandad,” I asked.
Grandad smiled. “Most prayers are not really questions,” he said. “And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer. Like the trees and winds and waters, we pray because we are here – not to change the world, but to change ourselves.
Because it is when we change ourselves... that the world is changed.”
This is so wonderful. I can't even tell you. So great.
Things happen. Then,
Then one day, my Grandad was gone. And no matter how hard I prayed, he didn't come back. He couldn't come back.
I prayed and prayed and prayed until I couldn't pray anymore.
And so I didn't, for a long time.
And the world seemed dark and lonely without my Grandad in it.
This is so fucking amazing. So his grandfather dies, and the child – in despair and rage – turns away from prayer. Wow. So powerful and realistic.
Then we see the kid age and age. Until he is a teenager.
Until one day I went for a walk. I found a big rock under some tall trees and sat down on it. Overhead, the branches swayed and a breeze whispered in the leaves. I heard a stream flowing nearby, and a robin singing from a honeysuckle bush.
And I heard something else, too – something IN the sounds of breezes and birds and water. I heard prayers.
The earth was praying just like my Grandad said.
Wow.
So I joined in.
“Thank you,” I prayed, “for tall trees and sweet flowers, for still rocks and singing birds and especially... for my Grandad.”
And as I prayed, something changed, and my Grandad seemed somehow near.
And for the first time in a long time, the world seemed just right.
EL FIN.
Tl;dr – This book could NOT possibly be any better. This book is about prayer, and about death. It is about loving nature and seeing the life and beauty in everything. I was touched by the boy's close relationship with his grandfather. Grandparents can be so special and important in a child's life. I adored the nature-loving premise in this book. Walking in the woods is something I find to be a soothing and transcendental experience, and this book captures that. I also was blown away by how non-religious this is. An atheist can “pray,” anyone can “pray,” and I love that this book never brings up God or any kind of God. Also, it beautifully and wonderfully explains how one shouldn't expect any “answer” to prayer, and how the act of praying (or being grateful) is something that is healing and meditative, not something where you are demanding things or actions from God. One of the best books I've read. Superb, highly recommended.
This surprised me, because everyone knows how much I despised Wood's other children's book: Aunt Mary's Rose. Who knew that he had an amazing book inside him? I was shocked.
ANYWAY.
This book starts out to be about a little boy and his grandfather. It is very touching.
When I was little, my Grandad was my best friend. Being with him always made the world seem just right.
Grandad and I liked to go for walks in the woods together. We didn't walk very far. Or very fast. Or very straight.
While we walked, I would ask him questions about things I wasn't sure of.
“Why is it, Grandad...?” I would ask. And “What if...?” And “Does it ever...?”
One day I asked my Grandad about prayers.
Oh, great, I thought to myself. This is going to become one of those religious books. I'm going to hate this. But instead,
For a long time, Grandad was quiet. He didn't say anything until we came to the tallest trees in the forest.
Grandpa explains that trees pray.
“See how they reach for the sky,” he said. “They reach and reach – for clouds and sun and moon and stars. And what else is reaching for heaven but a prayer?”
Then Grandad explains that rocks pray too.
“They are still and silent, and those are two important ways to pray.”
I thought hard about the rocks. I picked up a pebble and stuck it in my pocket.
All I could think about at this point was how much my papi would have loved this book. (Not literally, he hated books.) But my father believed that trees and rocks were alive.
Of course trees are alive, Carmen. Duh.
Hmmmmm, no, that's not what I meant. I mean my father believed that trees and grass and rocks had a consciousness and desires and a will. You can find out more about this in my review of Michael Pollan's book The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World.
ANYWAY. Grandpa goes on to explain how water prays and how grass and wind prays, how birds and animals pray. Lastly, he explains about people praying:
“Bending down to smell a flower can be a prayer,” said my Grandad.
“Quietly watching the sunrise, feeling the slow turning of the earth and saying hello to a new day is one of the oldest prayers....”
He describes more nature prayers and then
“Sometimes,” said Grandad, “people pray when they are sad or sick or lonely, or have a problem too big to carry by themselves. They may say words they have learned from their fathers or mothers or grandads or great-grandmothers. But often they must find their own words. The important thing to remember is that the words will always be right if they are real and true and come from the heart.”
This is amazing.
Then we deal with another huge issue:
...I had one last question.
“Are our prayers answers, Grandad,” I asked.
Grandad smiled. “Most prayers are not really questions,” he said. “And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer. Like the trees and winds and waters, we pray because we are here – not to change the world, but to change ourselves.
Because it is when we change ourselves... that the world is changed.”
This is so wonderful. I can't even tell you. So great.
Things happen. Then,
Then one day, my Grandad was gone. And no matter how hard I prayed, he didn't come back. He couldn't come back.
I prayed and prayed and prayed until I couldn't pray anymore.
And so I didn't, for a long time.
And the world seemed dark and lonely without my Grandad in it.
This is so fucking amazing. So his grandfather dies, and the child – in despair and rage – turns away from prayer. Wow. So powerful and realistic.
Then we see the kid age and age. Until he is a teenager.
Until one day I went for a walk. I found a big rock under some tall trees and sat down on it. Overhead, the branches swayed and a breeze whispered in the leaves. I heard a stream flowing nearby, and a robin singing from a honeysuckle bush.
And I heard something else, too – something IN the sounds of breezes and birds and water. I heard prayers.
The earth was praying just like my Grandad said.
Wow.
So I joined in.
“Thank you,” I prayed, “for tall trees and sweet flowers, for still rocks and singing birds and especially... for my Grandad.”
And as I prayed, something changed, and my Grandad seemed somehow near.
And for the first time in a long time, the world seemed just right.
EL FIN.
Tl;dr – This book could NOT possibly be any better. This book is about prayer, and about death. It is about loving nature and seeing the life and beauty in everything. I was touched by the boy's close relationship with his grandfather. Grandparents can be so special and important in a child's life. I adored the nature-loving premise in this book. Walking in the woods is something I find to be a soothing and transcendental experience, and this book captures that. I also was blown away by how non-religious this is. An atheist can “pray,” anyone can “pray,” and I love that this book never brings up God or any kind of God. Also, it beautifully and wonderfully explains how one shouldn't expect any “answer” to prayer, and how the act of praying (or being grateful) is something that is healing and meditative, not something where you are demanding things or actions from God. One of the best books I've read. Superb, highly recommended.
December 18, 2023
بسیار زیبا و به یادماندنی! 💐💐💐
August 3, 2022
❤️❤️❤️
February 28, 2015
Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth won the 2000 Christopher Book Award for Young People of All Ages. These awards were established in 1949 to salute media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” Their goal is to encourage men, women and children to pursue excellence in creative arenas that have the potential to influence a mass audience positively. Award winners encourage audiences to see the better side of human nature and motivate artists and the general public to use their best instincts on behalf of others. From the Christopher organization website. http://www.christophers.org/page.aspx...
The award is well deserved and is definitely a picture book that all ages will enjoy and treasure. The story is about an inquisitive grandson and his grandfather and their special bond. It concentrates on the grandfather's answers to his grandson’s questions about prayers. His answer are not religious and definitely non-denominational. He highlights how the existence and perfection of the wonders here on earth in all their splendour is a form of praying, as is the creation of art and music. The book is not preachy and its messages are powerful.
About praying Wood writes: “The important thing to remember is that the words will always be right if they are real and true and come from the heart” and “Like the trees and winds and waters, we pray because we are here - not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves....that the world is changed.” The book is full of gems like that. Douglas Wood is a wise man with much to share and to inspire others. I fully understand why he won this award.
I hadn’t read any of Douglas Wood’s books before but chose this book because I am a huge fan of P.J. Lynch, the illustrator. Based on my positive reading experience I will definitely try more of Wood’s books in the future.
P.J. Lynch, a winner of numerous international awards only illustrates about one book a year because of the time it takes for him to create his incredibly detailed art. Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth is no exception. Most illustrations take up about 75% of two facing pages and are filled with incredibly rich earth colours and tones found everywhere in nature. They perfectly suit and enhance the author’s story where the outdoors and nature’s beauty play prominent roles. The illustrations are filled with the world’s magnificence in wonderful detail e.g. with many blades of grass, leaves and trees, as well as highly realistic human portraits of a boy and his grandfather. It is worth owning the book just to enjoy the illustrations.
P.J. Lynch is in big demand and chooses books to illustrate selectively and wisely. I am so pleased that he chose to illustrate Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth and to introduce me to Douglas Wood. I highly recommend this 5 star book for your own collection and to gift to young people of all ages. Its message is ageless and if it isn’t already, the book is bound to become a classic and family favourite.
The award is well deserved and is definitely a picture book that all ages will enjoy and treasure. The story is about an inquisitive grandson and his grandfather and their special bond. It concentrates on the grandfather's answers to his grandson’s questions about prayers. His answer are not religious and definitely non-denominational. He highlights how the existence and perfection of the wonders here on earth in all their splendour is a form of praying, as is the creation of art and music. The book is not preachy and its messages are powerful.
About praying Wood writes: “The important thing to remember is that the words will always be right if they are real and true and come from the heart” and “Like the trees and winds and waters, we pray because we are here - not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves....that the world is changed.” The book is full of gems like that. Douglas Wood is a wise man with much to share and to inspire others. I fully understand why he won this award.
I hadn’t read any of Douglas Wood’s books before but chose this book because I am a huge fan of P.J. Lynch, the illustrator. Based on my positive reading experience I will definitely try more of Wood’s books in the future.
P.J. Lynch, a winner of numerous international awards only illustrates about one book a year because of the time it takes for him to create his incredibly detailed art. Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth is no exception. Most illustrations take up about 75% of two facing pages and are filled with incredibly rich earth colours and tones found everywhere in nature. They perfectly suit and enhance the author’s story where the outdoors and nature’s beauty play prominent roles. The illustrations are filled with the world’s magnificence in wonderful detail e.g. with many blades of grass, leaves and trees, as well as highly realistic human portraits of a boy and his grandfather. It is worth owning the book just to enjoy the illustrations.
P.J. Lynch is in big demand and chooses books to illustrate selectively and wisely. I am so pleased that he chose to illustrate Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth and to introduce me to Douglas Wood. I highly recommend this 5 star book for your own collection and to gift to young people of all ages. Its message is ageless and if it isn’t already, the book is bound to become a classic and family favourite.
October 30, 2018
A great book to use when a child is dealing with bereavement. A really moving book.
June 16, 2020
This was beautiful, in message and illustrations. We read it in our meditative group tonight and it was very touching to share in
January 23, 2021
I reread "Grandad's Prayers of the Earth" by Douglas Wood in preparation for a class I will be taking with the author. Some books just come along at the right time...
1. I like the idea that prayer can be independent of organized religion, and even of "God" really. "God" or church or organized religion isn't mentioned once here. However, the reading of this book is a deeply spiritual experience. Sometimes, I find myself praying, despite the fact that I am not a fan of organized religion and all of the hypocrisies it contains. This justified my prayers. Prayers are a coping mechanism. They are a method of looking at the world from a place of thankfulness. They are a way to get in touch with the things around you, nature in particular. They are so much more than organized religion allows them to be.
2. I loved the relationship between the grandfather and his grandson. At a time where I am watching my parents age, I am reminded of the legacy that they will leave behind. This was visually beautiful and textually beautiful - poetic really.
3. I am reminded of research that I read recently discussing the fact that trees really do "talk" to one another.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...
Just lovely! Can't wait to go back and revisit some of Woods' other work.
1. I like the idea that prayer can be independent of organized religion, and even of "God" really. "God" or church or organized religion isn't mentioned once here. However, the reading of this book is a deeply spiritual experience. Sometimes, I find myself praying, despite the fact that I am not a fan of organized religion and all of the hypocrisies it contains. This justified my prayers. Prayers are a coping mechanism. They are a method of looking at the world from a place of thankfulness. They are a way to get in touch with the things around you, nature in particular. They are so much more than organized religion allows them to be.
2. I loved the relationship between the grandfather and his grandson. At a time where I am watching my parents age, I am reminded of the legacy that they will leave behind. This was visually beautiful and textually beautiful - poetic really.
3. I am reminded of research that I read recently discussing the fact that trees really do "talk" to one another.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...
Just lovely! Can't wait to go back and revisit some of Woods' other work.
March 27, 2017
Sorry Douglas Wood, you gave a good start but I believe you ended back where you started - P J Lynch saved this book for you, otherwise I'd give this a 2/5* .
I loved the illustration and the way the characters flow with such empathy and care; P J Lynch is a magician with pencil and colours.
But, the story, it is lovely and all, but ... the prayers, where do they come from and where do they go? I left with the big questions of, "why tell a child to pray when there is no direction of the prayer than just 'up to the heavens'? where is up? and isn't prayer about the relationship we have with God? so where is God in this story??!"
The focus is on nature and the love of it, almost worshipping it.
I wanted to share this book, thinking it would give a great image of how the love of God and His children looks like ... but, it was nature or man centered, and returned back to man or nature.
I loved the illustration and the way the characters flow with such empathy and care; P J Lynch is a magician with pencil and colours.
But, the story, it is lovely and all, but ... the prayers, where do they come from and where do they go? I left with the big questions of, "why tell a child to pray when there is no direction of the prayer than just 'up to the heavens'? where is up? and isn't prayer about the relationship we have with God? so where is God in this story??!"
The focus is on nature and the love of it, almost worshipping it.
I wanted to share this book, thinking it would give a great image of how the love of God and His children looks like ... but, it was nature or man centered, and returned back to man or nature.
August 9, 2018
"Grandad's Prayers for the Earth" by Douglas Wood is a beautiful, touching book. Grandad and the boy are best friends. They love to go on walks in the woods together. Grandad tells the boy all about the different things they see. Grandad says that all things prayer in their own way. Birds sing, trees leaves rustle, water gurgles and people pray. When Grandad dies, the boy turns away from God and is so sad and inconsolable for a long time. Eventually he goes for a walk alone in the woods and he hears the wind in the trees, the birds singing, the brook babbling and the boy remembers all his grandfather taught him and finds peace through his own prayer.
Yes the book is sad but it is full of love and optimism. The illustrations by P. J. Lynch are gorgeous. It is truly a book that will make you feel thankful for all the beauty around you.
Yes the book is sad but it is full of love and optimism. The illustrations by P. J. Lynch are gorgeous. It is truly a book that will make you feel thankful for all the beauty around you.
March 14, 2012
Spoiler Alert: I always want to add disclaimers of this type on books for children--the grandpa dies and the grandchild struggles (the illustrations show a passing of years). Still, this book is beautifully written and contains both truth and wisdom.
I LOVE how prayer is compared to nature. The story is very meditative and makes me want to take a walk through the woods with my grandchild (when he can walk). If it weren't for the grandpa dying, I would for sure be buying this for my husband for father's day. I may still get it, but it probably works best as a gift when a child loses a grandpa (not to a grandpa).
From the end cover, written by Douglas Wood: "I feel I've been getting ready to write this book all my life, for it is about my wise and gentle hero, my Grandad. It's a prayer and a thank-you, a walk in the woods and a remembering smile; and it's for anyone who has ever had a woods to walk, a prayer to whisper, or a hero to love."
I LOVE how prayer is compared to nature. The story is very meditative and makes me want to take a walk through the woods with my grandchild (when he can walk). If it weren't for the grandpa dying, I would for sure be buying this for my husband for father's day. I may still get it, but it probably works best as a gift when a child loses a grandpa (not to a grandpa).
From the end cover, written by Douglas Wood: "I feel I've been getting ready to write this book all my life, for it is about my wise and gentle hero, my Grandad. It's a prayer and a thank-you, a walk in the woods and a remembering smile; and it's for anyone who has ever had a woods to walk, a prayer to whisper, or a hero to love."
September 12, 2011
This is such a beautiful book...words and illustrations! It explores a young boy's relationship with his grandpa and how his grandpa taught him about prayer. His grandad said that all of the Earth is praying...the trees as they reach heavenward, because prayer is a way to reach heavenward and the rocks pray because they are still and silent and all the other parts of the Earth. I particularly love some of his wisdom about people's prayers...He says that some prayers have been taught by a parent or grandparent, "but often they must find their own words. The important thing to remember is that the words will always be right if they are real and true and come from the heart." Grandad also said, "We pray because we are here--not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves...that the world is changed."
February 19, 2008
I love this book, not just because I think it is beautifully written and illustrated, but because it could have been written with my father in mind. Not only was he called "Grandad" by my children, but he also loved the the earth, especially the little heaven he created on his 40 acres of it. He wasn't much for organized religion, but he firmly believed that you could find God if you just walked outside and listened to the trees, or smelled the new-mown hay. Now, when I go back to visit my dad's farm and walk in the fields, I understand what he was trying to teach me all those years ago. I love to listen to the prayers of the earth.
July 31, 2011
This book conveys so many wonderful thoughts and ideas. First, it teaches a deep reverance for the natural world. Its approach to prayer speaks to a deep spirituality that recognizes the sacredness and interconnectedness of all living things. It portrays a wonderful intergenerational relationship between grandfather and grandchild. And it captures the beauty of nature and the personal renewal that can occur from a walk in the woods. This is a superb book for children of all ages -- even those 80+ years old.
July 11, 2014
This is an excellent non-denominational book on what prayer is and one method of doing it. It is the story of a grandfather answering his grandson's question on what is prayer.
"All beings of the world pray," said my Grandad, "as they slip through the forest or sparkle in the water...as they climb mountainsides or soar into the clouds or burrow into the earth. Each living thing gives its life to the beauty of all life, and that gift is its prayer."
We had checked this book out from the library. After reading it, I promptly bought a copy off of Amazon for our own library.
"All beings of the world pray," said my Grandad, "as they slip through the forest or sparkle in the water...as they climb mountainsides or soar into the clouds or burrow into the earth. Each living thing gives its life to the beauty of all life, and that gift is its prayer."
We had checked this book out from the library. After reading it, I promptly bought a copy off of Amazon for our own library.
January 7, 2010
This book reminds me of my great grandfather, and every time I read it I miss him so much. It is a book about listening to the creations and how everything prays to it's Maker, but that the most important prayers are the ones offered by people. It is about love, loss and discovering that God hears and answers prayers.
January 21, 2013
While it is not clear what type of prayer is being discussed here, this is a lovely book about relating to nature. The ending part of seems a bit rushed and didn't connect as well as it should. Thus only 3 stars. I think the book would be stronger without the ending piece and then making a follow-up story about dealing with grief in a 2nd stand-aloe story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2008
Makes me cry EVERYTIME I read this aloud (or to myself!). Beautiful. Amazingly spiritual book which translates our lives, (lived full of reflection and meaning)into 'prayers'. Highly recommend to EVERYONE.
June 13, 2009
This book is a nice story about a boy's close relationship with his grandfather, with whom he takes numerous long walks before the grandfather dies. It's a nice reminder that spiritual things like prayer can happen in any number of places and ways.
May 19, 2008
Bibliotherapy
When a child's grandfather dies, he is comforted by the beauty of the natural world and memories of their time together walking in the woods.
When a child's grandfather dies, he is comforted by the beauty of the natural world and memories of their time together walking in the woods.
January 2, 2009
I read this to my son on those special nights before sleep. My heart leaps everytime I read it. (not for the boy in the story but for the concept of nature's prayers)
July 31, 2009
Truly one of the best children's books ever published. Compelling, realistic story about love, loss, and healing. Phenomenal, appropriate illustrations.
June 8, 2012
Amazingly beautiful prose and illustrations that discuss how all of nature and life is like a prayer. Must own!
February 17, 2013
Lovely story, very helpful for chidlren who've lost someone close to them!
October 15, 2013
Lovely text but what's not to like with P.J. Lynch as the illustrator.
February 11, 2016
Beautifully illustrated. The text, which could be seen as the whole earth praising God, deals significantly with grief and questioning.
February 1, 2017
This book will stay in my library for a long time. I can't wait for when
my Grandson is old enough to read it. I'll be reading it to him.
The author Douglas Wood illustrated this book beautifully. I don't
feel it is a children's book it's a book for all ages.
Because Grandad has explained how all things in the natural world pray
and make a gift to the beauty of life, his grandson is comforted when Grandad dies.
Award-winning author and artist team up for a gentle and tender story about a wonderful
friendship. Warm, colorful illustrations.
my Grandson is old enough to read it. I'll be reading it to him.
The author Douglas Wood illustrated this book beautifully. I don't
feel it is a children's book it's a book for all ages.
Because Grandad has explained how all things in the natural world pray
and make a gift to the beauty of life, his grandson is comforted when Grandad dies.
Award-winning author and artist team up for a gentle and tender story about a wonderful
friendship. Warm, colorful illustrations.
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January 25, 2020This book is about a little boy and his grandad walking in the woods and talking about the prayers of earth. The prayers of earth are all of the earth's beings. My favorite part was when the little boy prayed to the earth.
May 31, 2025
انقدر تصویر گریاش قشنگ بود میشه هر صفحه از کتابشو قاب کنی بزنی به دیوار ... اما کادر توضیحاتش زشت بود
کتاب هم در واقع میخواد بگه کل طبیعت در حال نیایش هستن و تشویق میکنه به توجه به طبیعت و خو گرفتن به اون
کتاب هم در واقع میخواد بگه کل طبیعت در حال نیایش هستن و تشویق میکنه به توجه به طبیعت و خو گرفتن به اون
April 8, 2018
The illustrations in this book are exquisite.
May 9, 2019
Very beautiful sentiments.
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