The Shepherd's Song: 2the Twenty-Third Psalm

Wisely, Miner refrains from attempts to embellish the achingly lovely cadences of the King James version of the Twenty-third psalm. Time has diminished neither the imagery nor the power of its reassuring message. For her artwork--a series of pastoral scenes rendered in serene, workmanlike pastels that make excellent use of light and shadow--Miner draws on firsthand observation of both a shepherdess neighbor and shepherd children at work in the mountains of Greece. Here, for ``Shepherd'' singular she substitutes shepherds plural--a Greek family who, as the verses progress, are seen leading their flock to a sunny mountain pasture, and then safely home again. Young readers see at close range how the sheep are tenderly cared for, guided, fed and kept safe from harm, reinforcing the universal promise of protection implicit in David's words. This is a highly accessible visual interpretation of one of the Bible's most famous poems. All ages. (Oct.)