The River and the Rain

In her jubilant reworking of the Lord's Prayer, Le Tord celebrates creatures great and small, emphasizing the potential for harmony and underlining the human need to fully appreciate the miracle of God's creation. Her language is clear, precise and close to the original; for example, she renders ``Hallowed by thy name'' as ``Be praised!'' She has chosen the rain forest to illustrate God's kingdom on earth, and her fresh watercolors, spring greens splashed with rose and buttercup, depict a peaceful world where birds, animals and humans gather together. However, destructive technology and selfish actions infiltrate this garden oasis (``forgive us our wicked ways'') and death occurs. Le Tord concludes by conveying a sense of hope, as if the world can be washed clean again. Delicate art eloquently portrays the communion of the river and the rain, the cyclical nature of life. A key at the front of the book identifies various animals in the artwork and children will enjoy hunting for leaf-cutting ants, pacu fish, tapirs and Franquet's fruit bats amongst the foliage. All ages. (Sept.)