cover image Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Hans Wilhelm, . . Scholastic/Little Shepherd, $5.99 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-439-80003-7

Along withthe jaunty verse (actually the lyrics of a well-known hymn) as sunny as this paper-over-board book's bright yellow cover, Wilhelm (the Dinofours series) introduces a downy, daffodil-hued duckling happy in its role as one of Jesus' chosen little ones. "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,/ To shine for Him each day./ In every way to please Him,/ At home, at school.../ ...at play." Very young children will want to dive right into the breezy watercolor-and-pencil scenes crafted with an up-close, duckling's-eye-view perspective and awash in comforting, golden light. Young readers will also easily grasp the theme of striving to be a shining example of Jesus' lessons about kindness, love and acceptance. Ages 3-5 (Feb.)