When I Talk to God, I Talk About You

November 15, 2022
This Is Us actor Metz and her partner, songwriter Collins, present a rhyming children's book about prayer and parental love. "When I talk to God, guess what I do? / It's really quite simple: I talk about you." Fields' pencil and digital illustrations show different parent-child animal pairs throughout, from bears to otters to skunks, ducks, deer, and more. But from this auspicious beginning, the authors' point of view and direct address to "you," the child, makes the majority of the pages seem like affirmations of what they love about their child and not what the parent actually prays for. Adults reading this aloud may see this as a prayer of thanksgiving for their child's gifts and qualities, but little listeners will not make that connection. In the final pages, the parent tells the child that they can talk to God, too, and that God is always by their side. The last spread states, "You're my sweetest prayer." While the individual parts are sweet and affirming of a parent's love and pride in their child, the sum of those parts isn't what's advertised in the title and repetitive refrain "When I talk to God, / I talk about you." The gentle artwork in soft colors anthropomorphizes the animals' facial expressions to make their loving relationships clear. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Stick to separate books about parental love and prayer instead. (Religious picture book. 3-6)

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February 24, 2023

PreS-Gr 1-In a meditative rhyming poem, actress Metz and songwriter Collins share loving words to a child, as spoken in their prayers to God. Along with the refrain of the title, their prayers express gratitude for the child's existence in the world, admiration for the child's kindness and bravery, and pride in that child's growth. Though Metz and Collins are Christian, the text and message aren't specific to any particular denomination or religion. They present the image of a kind and loving deity, describing the essence as a "soft warm light," and encourage the child into prayer as a daily practice. While the child is addressed as "you," the illustrations depict various parent-child animal pairs in cozy forest scenes, the parent often gazing adoringly at the child. The digital and pencil illustrations are gentle and appealing. VERDICT Recommended for the bedtime shelves, to have on hand for families who incorporate prayers into their nighttime routines.-Clara Hendricks

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