THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

Starting with the traditional “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and ending with “Now the Day is Over,” this collection of 10 Christian hymns, songs and prayers is aimed at parents wanting to pass on their faiths.

Each song is paired with cheery drawings of happy children, dancing animals, rainbows and flowers, among other traditional nursery iconography. Printed on board pages with a padded cover, it will hold up to many bedtime readings. Odd editorial choices may bother some readers. “If You're Happy and You Know It” starts with the well-known refrain of the title and then goes to “If you’re happy and you know it, say amen” skipping the better-known and frankly more enjoyable verses—clap your hands, stamp your feet, shout hooray. A song about Noah's ark set to the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again,” while widely available on the Internet, isn't true to the Biblical text. Since Noah only took two of each animal, singing that they went five-by-five or seven-by-seven will rub children the wrong way. Additionally, in a book this sweet, it just seems mean to say, “they turned out the monkey because of his tricks.” Jesus is drawn as a white man with a curly blond beard. Better—and more multicultural—choices are available.

Still, those willing to overlook these annoyances will find this title acceptable