WHILE ANGELS WATCH

A playful, rhyming text describes one interpretation of the mysterious influence of angels on the natural world, from choosing the colors of the dawn sky to showing spiders how to spin their webs. Other angelic accomplishments include teaching dolphins to swim, birds to fly and roosters to crow. The angels are shown on a few pages as ethereal, white shapes in the sky, trailing silvery speckles printed in metallic glitter. These silver highlights are shown sprinkled across each spread wherever the angelic influence is indicated, including a reference to angels singing at “a newborn baby’s birth” and protecting two children asleep in their beds in a modern-day setting in the final spread. The large-format illustrations across double-page spreads are filled with glowing light and jeweled tones that complement the silvery special effects. Though the religious underpinnings of the story are a bit unclear, and the rhyming verses don’t always scan, this effort does achieve a rather magical air, mainly due to the appealing illustrations. (Picture book. 3-7)