Prayer for World Peace

September 28, 2015
Anthropologist and conservationist Goodall and Iranian artist Golmohammadi present a nondenominational prayer for peace and equality with emphases on the human impact on the Earth ("We pray... that we may strive to heal the hurts/ that we have inflicted on nature/ and control our greed for material/ things") and a respect for life, in whatever form it may take. Golmohammadi's collages are lush and bright, even as they depict a trail of refugees in the midst of displacement or a mother fleeing a war-torn village. Elsewhere, a chicken and bull serve as emblems of the suffering of animals everywhere as Goodall invokes scientific experimentation, cockfighting, and more. Goodall's verse avoids sentimentality or generalities, instead explicitly naming ways children are endangered: "We pray for/ the children who are starving, who/ are condemned to homelessness,/ slave labor, and prostitution, and/ especially for those forced to fight,/ to kill and torture even members/ of their own family." It's a candid and direct picture of war, poverty, and inequity, but equally emphatic about the power of hope and faith. Ages 4âup.

January 1, 2016

Gr 4 Up-Goodall's nondenominational prayer, directed to the "Great Spiritual Power," has its genesis in her role as UN Messenger of Peace and in the organization's International Day of Peace. The animal and environmental rights activist includes a litany of timely causes in her plea, such as the plight of refugees and the "hurts that we have inflicted on nature." Having witnessed untold global struggles, Goodall does not mince words, nor does she edit for length. Her list on suffering animals covers two spreads, ranging from scientific experimentation and abusive pet owners to badger baiting and bullfighting. She prays for "children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labor, and prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family." Such issues and some of the concepts, such as shunning "dogma," raise the question of audience for this 48-page picture book. Golmohammadi's striking mixed-media paintings vary from impressionistic (frothy ocean waves and an ethereal woodland) to abstract with elements of realism. The composition of the page devoted to the topic of starving and abused children is comprised of thick, deep red and purple strokes surrounding and partially covering a hunched figure. A row of diverse children clad in rainbow hues visually reinforces a reference to the "hope that is within us." Extensive back matter includes biographies of artist and author and information on the Jane Goodall Institute and her conservation and humanitarian efforts. VERDICT Progressive churches, social justice organizations, and families with older children may be the most appreciative audiences for this earnest and heartfelt effort.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The distinguished naturalist Goodall presents an ecumenical exhortation. "We pray / to the Great Spiritual Power / in which we live and move / and have our being." Thus she begins, and she goes on to preach against greed, slave labor, abuse of animals, bullying and torture, harm to the natural world, and all the other grave errors of this time in history. She seems set on cataloging every ill against humankind and animalkind, as well as environmental sins. She offers many strong, heartfelt words, but there is little rhythm or cadence to the sermon, and the almost granular iterations of victimhood threaten to overwhelm. On just one page she cries out against animal experimentation, agribusiness, the fur industry, hunting and trapping, "training for entertainment," and pet abuse, for instance. The text is set on full-bleed double-page spreads of great beauty. The Iranian artist uses great swathes of clear color and pattern and places birds, animals, flowers, and human figures against them in abstract patterns. Her art gives the words an energy they lack on their own. The book closes with a message from Goodall as the U.N. Messenger of Peace, notes about the Jane Goodall Institute, her Roots & Shoots organization, and a biography of the artist. Though sincere, this prayer may have the unintended effect of numbing rather than inspiring. (Picture book/homily. 7-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 15, 2015
Grades 1-3 Goodall, renowned for her work in primatology and conservancy, offers a humanist prayer for global peace. Atop Golmohammadi's dense, textured paintings, Goodall's brief lines start out with general exhortations: We pray . . . that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion. Then she moves into more pointed calls for change, focusing on animal welfare, environmental awareness, slavery, war, domestic violence, and the destructive power of greed. Adults interested in introducing a broad, nature- and compassion-based form of spirituality to children will be pleased with Goodall's approach, which emphasizes kindness and interconnectedness. That theme is nicely borne out in the illustrations, which occasionally feature hints of human figures in abstract scenes of nature and make very effective use of color to evoke sympathetic feeling. Though the global scope of this prayer can seem overwhelming, a note about Goodall's Roots and Shoots program, which emphasizes how lots of small efforts can produce big change, concludes the volume with a message of hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)