Inspirational and gloriously illustrated, THE CIRCLE OF DAYS honors the beauty of the natural world. (ages 5-12) In 1225, Saint Francis of Assisi wrote the Canticle of the Sun, a moving hymn of praise for all creation that has been adapted to poetry and song for centuries. Reeve Lindbergh evokes its gentle power once again with THE CIRCLE OF DAYS, quietly blending her words with those of Saint Francis to honor the elements, the animals, the heavens, and the very breath of life. With marvelous, jewel-toned paintings by Cathie Felstead echoing the childlike reverence of the poem, THE CIRCLE OF DAYS reminds children and adults alike to pause, to wonder at, and to give thanks for the beauty of our world. Now in paperback, this accessible edition features a beautiful new cover. From the Trade Paperback edition. In 1225, Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)--Italian founder of the Franciscan order of monks and a notorious nature lover--wrote "The Canticle of the Sun," an incantatory hymn of praise for all creation. Poet Reeve Lindbergh--daughter of aviator Charles Lindbergh and poet Anne Morrow Lindbergh--has gently respun part of this work in the stunning picture book The Circle of Days . A celebration of air, water, fire, earth, and life itself, this mesmerizing hymn begins, "Lord, we offer thanks and praise / For the circle of our days. / Praise for radiant brother sun, / Who makes the hours around us run." We take our hats off to artist Cathie Felstead, illustrator of A Caribbean Dozen , who with watercolor, gouache, and collage, has created some of the most breathtaking land, sky, and seascapes we've ever seen. With a remarkable use of color and cut paper , we witness the change of seasons, the scuttling of crabs, a skyful of fireworks, and moonlit cows. As an artist, she says she responded to the simple poem because, "Saint Francis took pleasure in the world with a childlike directness. He is the kind of saint whose words reach out to everyone." Youngsters will be soothed by the simple rhythm of the poem, and there's no better way to celebrate the wonders of our planet than with the graceful beauty of Felstead's unforgettable paintings. (Click to see a sample spread . Illustrations © 1998 by Cathie Felstead. Permission by Candlewick Press.) (All ages) PreSchool-Grade 3?The Canticle of the Sun, a prayer composed by Francis of Assisi, has been translated and adapted many times since 1225. Lindbergh's version uses a conventional metrical form, but the short tetrameter line sometimes dictates odd phrasing, and too often the accents shift as lines randomly alternate between trochaic and iambic: "Praise for radiant brother sun/Who makes the hours around us run." These verses have a poverty not attributable to the saint of the poor. The pictures, on the other hand, are rich in color, simple in form, yet full of interest. Collage accents add dimension to the flat planes painted in clear primary colors. Compositions are formal, but varied page layout and viewpoints add to the liveliness of the pages. This is a book for the eye, if not the ear.?Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ages 4^-9. Almost 800 years after it was first written by St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun remains breathtakingly lovely, especially in this translation and adaptation, which fits in with the multitude of environmental books but stands far above them aesthetically. Lindbergh's text, which praises all creation, flows gracefully, and though she enumerates a few things more specifically than St. Francis ("For desert, orchard, rock, and tree, / For forest, meadow, mountain, sea"), she stays faithful to the words, tone, and spirit of the original. She doesn't shy away from including "sister death" ("For brother sleep, and sister death, / Who tend the borders of our breath"), and, as in the rest of the book, the illustrations, which are large enough to be enjoyed by a group, convey the meaning of the words without distracting from their quiet eloquence. The main illustration for "brother sleep and sister death" shows a child solemnly regarding a dead beetle. Underneath is a panel of small pictures depicting the growth cycle of a tree, from an acorn to a tree with bare branches. Felstead's use of both paint and sharply cut paper gives the pictures a 3-D appearance, complete with subtle shading, texture, and a wealth of fascinating detail. An excellent purchase for most religion shelves. Susan Dove Lempke The Circle Of Days -- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® This sunny work- adapted, in fact, from St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun , written in 1225 - is a paean of praise for the beauty and bounty of the world around us. The lilting verse and appealing double-page illustrations in watercolor, gouache and collage make the book one that will both comfort and delight the youngest listeners and viewers. Moon and stars; wind and air; whales and waterm