A Very Merry Christmas Prayer

Structured as a prayer of thanksgiving, this board book features an anthropomorphic cast of animals that celebrates Christmas with caroling, ice-skating, making gingerbread houses, and more. Focusing on thankfulness and gratitude, Jensen uses a repeating form to draw connections between present-day blessings, the birth of Jesus, and its ramifications: “Thank You, God, for strings of light,/ So twinkling and bright,/ Just like the star that led wise men/ On that special night.” Moore fashions a fairly adorable cast of rabbits, moose, mice, and other creatures, the sheer coziness of her wintry setting underlining the sense of security so present in Jensen’s prayer. Up to age 4. (Sept.)