All Things Bright and Beautiful, by Ashley Bryan (All ages)
Based on the well-known hymn, Ashley Bryan’s latest book is an explosion of life and color. Each page celebrates the diversity of life, whether it be human, plant or animal, with exuberantly colored paper cutouts. Bryan uses his mother’s embroidery scissors to bring this poem to life in his own unique way — on the final page, God’s hands are made of a myriad of colors ranging from tan to pink to deep brown. There’s a short biography of Cecil Frances Alexander, Irish hymn writer and poetess, at the end of the book, as well as the words and music to the hymn.
All Things Bright and Beautiful, by Ashley Bryan, Atheneum Books For Young Readers, $16.99
