My Little Prayer

by David Archuleta, Sara Ugolotti (Illustrator)

Overview

In his first ever children's book, singer David Archuleta conveys the profound love to be found in our personal relationships with God. 

"David was truly inspired in writing this book. I know it will reassure every child that God is there waiting to hear from us. Thank you, David, for following through on your inspiration." —Marie Osmond 

Based on the lyrics of David's popular and moving song, My Little Prayer tells the story of a young boy who discovers that what God wants for him is even better than what he wanted for himself. Learn to trust, learn faith, and most of all, learn to pray in this beautifully woven tale of art, music, and faith.

Full text:

Heavenly Father, I am grateful

for your eternal presence.

I am learning to be patient and that you are really there.

Sometimes I am afraid, and I know that's lacking faith.

But I'm beginning to understand that for me you have a plan.

Heavenly Father, I am grateful for you sending your Son.

To die so that I live

and for never giving up.

I'm learning everyday

that I won’t always have my way.

But I'm beginning to understand

that for me you have a plan.

Heavenly Father, I am grateful for you hearing my prayer.

I am learning to be patient and that you are really there.

There are answers I'm receiving;

no, they're not always immediate.

Sometimes I have felt defeated. That’s when I kneel down in prayer.

You show me you hear my prayer.

I’m amazed by how you care,

’cause you hear . . .

my little prayer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781952239540
Publisher:	Bushel & Peck Books
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,075,377
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

David Archuleta became a star when he was just 16 years old. In 2008, more than 30 million television viewers fell in love with his angelic voice and their 44 million votes made him runner-up in Season 7 of ‘American Idol.’ Soon after, David had his first single, ‘Crush,’ debut at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of its release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the track sold 166,000 downloads that first week in the U.S. and subsequently more than 1.92 million digital copies to become double platinum. Three months later, David’s self-titled album, ‘David Archuleta,’ went gold, selling more than 750,000 copies in the U.S., and more than 900,000 copies worldwide. With a faithful social media following, David has toured all over the U.S., Canada, Asia and even performed in the Middle East for the U.S. troops. 

Sara Ugolotti was born in a small town in Italy. In 2012, she obtained a degree in Architecture from the University of Parma, and in 2015, she earned a degree in Illustration from the International School of Comics in Reggio Emilia. Specializing in children's books, she has worked as a freelance illustrator for clients worldwide including Auzou Editions, IglooBooks, Il Battello a Vapore, Jilin Publishing Group Ltd, Oxford University Press, Rusconi Libri, and Usborne Publishing.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2021

PreS-Gr 1—Using pastel colors and a vocabulary of easy-to-read words and addressing God directly, Archuleta's book is a prayer of very few but powerful lines. "Heavenly Father, I am grateful for your eternal presence. I am learning to be patient and that you are really there." The scenes of softened orange, mint green, teal blue, sunset pink, and more are set in classrooms and a neighborhood, as a pale-skinned boy, whose classmates are of many different races, gets through lunch and ball practice, and then returns home to finish "my little prayer." It's a slight idea but warmly executed, and may give children a way into the ups and downs of certain systems of belief; you don't always get what you want, but you accept there is a plan. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections seeking simple prayer books, more for individual reading than sharing in a group setting.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2021-08-18
Based on the lyrics of his song by the same name, Archuleta’s foray into picture books calls upon his musical roots as well as his faith.

The book is language-sparse, with most of the story told through Ugolotti’s illustrations. These depict a White child who dreams of playing soccer but must grapple with disappointment. When the unnamed protagonist, who presents male, is not picked to play for the soccer team, he befriends a Black child who presents female and who has also been left out of the game, due to injury. Their initial connection on the sidelines blossoms into a true friendship, proving to be a far richer outcome than the aspiring soccer star could have anticipated. Alongside the visual story runs a little prayer of gratitude thanking God for his presence, patience, and plan in the child’s life. The words are general, with no reference to either soccer or friendship: “Heavenly Father, I am grateful for your eternal presence. / I am learning to be patient and that you are really there.” Though the interracial mixed-gender friendship is cute, the overall prayer and plot are bland. This is useful to augment collections and bookshelves where Christian picture books are in high demand, but it does not stand out from the pack. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Though cheerful illustrations add some zest, this little prayer feels flat. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews