Paws Together for God - helping children access prayer 

Helping children to understand the comforting nature of prayer is the subject of Hilary Robinson's latest picture book  - Paws Together for God

 
'Raising three kids isn't easy - it takes a lot of prayer and patience,'  said Beyonce recently to GQ Magazine.  'I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace.'
 
Finding peace in our lives, in what seems to be an increasingly fractured society and precarious world, can take many forms.

For many that means finding space, settling the mind and connecting with the inner voice that can be found through the practice of prayer. 

It can also be found in the holistic and therapeutic elements of nature and it was both of these considerations that helped inform the idea for Paws Together for God.
 
The story serves as a gentle introduction to the healing properties of prayer and the beauty of the world around us coupled with the understanding that God is always listening to us. In a world where information can seem overwhelming at times, the quiet construct of prayer can be an ideal way to help children cope with obstacles in their lives, their insecurities and their anxieties. 
 
In Paws Together for God, illustrator Mandy Stanley and I approach the subject of prayer with a pared back, reassuring text. Each word, phrase and sentence has been carefully considered. This is complemented by adorable and engaging illustrative rural detail which provides a comforting backdrop for the two characters, bears Elder, and the younger Berry. 

Berry asks question after question of Elder who, in turn patiently offers positive reassurance.  In many ways, the deliberate stilted pauses between the questions and answers and then the next question simulate the plane of prayer, nudging the reader towards the place where that extended moment of reflection opens up to a spiritual communication with God.
 
The illustrations are as equally important as the text of any picture book and for a story on the exploratory nature of prayer it seemed appropriate for us to set Paws Together for God in the holistic world of nature.
 
Biophilia or  “love of life,” is rooted in the notion that our communion with nature "stem from an innate, biologically-driven need to interact with other forms of life such as animals and plants." (Psychology Today) and it was the architect, Frederick Law who said that "nature employs the mind without fatigue and yet enlivens it. Tranquilizes it and enlivens it. And thus, through the influences of the mind over body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system."   

Just like prayer.
 
Our story starts ... "It was a wet and stormy night ..."  implying an undercurrent of uncertainty, mirroring Berry's unsettled mind as he feels it necessary to recite his prayer in a loud voice. Elder asks him why he is shouting and Berry explains "So that God can hear me over the storm." 

Spread by spread, Elder assuages Berry's concerns and curiosity and assures him that God hears all our prayers whether we are happy, sad or sorry, whether we are speaking loudly, whispering or not even speaking at all and when we are awake, sleepy or fast asleep in bed.
 
The story edges towards that conclusion with Berry and Elder putting their paws together and reciting the soporific prayer of the bears,
 
                  "God, the friend of little bears,
                  keep me in your loving care.
                  Be my guide in all I do,
                  Bless all those who love me too.
 
as Berry drifts away to peaceful sleep.
 
And so, just as Beyonce tells us she finds patience and prayer helps her in the difficult job of raising her children - we find that children too can navigate their own personal challenges in the same way knowing that Elder and Berry have helped to guide them on that journey. 
 
 

Paws Together for God by Hilary Robinson and illustrated by Mandy Stanley is published by Starshine Books for SPCK

Hilary Robinson is a network radio producer for the BBC Religion and Ethics department and has written over 40 books and picture books for children, including Mixed Up Fairy Tales, The Christmas Star and God’s Love in a Nutshell. She has won several awards and been nominated for the Carnegie Award