Lord Help Me: Inspiring Prayers for Every Day by Brenda Figueroa, Emme Muñiz
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on September 29, 2020
ISBN: 0593120086
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
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This is a picture book, for pre-3 grade,  features a young girl who prays throughout her day.  Written from the point of view of a child, inferring that it is Emme’s voice, she asks the Lord to help her with basic daily tasks that a young person may encounter.  Getting ready for school when you feel rushed, paying attention in class, telling the truth, caring for her pets and getting along with her brother are simply stated and clearly illustrated on each two page spread.  The text or prayer then extends to a world view by saving sloths, flips back to the personal of being grateful and then switches to taking care of the world.  The prayer ends, as the girl ends her day, with a standard thanks to Jesus and a request for calming to fall asleep easily.  The end papers includes the standard “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer and a note from Emme, who is twelve and the daughter of celebrity parents, about why she wrote this book.  Figueroa’s illustrations provide a few extra details to the topic by adding a sloth or two on most pages.  Although the book does not have a stand out quality, it will be useful for discussions about prayer in various Christian settings due to the honest portrayal of various child struggles.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services, Springvale Public Library