BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP: BIBLE STORIES, POEMS AND PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN Ann Pilling Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton Toronto, Kids Can Press, 1990. 96pp, galley, $19.95 ISBN 0-921103-45-X. CIP Kindergarten and up/ Ages 5 and up Reviewed by Alison Mews. Volume 18 Number 6 1990 November Kady MacDonald Denton, who won the 1990 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for her illustrations in Til All the Starts Have Fallen has turned her considerable talents to creating a beautiful book of Bible stories for children. The soft water-colour illustra­tions, which decorate every page, and the uncluttered format entice young children to its pages. The first half of the book contains selections that pertain to the Old Testament and the second half to the New Testament. The stories have been stripped of their difficult biblical prose and retold simply in a conversational tone. Interspersed throughout are poems, hymns, prayers and songs, which are placed where most appropri­ate. For example, "Morning Has Broken" follows the creation story and The Animals Went in Two by Two" follows the story of Noah's Ark. In her retelling, Ann Pilling has diluted the language sufficiently so that the Bible stories are accessible to very young children. Many of the poems and psalms, however, are at a much higher reading level and will require some introduction and interpretation by the teacher or parent. While there is no index, there is a very complete table of contents. As well, chapter and verse are recorded at the end of each Bible story included. This is a beautifully produced volume of Bible stories and will be a welcome addition to classrooms and homes. Alison Mews, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld.