Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the world"s best-known saints, acknowledged for his devotion to nature, especially animals. In The Circle of Days the American poet Reeve Lindbergh has adapted St Francis"s Canticle of the Sun into simple rhyming verse that has been beautifully illustrated by Cathie Felstead.The joy of this book is that Reeve Lindbergh has managed to take a prayer written in 1225 and bring it up to date to make it relevant for the modern child. However, the author, has lost nothing of the original idea, which was to celebrate the beauty of the world around us and to be amazed by it"s diversity. The text races along in simple rhymes that make the reading of, and listening to, such a delight"Praise for our sister, mother earth, who cares for each of us from birth. For all her children, fierce or mild, for sister, brother, parent, child."Children today are very aware of their environment and how important it is to preserve the natural world. This book is a great introduction to the beauty of our world and why we should care for it and be amazed by it.Cathie Felstead is a well-known illustrator and has previously been runner-up for the Mother Goose Award. In The Circle of Days her stunning illustrations tie in perfectly with the text, making this book a joyful celebration of nature and a fitting reminder to us all of the beauty of our world. --Miranda Warren