French orig. publ. under the titles Le mieux aimé (1947) and Prières dans l'arche (1955); translations taken from Prayers from the ark (New York, Viking, 1962).Ex-lib. AADL ( )

Beautiful sophisticated poetry. Free verse translated from the French. A good book to model free verse poetry. Appropriate for worship talks. Good characterizations ( )

These prayers, created by Carmen Bernos De Gasztold, were first published, in French, in 1947 by a private press. Rumer Godden discovered a volume of them and translated them into English. The poem-prayers are at once reverent, humorous, realistic and concise. While being presented as children's poems / prayers, they are for all ages. A delightful and inspiring book!

About the Author:

Carmen Bernos de Gasztold (born 1919) in Arcachon, France, spent her childhood in the province of Bordeaux, France. She had 5 sisters and brothers. After World War II she went to live at the Benedictine Abbeye Saint Louis du Temple at Limon-par-Igny. Her masterpiece Prayers from the Ark was originally published by the private press of the abbey. The 27 poems, each a simple prayer by one of the animals in Noah’s Ark, are full of wit, gentle devotion and warmth. Another collection of poems The Creatures' Choir was written quite a few years later in the form of poetic letters to God, where the animals refer to their daily problems.

Includes illustrations.