Grandad's Prayers of the Earth

A beautiful and moving picture book about the bond between a grandparent and child—and the enduring spirit of love.

"Grandad and I likes to go for walks in the woods together. We didn't walk very far. Or very fast. Or very straight. While we walked, I would ask him questions about things I wasn't sure of. One day, I asked Grandad about prayers.

"'Did you know, boy,' Grandad whispered, 'that trees pray?'"

Grandad is the boy's best friend. Being with him always makes the world seem right. And how vast that world is. A world of tall trees that reach for the clouds and sun and moon and stars—and what else is reaching for heaven but a prayer?

Each time that he and Grandad walk in the woods, the boy listens for the prayers of the earth. And while he isn't always sure he hears them, Grandad's words inspire him to keep listening.

Finally, the boy asks the hardest question of all: "Are our prayers answered, Grandad?"

And, one day, long after Grandad is gone, after many, many prayers, after the boy is grown, he understands Grandad's reply: "Most prayers are not really questions. And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer."

Douglas Wood, author of OLD TURTLE, has written a wise and moving story for readers of all ages. With paintings by acclaimed artist P. J. Lynch, this beautiful and uplifting picture book just may change your life forever.