This is a prayer written for one little girl, but it is a hopeful prayer for boys and girls all over the world.

It is full of the intimate gentleness for familiar things, the love of friends and family, and the kindly protection of God. It carries a universal appeal for all ages and races, and brings out hearts and minds the deep responsibility for preserving for all times the faith and hopes of little children.

Rachel Field wrote this prayer for her own daughter, but she now shares it with children all over the world. Her beloved children's books include Newberry Medal-winner Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, Calico Bush, and Hepatica Hawks.

Elizabeth Orton Jones has perfectly captured the spirit and reverence of Prayer For a Child. As in her own Twig, Big Susan, and Song of the Sun, she has found that simple magical key to a child's heart.