He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Absolutely beautiful illustrations! We have too many kids books with animals in them and I wanted some featuring families of different races and this was recommended. It’s perfect! The words are the song lyrics that many know so well, so I sang the words versus read them to my toddler and we paused on each page and talked about the pictures. If you don’t know the song the music for it is on the back page so you can learn the tune! The song is about God so if you don’t believe in God this probably isn’t a book for you. That being said it does not directly say God, it just say “He/His” and it does not reference Jesus or any other religious figures so I think it’s suitable for those of any monotheistic faith! I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for gorgeous illustrations of families that look like you, or families that don’t!

Where do I begin?? LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I actually just ordered 6 additional copies to give out as Christmas gifts. I was looking for a book that my 4yr old son could see himself in because at age 4, he was now very much aware of the color of his friends and family. I am yellow, his dad is black, one day he said I want to be yellow like you mommy, not brown. So, I immediately ordered 5 books about the beauty of diversity and how we are all different but all beautiful etc. This was one of them. When bedtime came and I pulled out all 5 books, he immediately grabbed this one with the beautiful brown boy on the cover and exclaimed "I want this one!" Wow is all I can say! The pictures are absolutely breathtaking and rich. The story is very simple but the illustrations bring the pages to life. It is such a plus that by age 4 most children know the song already, so after the story you can sing the song with your child. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Out of all 5 books, this was the best!

"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is currently my son's favorite song; he sings it nearly every day, so as soon as I saw this book, I had to buy it. I'm so glad I did. The lyrics to this spiritual-turned-favorite-hymn provide all the text. Written music is also provided on the last page. The illustrations are what truly make this book exceptional. Award-winning artist Kadir Nelson chose San Francisco as his setting. The illustrations feature a multiethnic family living in and engaging the world from a child's perspective. What I Like: Everything! The colors, the size, the diversity, the message of faith and community. The illustations are magnificent! The entire book is quite striking. I love it! Better yet my kids do too. :) What I Dislike: Nothing. Overall Rating: Excellent. Tanya -- Christian Children's Book Review

I purchased this book for my son before his arrival. I love the song, and I was absolutely captivated by the beautiful illustration of the child on the front cover. I've subsequently given it as a gift several times! The illustrations are magnificent, and of course, the song is a classic. My son, now 20 months, loves books I can sing, and I pulled this out for him last week. He now finds it himself and brings it to me repeatedly. He is as captivated by the gorgeous illustrations as I am. The choice of subject-matter is simple and deeply moving. We send out a big "Thank you!" to Kadir Nelson for creating this warm and touching work of art! I am sure it will remain one of my favorite books to give as a gift!

My 3 yr old grandson LOVED this book. Just attended his first Vacation Bible School this summer... This song was the one his class sang for the closing program. I pointed to the cover ... Asked him "Who is this boy?" A big grin on his face, he said "It's ME!" Yes, illustrations that look familiar to children, like them and their mommy, daddy, etc..... matters. And in this book, it's done with high quality, beautiful artwork and a song familiar to the whole family.

The picture on the cover is why I originally borrowed the book from the library. My 2 year old grandson learned the song at day care and I wanted him to have a worthy visual to go along with the lyrics. I had to buy it. The illustrations are breathtaking with every turn of the page and truly give such meaning to the words. I also appreciate the gift of the sheet music and lyrics separately at the end. I chose to purchase it from the option of Goodwill through Amazon because I support Goodwill through donation and purchase whenever possible and the book arrived in pristine condition in less than a week.

This is a must have classic for children. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful. The words you might know. I am a librarian for youth services. Kids love this book.

Illustrations are beautiful but this did not capture the imagination of our little ones, ages 1 and 4. Seems more like a book an adult would like kids to like. If your little focuses on illustrations and likes to talk about pictures it may be a hit, mine are more interested in story.

I could buy up every book that Kadir Nelson has illustrated, cut out the pages and frame them all over my home. That's how much I love this mans work! I am in awe at the beautiful images of humanity that he captures, the way light falls on skin, the glint in an eye, he just creates beauty. With regards this book, it is just a simple sing song of the gospel/campfire favourite that has now surpassed any particular Religious denomination or creed and can just speak for humankind. The "He" of the original can be translated to whatever you wish it to be. Each page is a refrain from the song. Like most of Kadir Nelson's work this book is another beautiful portrayal of African people thankfully adding to the still sadly limited portrayal of black people in children's publishing. He shows a mainly african-american family seen through the sons eyes, but with multi-cultural additions, as most families are in this day and age. It is a lovely book. My two year old has already made this one of her nightly favourites, joining in with every page. Just buy this for the superb illustrations, and then go and order every other book he has graced with his art, you will not be disappointed!

The art in this book is beautiful. The words are just the song lyrics exactly, which works for us because my little ones love to sing along.

- Schöne Bilder, liebevoll und ansprechend (anspruchsvoll) gestaltet - mir persönlich gefällt es auch, wenn BIlder etwas weicher gezeichnet sind als hier... bin mir nicht sicher, wie Kinder das sehen - Junge in New York, der die Schönheit der Welt betrachtet, zusammen mit seinem Vater - Liedtext im hinteren Teil des Buches, mit Noten - Habe das Buch noch nicht mit Kindern zusammen gelesen... bin gespannt, ob es ihnen gefällt und was sie daraus ziehen / was sie darin entdecken

Beautifully illustrated and a fun classic song to sing with kids. I bought this book for son, as I want to make sure that his library represents racial diversity.

What a beautiful and simple book. The illustrations are just beautiful, displaying positive images of a young black boy and a glimpse into his experience of life with his family. So charming, full of such strong positive images with a main black character.