Ask the Animals: Spiritual Wisdom from All God’s Creatures - Canham, Elizabeth. Morehouse, 2006. 138p. $15.00, paperback. ISBN-10: 0-8192-2232-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-8192-2232-9. www.morehousepublishing.org 242 Animal—Religious aspects—Christianity.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life; what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear...Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them (Luke 12:22-24, NIV).

After God created the animals of the earth, God proclaimed, “It is good.” With so much beauty all around us, what better way to become grounded again when dealing with life’s problems than to look at these special gifts God has given us?

In this unique devotional, Elizabeth Canham, an Episcopal priest who directs a retreat ministry in North Carolina, helps readers examine such topics as life, humility, dance, anger, play, fear, and trust. The thirty devotions are each no more than a few pages long, but all include a beautiful story relating to one of God’s special creations, domesticated or wild (there are dogs, cats, snakes, koala bears, spiders, and many more).

Accompanying scripture passages and prayers for each entry lend themselves perfectly to devotions for and individual or a church group. This is a wonderful way to celebrate the beauty of God’s creation through animals—from the smallest ant to the largest whale.

Mary Lou Henneman
Boardman United Methodist Church
Boardman, Ohio