Green Grass, Still Water: A Reimagining of the 23rd Psalm for Today's Children

The Bible's Psalm 23 compares God to a shepherd who guides, provides for, and protects his sheep. It was easy for children 3,000 years ago to understand the psalm, because many children were shepherds or knew shepherds. Now, most children never meet sheep unless they go to a petting zoo. But most children understand how they, or a friend or neighbor, tenderly care for a beloved pet. That is why, instead of pictures of shepherds and sheep, this book shows a child and a cat.

The text in this book is from the King James Version of the Bible. Some of the English words that were used in 1611, when the King James Version was published, are not used in quite the same way now, but people today still love and find solace in its beautiful, poetic language.

It is my hope that the combination of the ancient text and modern pictures will provide a way for adults to guide today's children to a deeper understanding of this beloved psalm.