This book is a lighthearted, irreverent book about the ups and downs of being a woman married with kids. I recommend it to any woman, especially mothers, who feel that they're just barely in control of their life! This book will affirm your job as a wife, housewife and mother and lift your spirits.

To quote from the jacket -- "If your daily dealings with children alternately frustrate or elate you, Painting Rainbows offers refreshing solace. In it the author takes a lighthearted look at some of the typical day to day experiences faced by those who deal with children and offers them to God attached to a prayer for HELP!"

This book really touches on the love/hate relationship of dealing with God's most awesome gift - children. The author writes as someone who has "been there". I found it refreshing and down-to-earth; inspiring, uplifting and humourous. She reminds us that we are all God's children. I highly recommend it.

My 8-year old daughter loved this book as much as I enjoyed sharing it with her. Each guided imagery began with "Tonight would be a good night to imagine ... and the author would take the child on a gentle little journey before turning things over to God in prayer. My daughter loved slipping down into the covers and closing her eyes each night to imagine before we would pray. What kept it from 5 stars was the chronology of prayers. They were seasonal, so we were reading about Christmas in the summer. And there weren't enough of them! Give us more, Bernadette! Otherwise, we loved reading this book together!

Our 5 year old son loves hearing these short, imaginative stories and prayers each night. They help him calm down and get mentally prepared for bedtime, and he often remembers them the next day. No deep theology here, but a gentle and whimsical approach to remembering the Creator, to which you can easily add your own more personalized prayers.

I ordered this book to find material for my "Word of the Day" I use in class. While the book does have interesting information about words, it also proselytizes for Christianity about every third or fourth entry. Examples: After telling about an elephant (as if most kids don't know!), "Aren't you glad YOU can jump? Do some jumping today! Go outside and jump...and tell God thanks for YOUR special spring mechanism!" About 'far-flung,' "...you could say that you have one far-flung friend who is always near - your friend God!" A great book for hard-core Christians, perhaps, but not recommended for anyone with a different view.