A Very Little Office of Compline: Night Prayer for Children

By Bo Bonner. Tan Books. 40 pages. $14.95

Reviewed by Abigail Ulbrich

“Then Vespers lights the lamps of praise / and Compline rests our pilgrim days. / Seven-a-Day I bow my chin / and once at night to conquer sin. Amen”

In an age of ultra-fast publishing and overly-cartoonish illustrations, A Very Little Office of Compline shines in its careful thoughtfulness. While our public libraries are stuffed with fluff, this understated book is refreshing. At 40 pages and six and a half by four inches, it’s the ideal size for little hands, as evidenced by my six-, four-, and two-year olds “taking turns” carrying it around the house. The layout is simple and uncluttered, which is a relief for overstimulated parents and young readers alike.

Those familiar with the ancient Liturgy of the Hours prayer will recognize the poems, as author Bo Bonner refreshes psalms, readings, and prayers from the options for Night Prayer, or Compline. But even if one is unfamiliar or out of practice, this is a great way to ease back in. Bonner’s poems are delightful and memorable, reminiscent of collections like When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne, creator of the beloved children’s character Winnie the Pooh (illustrated by E. H. Shepard). A Very Little Office begins with a short poem explaining the seven “hours” of prayer that make up the rhythm of the daily Liturgy: “Matins speaks from silence deep/ as Lauds, the dawning harvests reap.” It continues with the Incipit, opening chant, Lectio Brevis, short reading, and Confiteor, followed by a series of psalms and hymns.

Two stunning watercolor illustrations by Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs beautifully accompany each poem, one image depicting a theme of the prayer or psalm and the other an image of a religious in a prayerful posture, complete with flowing habit. As a parent reading to my young children, these images of pious religious help me feel we are joining the monasteries and convents, whose days are structured around the rhythm of prayer.

I’ve never seen a children’s prayer book with such delightful, simple, yet sophisticated artwork. For the Christmas season, the “Little Chapter and Verse” is accompanied by a painting of the Blessed Mother, a donkey, and an ox adoring the Christ Child: “But Lord, You are among us/ and Your name is invoked upon us/ may Your love never forsake us/ Our Lord and God above us. / Thanks be to God.”  My toddler’s favorite image is of the mother hen and her chicks that accompanies the “Versicle”: “The apple of Your eye/ keep us/ Under Your wing’s shadow/ protect us.”

The book concludes with four Marian antiphons and helpful instructions for when to pray them in the liturgical year. Again, each re-imagined prayer has a matching illustration to help children understand the meaning. The abbreviated poem of the Salve Regina includes an illustration of Mary with her mantle held out to shelter two kneeling people asking for her intercession:

Our Queen and our hope

toward thee we grope

in this valley of exile and tears

turn merciful eyes

O Advocate wise

on us, ‘til thy fruit, Christ, appears.

It’s refreshing to present children with something so lovely with which to pray, and it’s a delight to pray with them! This simple book is a beautiful and effective way to introduce children to the Liturgy of the Hours and makes a great gift for a first communicant. Truly, this book is perfect for a family with many ages and is a lovely addition for your home library.

This article appeared in the February 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.