About the Author

When he was eight years old, Tim lost an eye in an accident. During his recovery, his father gave him oil paints, a couple of brushes, and a small canvas. He painted a clown with colors straight from the tube. Tim's first work was promptly framed, and his love of painting was born.

Tim earned a degree in graphic design from Wichita State University and also studied painting and drawing for a semester in Rome. Following school, Tim worked as an associate art director of an advertising design studio in Wichita, Kansas.

Then for seventeen years Tim served as a community minister with an inner-city Christian mission organization in Wichita, Los Angeles, and Newark. To help meet the need for children's books that accurately depict urban culture, he created the picture book Psalm Twenty-Three, in which he applied the psalmist David's pastoral words to a normal day of two city children.

Tim has illustrated a number of children's books, two of which, The Fear Not Angel and Psalm Twenty-Three were Gold-Medallion Award finalists. Psalm Twenty-Three and Silent Night were also honored with ABA "Pick of the Lists" awards. Tim serves as a graphic artist for World Impact Urban Ministry Institute and lives in Wichita, Kansas.

Reviews

Washington Post Book World
"Applying pastels and acrylic glazes to watercolors, Ladwig uses the prayer to illustrate the story of a little girl who joins her father in repairing an elderly neighbor's house. The illustrator of such similarly themed books as Psalm Twenty-Three and Morning Has Broken, Ladwig excels in the little details that both echo and confirm his book's message. . . . Ladwig proves that a deftly executed illustration drives a point home as effectively as words -- even when the words are as eloquent as those in the Lord's Prayer." The Bloomsbury Review
"With no exposition or dialogue Tim Ladwig weaves 'The Lord's Prayer' into a touching story about a young girl and her father spending the day together. They help an elderly woman repair her home and together find the true meaning of giving and love. The most amazing thing about The Lord's Prayer is that the story is told through illustrations alone. And these are some of the most beautiful illustrations I've ever seen. This book is an excellent addition to any child's bookshelf." Booklist
"Full-page watercolor, pastel, and acrylic paintings, burnished to a bronze glow, illustrate this slightly simplified version of the Lord's Prayer. . . . The paintings use light, shading, and detail brilliantly. We see the broken pickets, the overgrown grass, and the opened clasp on the medallion; we see the father's muscled, brown arms and the girl's tight braids with their cheery, candy-colored ties. Rendered with clarity, simplicity, and not a trace of saccharine preaching, this illumination of an old Christian prayer will have a wide audience." Moody Magazine
"With incredible ability and clarity, the illustrations paint a subtle yet obvious picture of the deep meaning of the words 'Our Father in heaven.’ . . . You'll want to get this, read it, and then give it (or buy another one) as a donation to your school, church, or public library."

Washington Post Book World
"Applying pastels and acrylic glazes to watercolors, Ladwig uses the prayer to illustrate the story of a little girl who joins her father in repairing an elderly neighbor's house. The illustrator of such similarly themed books as Psalm Twenty-Three and Morning Has Broken, Ladwig excels in the little details that both echo and confirm his book's message. . . . Ladwig proves that a deftly executed illustration drives a point home as effectively as words -- even when the words are as eloquent as those in the Lord's Prayer." The Bloomsbury Review
"With no exposition or dialogue Tim Ladwig weaves 'The Lord's Prayer' into a touching story about a young girl and her father spending the day together. They help an elderly woman repair her home and together find the true meaning of giving and love. The most amazing thing about The Lord's Prayer is that the story is told through illustrations alone. And these are some of the most beautiful illustrations I've ever seen. This book is an excellent addition to any child's bookshelf." Booklist
"Full-page watercolor, pastel, and acrylic paintings, burnished to a bronze glow, illustrate this slightly simplified version of the Lord's Prayer. . . . The paintings use light, shading, and detail brilliantly. We see the broken pickets, the overgrown grass, and the opened clasp on the medallion; we see the father's muscled, brown arms and the girl's tight braids with their cheery, candy-colored ties. Rendered with clarity, simplicity, and not a trace of saccharine preaching, this illumination of an old Christian prayer will have a wide audience." Moody Magazine
"With incredible ability and clarity, the illustrations paint a subtle yet obvious picture of the deep meaning of the words 'Our Father in heaven.' . . . You'll want to get this, read it, and then give it (or buy another one) as a donation to your school, church, or public library."