A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 286

Picture Book: The Dove

Author: Dianne Stewart

Illustrator: Jude Daly

Summary: After crops are destroyed by flood on Lindi’s South African farm, she and her grandmother begin feeding a dove who they liken to the dove in the story of Noah’s ark. To buy new seed for planting and to feed themselves, they make traditional bead jewelry to sell at market, but they are unsuccessful. Then Lindi is inspired to make a beautiful beaded dove, a unique item, which sells easily. As new crops grow, they create new designs for beaded animals and begin to make a good living.    

Hanna’s Comments: Though this story ties into Noah’s ark, it could be used in a variety of lessons that are unrelated to the flood from the Hebrew Scriptures such as lessons on ingenuity or work, both of which are gifts from God. No matter your topic, be sure to talk about the symbolism of the dove in the Old Testament story and what it might mean to these two characters.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Green Willow Books, 2005

Age and Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up

# of Pages: 32  

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present 

PBT Category: Post 2 K

PBT Topics this Book connects with: Africa, animals, change, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, disaster, eggs/seeds, family, flood, gifts/giftedness/talents, home, labor/work, land/mountains, poverty, rain, storm

Scripture Connections: Noah’s ark (Genesis 6), be transformed by the renewal of your mind to discern what is the will of God (Romans 12:2), according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book as part of a program about social justice issues surrounding fair trade practices or fair trade companies such as Ten Thousand Villages or SERRV.org.