Global Hymns of Praise

Picture Book: A World of Praise

Author: Deborah Lock

Illustrator: Helen Cann

Summary: This book begins and ends with psalms! Between those pages, experience simple poetic verses integrated with beautiful scenes of diverse children enjoying the glories of God’s creation all over the world! You’ll see mountains & flatlands, cityscapes & rural spaces, contemplative children & dancing animals. Quiet praise alternates with glorious joyful noises.

Hanna’s Comments: For a children's lesson, have a globe handy and before reading, invite them to ask you where the scenes are. You’ll find a diagram in the back that identifies each of the 16 countries/regions, but you’ll need to do a bit of prep to locate all those countries on the globe. Consider placing sticky notes on the globe to make this process easier for you or for your children to do the searching. This will encourage your children’s curiosity about their world (God's world) and build their globe skills, an added benefit. Too old school for you? Add an internet component with a tablet or laptop. Repeatedly emphasize God is everywhere and the source of all!

There are not a lot of these books on the market so check with your local library system. If your library doesn’t have the book, ask if they will order it.

Original Publisher: Eerdmans, 2020

Age Appropriateness: 4 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: You’ll find in these pages the following scriptures, but any verses about the glory, gifts, and/or beauty of nature will connect here:

Psalm 24:1-2 is on the 1^st page. 

These are on the last pages:

Psalm 67:6

Psalm 113:3

Psalm 148:7-12

PBT Applications: Amidst a recording of quiet nature sounds, invite children to lie on the floor, close their eyes, and imagine portions of this book that you choose to read aloud slowly. Adapt the length of the reading so that listeners, no matter their age or attention span, can attend well and imagine fully.

For very young children, I would open this book to some favorite double page spreads and ask the children to tell you what they like and who made it. Talk about sensory experiences, especially sights/colors, textures, and sounds. Say together simple sentences, like Thank you God for birdsong! OR Thank you for making the stars so beautiful, God!

Our Home: Our Earth

Below I describe a brand-new book by one of my favorite picture book authors! This book will have your audience thinking seriously and expansively about Earth, our Dot - the home we all share.

Picture Book: Here: The Dot We Call Home

Author: Laura Alary

Illustrator: Cathrin Peterslund

Summary: This beautiful book offers a wise young girl's wide view of home, time, and space. Beginning in her bedroom and moving outwardly, she draws a line between her house now and before she lived there. She explains that others who lived there left behind things: good things (a tree swing, a secret hedge) and some unwanted things (junk). Wisely she offers the same thought exercise to her city and then our Earth. She invites the reader to go back (turn the page) and see how her city has changed. Historical elements are shown.

Then the illustrator shows the ugliness in some places because other things were left behind.

Our intelligent tour guide ends this thought exercise with a far view of our globe; Dot can look very small from space. She lovingly wishes she could care for all of Earth for the people who are to come after her. "But it is too big. And I am so small." So she engages in a beautiful practice! When feeling overwhelmed by the issues of our globe, she says to herself, “But I can love this... and this."

Mindful moments and small acts of creation care serve to boost her hope about the resilience of our home and its inhabitants. 

Hanna’s Comments: Alary & Peterslund offer a remarkable construction of the breadth of the subject of home and the details that give it beauty and meaning. Through a thoughtful imaginary journey to the past and consideration for the future, the narrator models how to sense a calling for the present! The clarity & detail of the illustrations tell stories beyond the words so be sure to spend some time exploring those images. This keen-eyed girl invites all to gaze gratefully. She may be small and the subject of her worries big, but her vision and agency are expansive. Let her encourage your own children to care for our Dot so that we don't leave so much ugliness behind.

  

Below I have links to other Alary books featured here at PBT, including a Guest Author post - my first! Why do I like her books so much? Like in this book, Alary offers a clever slant on Truth, Faith, and Holy Love. For those of you doing family ministry, you'll want to explore her Bible for tweens & teens and her liturgical resource books which are full of clever ideas for making church seasons meaningful! All her creations can be found HERE

Original Publisher: Paraclete Press, 2022

Age Appropriateness: Age 3 and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet & Audiobook

Scripture Connections: There are so many scriptures about home and our Earth, particularly land! Here are a few: 

The creation narratives (Genesis 1 & 2)

The Israelites longing for home while exiled in Babylon (Psalm 137)

For you shall not pollute the land... (Numbers 35:33)

I lift my eyes to the hills... (Psalm 121:1)

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish woman tears hers down. (Proverbs 14:1)

The Earth is polluted by its inhabitant... (Isaiah 24:5)

… if anything is excellent and praiseworthy, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

PBT Applications: Read this book to a group of children in your church who are about to engage in some creation care or environmental justice activities. It will motivate them and give them a wider sense of purpose and "grounded" joy! Have them offer contrasting gratitudes to God: 

    something small then something big

    something personal then something shared by all

    something natural then something human-made

    something microscopic then something in outerspace

Links to Laura Alary here at PBT: 

Guest Author Post

How Do I Pray for Grandpa?

Mira and the Big Story

Hello from Around the World!

Picture Book: Hello World: 

                        A Celebration of Languages and Curiosities

Author: Jonathan Litton

Illustrator: L ’Atelier Cartographik

Summary: This is a big red book with a set of captivating first 3 sentences: 

Hello starts friendships. 

Hello opens doors. 

Hello brings smiles. 

This author says learning to say hello in other languages enriches friendships, makes experiences more exotic, and even creates broader smiles. Amazingly, learning the 10 hellos on the first double page spread will allow you to greet over half of the world's population! The next double page spreads show the world regionally. 

Each double page spread starts with an introduction which might be just enough for you to read aloud.  In each language region (countries mostly), there are small flaps. On the outside of each flap, you'll find the word for hello. Inside the flap is the pronunciation and a short fact. After reading the introductions, open a few of the small flaps and have fun saying hello together.

There are a few additional regional sections as sidebars. For instance, there is an interesting section about Siberia - locals say your words will freeze there when temperatures are especially low. Also, you'll find comments about the look of writing. The book ends with a spread about saying good-bye.

Hanna’s Comments: I especially love a book that embraces the beautiful diversity of God's creation and the spiritual practice of hospitality! When you run across a fabulous book like this one that is not your typical read-loud, rely on your creativity. Ask some unusual questions. Don't just think of picture books as read-aloud experiences. Are there unusual ways this book can be experienced and explored? Can you be inspired by its content to create fascinating hands-on or whole body experiences? Does the art hint at an activity? 

Look for the sequel and use it in your plans! Hello World Animals: An Amazing Atlas of Wildlife. 

This sequel opens doors for talking about the important practice of theological ecology and care for Earth's creatures. They are God's beloved creatures too! 

Original Publisher: Caterpillar Books, 2016

Age Appropriateness: Age 5 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: Any of the many scriptures about God's encouragement for us to practice hospitality such as: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers... (Hebrews 13:12), and  the story of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-13.

PBT Applications: This big book could be used for emphasizing how the global church started at Pentecost as described in Acts and how language was a key factor in that story. Can't you hear all the hellos that day!? OR Talk about the power of a hello in various settings, especially where you experience the love of your faith family. Don't you want visitors to experience that too? Ask: How do we show hello with our eyes? our hands? our faces? our whole bodies?

At present, if you go to the search labels below (web version) and hit "Hospitality," you'll be taken to 59 PBT posts. Here are some links to shortcut you to other PBT books about saying "hello" or the spiritual practice of hospitality. For little hands, you might consider this similar but much simpler board book: 

3 More PBT Books about Saying Hello: Say Hello 

another Say Hello! and Hello, Hello

God's Hospitality: God's Diner

Church Hospitality: 3 books

For Very Young Children: Several Books

The Pure Fun of Hospitality: And Away We Go!

African Examples: Mama Panya's Pancakes

In a Cloud of Dust

Resisting Boundaries: No Dog's Allowed

Strictly No Elephants

2 Simple & to the Point: The Big Umbrella

Yo! Yes?

A Classic: A House for Hermit Crab

A Bible Story Re-imagined: Nora's Ark

About Civil Rights History: Ruth and the Green Book

Want books about refuges? Hit that label among the search labels. At present there are 6 PBT posts about that important issue. Many are about hospitality.

God's Nature

     

Picture Book: One Earth

Author: Eileen Spinelli

Illustrator: Rogerio Coelho

Summary: This is a counting book that celebrates the beauty of our Earth. Sure the illustrations are fabulous. That would be expected. But the book is smart too! The 1st half counts 1-10 by focusing on various aspects of nature. For instance, “One wide, sweeping sky. Two honeybees.” The 2nd half counts down from 10 to 1, focusing on Earth-friendly & environmentally conscious tasks. “Four pairs of socks with holes? You can learn to sew.” The last pages emphasize that we have only “one moon, one sun, and one Earth.” Alas, this is so very true.

Hanna’s Comments: Connecting this book to the creation story in Genesis 1 is easy. God declared creation all good in Genesis 1:31. But there are other scriptures, especially in the Psalms, that evoke beautiful earthly and skyward images. Many faith-based communities are now emphasizing human roles as Earthkeepers, stewards of the great gifts God has given us. Nature appreciation, inspiration, and preservation are all parts of rich spiritual journeys. Spiritual discernment and insight are often found in nature. A tiny seed, a glacier, or a swift brook can serve as powerful metaphors for us humans.  

Original Publisher & Date: Worthy Kids, 2020

Age Appropriateness: 4 and up

Scripture Connections: any scripture which refers to a geographic aspect of Earth such as I lift up my eyes to the hills... (Psalm 121:1) OR As the deer pants for streams of water... (Psalm 42:1) OR or more generally, God has made everything beautiful in its time... (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: I list this book for a lesson in my Trinity Treasures preschool curriculum (theme: Land and Skies) based on Psalm 19:1 - The heavens are telling the glory of God...

PBT Applications: This book is a great way to begin discussions about spirituality in nature. For young children, read it and simply ask: "What does this book (or this page) tell you about God?" Before reading to older participants, ask about  favorite natural places. After the reading, encourage reflection through art, spoken word, drama, or writing. How might they help preserve their favorite spaces? End with a simple litany of praise that you say together. 

If you are interested in learning about Trinity Treasures, a scripture-based preschool Sunday school curriculum that features picture books & children’s Bibles, contact me at hannaschock@bellsouth.net. Right now, free lessons are emailed if you fill out the monthly feedback form. 

PBT God Book #14

Here’s another favorite God Book from PBT’s archives. Most books here are secular, but I include God books because they might be difficult to know about or find. These books are about the general nature of God or our relationship with God. I could have put this book in the PBT Grab & Go series because there is so much intriguing text. Little prep would be necessary for a great lesson; a discussion will naturally follow.

Picture Book: I Wanted to Know All about God

Author: Virginia L. Kroll

Illustrator: Debra Reid Jenkins

Summary: This picture book is designed to encourage children to be attentive to how God’s creation might inform them about God's nature. Various questions and environmental contexts are offered. The sentences have a somewhat repeated pattern: I wanted to know if God… then I …. Here are two examples: 

I wanted to know if God likes music, then I heard a pond on a summer night.

I wanted to know what colors God likes. Then I met several children of other races.

Hanna’s Comments: Two strengths of this book are the diversity of the children and the variety of experiences depicted in the illustrations. A book like this could be interrupted at each double page spread with conversation about whether your audience members have had similar questions or experiences. Help them see how their experiences might give hints to God’s nature. You could end your time together by writing some new pages to the book with the same pattern of words. Talk about what the illustrations might show or have the children create some illustrations if you have time. If you want to share this book with adults but aren't sure how they will respond to having a picture book read to them, simply transfer the text to your notes and read it. BUT do give the author credit at some point during your lesson by showing or explaining that the text came from a book. 

Publisher & Date of Publication: Eerdmans, 1994

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and up, Pre and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: Elijah in the cave encountering God (1 Kings 19); The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23); Jesus’ "I am..." statements (John 6-15)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book before going on a nature walk with children. On the walk, invite them to reflect on how God's creation informs them of God’s nature.

World Pray-ers

Today I continue my focus during Lent on picture books about prayer. This is a fabulous first book about prayer practices all over the world. Use in church or school settings for some great learning about faith all over the world! Such knowledge will help your young ones be more respectful and compassionate when they are teens and adults.

Picture Book: Everyone Prays:                                                                          Celebrating Faith Around the World

Author: Alexis York Lumbard 

Illustrator: Alireza Sadeghian

Summary: This book begins with "It's a wide world of faith." What wise words to enhance a child's journey into the meaning and value of prayer! Those who are young will find a rich vision of what prayer looks like beyond their own faith tradition. 

In the illustrations, they'll find a gorgeous array of prayer rituals across the globe. Christians, Jews, and Muslims get a first mention; 

 Hindus and Buddhists do too.

Prayer practices of other less common religions are mentioned as well. The images are beautifully rendered.  

Places of worship get a good deal of attention, particularly in the images. 

 These include praying outside in nature. 

A few prayer objects are listed such as books, beads, and candles. Look for others.  

The contrast is drawn between those who pray while still and those who pray via singing and dancing.

Water gets special attention here. It's used prayerfully in varying ways. 

Also, head coverings are mentioned. Some cover their heads when praying and some do not.

When a community or individual is likely to pray is also explored briefly. Baptism, perhaps the most joyful ritual for very young Christians, is depicted, 

but prayers for comfort and peace are mentioned as well. 

This last illustration is worth a conversation all on its own. Invite your children to talk about hypothetical whos, whys, whens, and wheres of this illustration and help them relate it to their own lives. 

Hanna’s Comments: I really like the simplicity of this book. You can tell this author understands the conceptual limits of young children. The illustrations are vibrant and will draw interest. Be sure all audience members can see the details. Bring with you to the lesson materials for some sensory experiences (incense, prayer rug, menorahs, crosses, etc.) and pass these around. Even better, invite a few people from other religions to talk personally about their own prayer practices and invite them to bring an object. Be sure to have a few people from your own tradition who will offer varying experiences. You don’t want the children thinking that everyone within a tradition prays in the same manner. Be sure to spend time beforehand with the information in the back of this book about the world's religions and these illustrations specifically. Then you'll be able to answer questions that might arise.

Original Publisher & Date: Wisdom Tales, 2014

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and up, Pre and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: Depending on the direction of your conversation, any scripture on prayer could be connected. Consider using these 3 from the Old Testament: Be still before the Lord and wait patiently… (Psalm 37:7); Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10); Create in me a clean heart O God… (Psalm 51:10) OR The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of young elementary-aged children to begin a rich conversation on general concepts and experiences of prayer. Later explore your church or church school’s specific theology and practices. 

 

PBT God Book #13 - Glory

Picture Book: Glory

Author: Nancy White
Illustrator: Debra Reid Jenkins
Summary: Glory be to God! Creation is celebrated as an enormous variety of creatures praise God in this beautiful book. How does a butterfly, frog, fish, turtle, or rooster praise God? God is praised when God’s creatures do what they are created to do, whether flying, wriggling, making a joyful noise, singing to God in silence.... In the case of the young costumed girl on these pages, praise involves pretending to be another of Earth’s marvelous creatures. Here’s a sample of the verse:
Glory be to God for friendly fur,
For wiggling nose and racing heart,
For twitching ears and throbbing purr,
Tails that stretch and tails that wag,
Tail buttons soft as cotton…
All creatures by their being praise their Creator’s name.

Hanna’s Comments: While reading this book to your audience, pause after each double page spread and encourage them to move their bodies, acting out the motions and voices of favorite animals on the pages. At the book's ending, together verbally praise God for the abundance and beauty we see in animal life. Get creative together and praise through writing a group poem. Talk about how animal characteristics serve their survival and how that is true for humans too. Surely God’s creative love is at work in these creatures and each of your listeners. Ask them for some examples of God's creative love in them - some passions and gifts they treasure or favorite aspects of their glorious bodies. Talk about how God can be praised at church, home, and nature throughout their lives.
Original Publisher & Date: Eerdman’s Books, 2001
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up
Formats other than Book: Digital
Scripture Connections: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due God’s name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness (Psalm 29:2); let everything that has breath praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6); for by God all things were created, in heaven and on Earth (Colossians 1:16)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children who are learning about God’s creativity, human creativity, or the spiritual practice of praise.

Sacred Places x 2

The picture books below are unusual for PBT. Typically, I connect secular books to scriptures or spiritual ideas derived from texts in the Old or New Testaments. The books below are about sacred places in a variety of religious contexts. They are both beautiful and informative and therefore worth exploring for possible applications in ministry settings and classrooms where various religions can be freely discussed.

Picture Book: Sacred Places

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: David Shannon

Summary: Fortunately, this book begins with a simple map of the world for locating each of the 12 religious sites (some ancient, some both ancient and still in use). 

Additionally, you'll find an introductory painting and poem that introduces the idea of a sacred place. A similar poem ends the book. 

What follows is a series of groups of 3: a painting of a sacred site/practice, a poem, and a symbol specific to that religion. Here are some of my favorite paintings: The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, 

Stonehenge,  

Ganga (Ganges River) in India, 

a representative image for all cathedrals, 

and Four Corners in the United States, 

Hanna’s Comments: If you’re not interested in the poetry aligned with each illustration, that’s fine. Here the images are what’s provocative. Make sure your audience can see the illustrations easily. For a richer learning experience, consider pairing some images with photographs that may be easily accessed on the internet. An appendix gives a nice summary for each sacred place. 

Original Publisher & Date: Harcourt, 1996

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 8 and up, 3rd and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: You’ll find 1 image of The Wailing Wall and 1 image for Christian cathedrals (both above).

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of adults in a small group and explore their understanding of what defines a sacred versus a secular place. Be sure to encourage them to share their own experiences with these and other sacred places.

Picture Book: Sacred Places

Author: Philemon Sturges

Illustrator: Giles Laroche

Summary: A Note to the Reader begins this book. It lists 3 questions people throughout history have asked:

Where did I come from?

How should I live my life?

What happens to me when I die?

You'll find cut-paper illustrations of 28 places inspired by the faith of 5 of the world’s most prevalent religions (3 from the Abrahamic tradition, Hinduism, and Buddhism). There's a caption that gives dates and explains specific religious practices for each site. Additionally, there is larger text for reading aloud. The cover image above is of  Shore Temple in India. The image below is of Chartres Cathedral in France. 

My favorites illustrations? Great Mosque (Niger), 

The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel (France), 

Sokkuram Grotto Shrine (Korea),

the Kaaba (Saudi Arabia), 

and Concord Baptist Church (United States).

Hanna’s Comments: These images are busier and less ethereal, but the variety of places is nice. Unfortunately, sacred sites on the continents of South America and Australia are not included. I love the ending that says, “some sacred places aren’t made by people at all.” 

It closes with a map and legend to mark all 28 sites.

Original Publisher & Date: Putnam & Sons, 2000
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1^st and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: You’ll find several sites inspired by the Old or New Testaments.

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to explore the spiritual practice of pilgrimage, the Celtic concept of thin places, and/or the questions, “What makes a place sacred?” and “When have you felt a sense of awe because of a place?" Be sure to allow time for personal storytelling.