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!

Wonderfully Made Girls (Boys too!)

 

Here are 2 books with similar themes. Strong Suggestion: Don’t dismiss these books because there are only females in them. Your boys need to hear and will learn from books featuring only girls. Females have done this throughout literary history! Encourage your boys to use their inner voices to "translate" when necessary. Most experiences in these books will be applicable to all genders! 

There is a teachable moment here regarding the Jesus’ version of The Great Commandment which added strength to the ideas of loving God and neighbor. Tap into your boys' desire to have strong-loving minds and hearts so they will develop empathy for girls & women. That will benefit everyone! 

The 1st book is a particularly beautiful collection of diverse girls declaring female power. These declarations can be extrapolated to boys easily. 

The 2^nd book is silly and fun, but it’s rich with meaning. It's a story about choosing to be yourself, rather than pretending. Engage boys by asking how they like to dress and play in costume. There is a lot of potential here for children, teens, and adults, particularly with recent political issues regarding gender. 

Also, check out the PBT books I link to below that are similar in theme or content!

Picture Book: I Am Enough

Author: Grace Byers

Illustrator: Keturah A Bobo

Summary: This book is not a narrative. Instead it is a book of similes that describe what is LIKE us – (these beautiful young girls and all of us!). It begins, “Like the sun, I’m here to shine.” Here’s a favorite: “Like the rain, I’m here to pour and drip and fall until I’m full.” This simile deserves some group interpretation! Only girls are shown. Talk about that. Then note that their situations are not “girly” – whatever that means. 

Hanna’s Comments: These declarations emphasize loving who you are, but they also emphasize being kind and respectful to who other people are! Have your audience note how the girls are interacting. Then talk about what Godly attributes they see or ask what Jesus would think of their words and actions. Explore ideas of The Holy Spirit giving them strength and resilience. There is a lot of movement in these pages so you might read again with group gestures or a  simple dance.

 

Original Publisher: Balzer & Bray, 2018

Age Appropriateness: 3 and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet & Audio 

Picture Book: I’m Me!

Author: Sara Sheridan

Illustrator: Margaret Chamberlain

Summary: Little Imogene loves to play dress-up with her Auntie Sara! When she is greeted, it is clear that her auntie is ready to play. She keeps asking Imogen which world they will enter today. The double-page spreads become some of these imagined worlds and play-possibilities. Imogen keeps saying, "No. Today I want to be..." but then her auntie interrupts with another imaginary possibility. Finally, Imogen says that she wants to be... ME! The two playmates go have a grand and wonder - ful time at the park!

Hanna’s Comments: Practice reading this book for full impact. You want the drama of Imogen's words and your page-turning to have good effects. Ask your children about how feelings influence whether they want to pretend or be themselves in the real world. Be sure to remind them that God is always present in their imagined worlds and their real world. You might even want to talk about how God has given us humans particularly skillful imaginations for solving problems (think scientists & explorers) and for having fun (think writers & entertainers). If time allows, talk about how the practice of wonder leads people to think about God, God's world, and how we fit in to its beauty and joy.

Original Publisher: Chicken House, 2011

Age Appropriateness: 4 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

For both books...

Scripture Connections: God created humankind in God's image (Genesis 1:27); I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. (Psalm 139: 14); ...the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10); We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (Romans 12:6); My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart. (Psalm 73:26); And other verses about strength in God and personal gifts from God. 

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: Both books are listed in my Trinity Treasures preschool curriculum for Year B in a lesson featuring Psalm 139.

PBT Applications: Read 1 or both of these books in an elementary Sunday school class. Talk about how Psalm 139 can be such a comfort when we are feeling unworthy and self-doubt creeps in OR when we are feeling lonely and we forget God is always with us. 

Links to similar PBT books:

Psalms for Young Children

When God Made Light

From Head to Toe God Made Me

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

Have Fun Molly Lou Melon

Emma Dodd books see When I Grow Up  or  Just Like You

When I Hold You

Baby Believer series see Psalms of Praise: A Movement Primer

All of Me: A Book of Thanks

If you are interested in learning more about my 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 agree to fill out the monthly feedback form.

Alexander's Bad Day Buddies

Wise authors are looking back at classic children's literature and realizing their value. Below I have for you 3 recently published books with plots and themes very similar to Judith Viorst's 1972 classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Don't know Alexander? Here's my PBT post about this classic! 

The healthy messages of these books are particularly important during this global pandemic! Acknowledging our feelings (confusion, anger, grief, sadness...) at home, school, and in religious settings will lead to better mental health for everyone. Here's a PBT post about that. It addresses the social-emotional needs of very young children via a theological statement that can be inserted into a secular book about feelings, BUT many books I feature there work for older children as well.

Also, I want you to know about 2 other books here if you only want to talk about sadness. Perhaps your congregation is grieving a loss or significant change. Click on titles to read posts about these very different PBT books: 

The Blue Day Book for Kids

When Sadness is at Your Door

Now back to Alexander's literary influence... 

Below find some information about how the 3 new books photographed above are different from Viorst's classic. In general, there is less text in all 3 books so they are quicker reads. From the covers, you'll see the diversity they offer. At the bottom, I give a few ideas about how these books tie to scripture and might be used in ministry.

Picture Book: Keep Your Head UP

Author: Aliya King Neil

Illustrator: Charly Palmer

Summary: This beautiful book is quite similar to Alexander, but it has the wisdom of some modern psychology. D. is a little older, a tween or young teen. D. reminds himself that "Any day can be good if you try." And he does try, but the frustrations of home and school pile on him. When D. has a "meltdown," he is sent to the principal's office, where he is greeted by Miss King, who has been helping him. Her role is unclear, likely a school counselor or school psychologist. D.'s family is also helpful. They set reasonable limits, talk openly about his feelings, and encourage him to "Keep his head up." When he doesn't want to, D. knows he can at least try.

Hanna’s Comments: In addition to the very real details and modern school setting, loving home, and non-white characters, what I like most about this book is the way D. is perceptive about his feelings and specific about their effects. He says he feels scrunchy and describes his face changes (scrunchy eyebrows). He even describes a meltdown! (see image above) There is some great information for discussion here! Do tell your audience that we can't always be expected to keep trying to feel better. Sometime we have to accept our feelings while maintaining control of our behavior. Offering ideas of "loving our neighbors" is important to add here.

Original Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2021

Age Appropriateness: 5 and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

 

Picture Book: Benji, the Bad Day, and Me

Author: Sally J. Pla

Illustrator: Ken Min

Summary: Here the most significant and welcome difference from Viorst's classic is that the main character is an older brother to a child on the autism spectrum. This difference offers opportunities to talk about the importance of empathy, prioritizing people's needs, and concepts of fairness & justice. Although the older brother's  day has gone terribly, his mother is very focused on her younger child's significant needs. It is the younger brother who finally offers comfort to the main character. Then mom, who no doubt needs comfort too,  joins in, and the story ends beautifully.

Hanna’s Comments: It is the younger brother who is named Benji. This is confusing. Benji is a pivotal but mostly peripheral character. The older brother, who is telling the story, is Samuel. I suggest giving their names when showing the cover before reading. Whenever I find myself occupied with trying to figure out who is who, I am not able to focus on a story. 

Original Publisher: Lee & Low, 2018

Age Appropriateness: 5 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present 

Picture Book: Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows

Author/Illustrator: Jessica von Innerebner

Summary: Alexander and Kevin's worlds are about as different as they can be! Kevin is expected to be perfect and everyday is expected to be sparkly - "filled with MAGICAL AWESOMENESS!" But Kevin, like Alexander, D. and Samuel, is having a bad day. Although he tries to be joyful, the constant barrage of positive messages in Kevin's world only confuse him. Eventually, he can no longer hide his feelings. His declaration invites others to be more honest about the bad day they are having. Kevin is not alone in his feelings. Such connections are crucial to humans and even unicorns, I suspect!

Hanna’s Comments: I must admit, this cover and title turned me off. But then I read the story! What wisdom there is between the lines of this silly and saccharine book! As an Enneagram 7, it is a story I needed. You have children who need to hear that it is acceptable and inevitable to be imperfect and upset, and to have a bad day. This book is full of funny word play. Read it with drama and silliness. But before reading, invite your audience to notice minor characters and consider how their days are going. Turn pages slowly so they can comprehend detail. 

Given the color palate, I hope you won't assume this is a book for girls only. The main character is named Keven, after all. At present, there is another book about Kevin the Unicorn: Why Can’t We Be Bestie-Corns?

Original Publisher: Dial Books, 2019

Age Appropriateness: 4 and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections for these 3 books: Any scripture that involves Lamentation or Complaint to God connects to these books.

OR Bible stories about characters that are suffering, such as Job, can be particularly powerful. Try not to get into why bad things happen. 

OR Get into the details of The Great Commandment. What does it means to love yourself AND love your neighbor when you are having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?

PBT Applications: Read any of these books to dive into what lament looks like. Legitimize it as an important kind of prayer. Talk about how there is a whole book in the Bible named Lamentations and how many of the Psalms include  complaints to God. More importantly, emphasize that God and those who love us most, want to know our real feelings. They can handle our negative feelings and can likely help us understand or move through them better. Sometimes just saying, "I am having a bad day!" is enough to help us feel better!

Be Still... & Other Favorite Scriptures

 

Picture Book: Be Still

Author: Kathryn O’Brien

Illustrator: Gillian Flint

Summary: Designed to help a child memorize Psalm 46:10, this book reveals the words of this beloved scripture 1 word per double page spread. 

After each word is revealed, the concept is built like this:

Be kind. Be silly! Be a friend. Be yourself.

In the images, young children are enjoying being mindful of God’s presence and the beauty of God’s creation. Here are the next 2 images so you can see how the pages reveal the scripture and build the meaning:

Shhhh. Slow down. 

Take a breath. 

No hurrying or scurrying or worrying. 

No wanting or whining. 

No fussing. No rushing.

Safe and still.

Don’t let this limited purpose distract you from seeing other obvious applications beyond memorization! Because each word is explored in the pages, each page can be discussed. There is a note at the beginning of the book urging parents to teach scripture to their children. This can be a very meaningful practice, but exploring what memorized scripture means is crucial so that it grows in meaning with age and experience. This book and others in the series (see my comments below) offer opportunities for meaningful prayer which is what the children are doing on these pages! They are oriented to and communicating with God. 

Hanna’s Comments: This PBT post is really about 3 books in a series. They are all structured as described above. Confusingly, the books seem to be in 2 named series: Sit for a Bit or My First Bible Memory Book.

The other 2 books in the series are…

    I Can – highlighting Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

    

    Give Thanks – highlighting Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Hopefully, other books based on other important and easy to memorize scriptures will be added.

Original Publisher: Tyndale, 2016

Age Appropriateness: Preschool & up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: See above. Each of the 3 books mentioned are focused on a particular scripture. More may be published!

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: I have recommended each of these 3 books in my Trinity Treasures curriculum for preschoolers based on the the RCL. 

PBT Applications: Read these books to preschoolers or elementary-aged children.

For Be Still, have them experience a Christian-based mindfulness practice, while focusing on their breath and God's presence.

For I Can, have them watch a superhero movie together. Talk about how God is the source of your strength and give examples of when you relied on God’s strength to be resilient. Invite your children to do the same. End with talking about the importance of learning scripture as a way to gain strength and perseverance.

For Give Thanks, have them go outside and secretly draw 1 aspect of creation that they are thankful for. Then have them come inside to play a game of charades so others can guess what they have drawn. To end, together create a litany of thanks or a collage of gratitude. 

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.

Psalms for All Ages #4

This morning I read the following quote in Phileena Heuertz beautiful book Pilgrimage of the Soul, which is about her sabbatical that included a hike on the ancient pilgrim path The Camino de Santiago: 

Like a good shepherd with her not-so-intelligent sheep, God knew my need before I did. The essence of the spiritual journey is so evident in [Psalm 23]. 

So, I’m reposting one of my favorite posts of these 5 years at PBT. You’ll see why...

Four books are featured today! All of them have as their text the 23^rd Psalm. The language is traditional except for the book for preschoolers (listed first below). First I show you a sample of illustrations from all 4 books. Then I give you some details for each book. Applications in ministry are obvious. Consider presenting 2 books and having your audience (adults or children) talk about which illustrations most appeal to them and why. Then connect their ideas to personal spiritual growth.

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads in paths of righteousness for His name sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil.

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 

all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord 

forever. 

Here are the 4 books!

Picture Book: Found: Psalm 23

Adaptation: Sally Lloyd-Jones

Illustrator: Jago

Hanna’s Comments: This book for preschoolers is pulled from The Jesus Storybook Bible. If yours is not the Christian tradition, do consider this book about Psalm 23. The Jesus Storybook Bible does refer to Jesus, but this beautiful book does not. Its text is a simple paraphrase of the 23^rd Psalm.

Original Publisher & Date: Zonderkidz, 2017

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 3 and up, Pre and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Picture Book: Psalm Twenty-Three

Illustrator: Tim Ladwig

Hanna’s Comments: The preface of this book explains that the illustrations are of urban America and highlight a "black family living among urban dangers." A stained glass window of Jesus is a crucial part of the visual story.   

Original Publisher & Date: Eerdmans, 1993

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, Pre and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Picture Book: Psalm 23

Illustrator: Richard Jesse Watson

Hanna’s Comments: These illustrations are more magical and dramatic than the others which will appeal to some in your audience. The images are all of children or a lamb. It uses “thy” and “thou” and has "th" endings on some of the verbs (He maketh me to lie down…).

Original Publisher & Date: Zonderkidz, 2013

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet 

Picture Book: Psalm 23

Illustrator: Barry Moser

Hanna’s Comments: Zonderkidz, 2008

Original Publisher & Date: This is my favorite version for older children for it shows the meaning of these words in a context closest to the original psalm. The illustrator explains that his images are inspired by travels in the Caribbean. Here you have a shepherd boy as an image of God as well as other traditional images of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit such as doves, butterflies and a pelican. Have your audience find them.

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

Formats other than Book: None at present