Hank's World

 

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God.

After this month’s massacres in Buffalo, New York & Uvalde, Texas, I read again Rebecca Dudley’s beautiful books and thought how they might be a comfort to a child, a group of children, and even adult readers. The first book is about being lost, found, gently cared for, and then returned. We hope we are the ones doing these things, but sometimes we are the ones who are lost.

Dudley’s 2^nd book is about a dream place. The dream seemed like heaven to me or at least an afterlife place. I’m not inclined to imagine the afterlife much (I do believe there is one), but this book was so comforting to me, especially with traumatized children in mind. Whether presented about the afterlife or not, it is a comforting book. With all this in mind, it seemed appropriate to post about these 2 books this week. Here's a link to a short YouTube demo video of Dudley’s amazing art process. Consider showing it to your audience. You all will want to crawl in her world and cuddle up!

Picture Book: Hank Finds an Egg

Author: Unlike her 2^nd book, this book is wordless.

Illustrator: Rebecca Dudley

Summary: Hank is a little bear who, while wandering through a woods finds a hummingbird’s egg on the ground. He gently picks it up and then quickly finds the nest where it belongs. 

Hank struggles to keep the egg warm and figure out how to return it. He is not a big bear. With amazing ingenuity and perseverance, Hank returns the egg and is beautifully thanked by a parent hummingbird and later by the little bird right after its birth.

Hanna’s Comments: This artist is an architect who creates every component of her magical Storywoods. Watch her video and be entranced.

Original Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, 2013

Age Appropriateness: 2 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: This book connects well with the lost parables in Luke 15 and The Good Samaritan in Luke 10. They could even be tied to Jesus’ healing stories for those he healed (and the people who loved them most) were certainly lost in the circumstances of illness.

PBT Applications: Cuddle in together with this wordless book after a difficult week and talk to children about what makes them feel lost. Then talk about how God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, or kindhearted people help us find our way back to what is more comfortable and normal.

Picture Book: Hank Has a Dream

Author/Illustrator: Rebecca Dudley

Summary: Hank meets up with the little hummingbird baby of the first book (above) and says, “Last night I dreamed I flew! I was all by myself, but I wasn’t scared."  

Then the readers see (as Hank and his friend mimic) beautiful images of Hank flying in a hot air balloon, following a path to the ocean and over the clouds. There he floats peacefully. It ends with Hummingbird wanting to hear about the dream again!   

Hanna’s Comments: See above in the intro. to this post. If this book doesn’t offer an image of the afterlife for you, no worries. Talk about the biblical concept of peace. Talk about how dreams have been viewed as a way for God to gives us messages. Encourage your audience to wonder about that.

Original Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, 2014

Age Appropriateness: 3 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: This book will connect with Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28, Joseph’s interpretation of dreams in general (Genesis 40 & 41), and any verses about the afterlife. It also connects to any scripture about peace or peaceful places. You could also talk about the importance of listening to a friends dreams - bedtime dreams or dreams of the future. 

PBT Applications: Read this book to children who have had an encounter with death either directly or in the news. Do not present this as an image of heaven or the afterlife. Instead, encourage positive talk about the dream place and offer up wonderings about whether heaven or the afterlife is like Hank’s dreams.

A Surprising Heaven

Here in The States, we have a holiday coming up. Summer holidays are often celebrated outside in community. This picture book is about one neighborhood's strange, unexpected gift. One young leader helps them choose to be open to its possibilities and come together to bring about positive change. It has all sorts of applications for faith communities too!  

Picture Book: A Bus Called Heaven

Author & Illustrator: Bob Graham

Summary: This story begins at little Stella’s house where an abandoned bus appears with no explanation.  

Taped on the front is a hand-painted saying “Heaven.” The community stops their hurrying by and gathers to puzzle over this strange gift. Stella says it's as sad as an abandoned whale. 

She goes inside and finds trash, debris, and possibilities. 

Stella says to her neighbors, "It could be ours." 

Stella's mom determines that it needs to come off the road so together they roll it into Stella's yard, but it still sticks out some. 

 Heaven becomes a gathering place for conversation 

 and play. 

 There is work to do: clearing & scrubbing.

After some graffiti artists leave their mark, they are recruited to "make the whole bus sparkle." 

 Stella gives them some of her art to copy. 

Then the neighbors bring donations including a Table Soccer set. Now Heaven is homey, 

and yummy.

Soon Heaven becomes a second home for neighbors who had never spent all that much time together. Life returns to the bus. 

Sharing and caring soars. There's music, dancing, picnics, and laughter until... 

 another surprise arrives.

Because Heaven sticks out onto the sidewalk, it must be towed. 

A question arises from the crowd:   

 They follow Heaven to a new home and lament. 

The junkyard boss shows the regulation, "Thou shalt not park on the street," and proclaims that Heaven is headed to the crusher.    

Stella challenges the driver to a Table Soccer game. If she wins, she gets the bus. 

 Victory!  

After showing the driver, a new family of birds living in Heaven's engine, the driver explains the bus must be moved to a private space. 

Little Stella has an idea and all push Heaven to a new home in the vacant lot behind Stella's house.    

 All are worn out, but they're worn out together. 

Once they recoup, there is music and dancing! Heaven for sure! 

Hanna’s Comments: A community is transformed, and a little girl finds her voice. Concepts of heaven and the Kingdom of God are all over this book as are allusions to the early Christian church's inclination to share and Jesus' teachings about loving neighbor. All of these ideas are potential for great conversation with a group of children or adults in loving faith community. If you have a big change, here's a tool for exploring meaning and possibility. If your group needs to be motivated to invest in their surroundings, this book could begin a conversation. Be specific about the differences the bus made for individuals, not just the group. Also, talk about creative problem solving being sourced by God. Emphasize the kindness and gentleness modeled in these pages as opposed to the rudeness we sometimes see in the media and even in communities of faith. 

Original Publisher & Date: Candlewick, 2011

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

Formats other than Book: None at present 

Scripture Connections: Two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12); a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6); Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:31, 1 John 4:7), Loving community (Acts 2; Hebrews 10:24-25)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of adult leaders in a church who are dealing with a significant change. 

PBT Series: God Book #5

Here's another entry in the PBT series in which I feature again one of the excellent picture books here that explore the nature of God. I call these God books. Typically I offer secular books, but God books are the exception because they have such great potential for ministry and family conversations. This book is a treasure! I especially love the inter-generational aspect of it.  

Picture Book: Where Does God Live? 

Author: Holly Bea
Illustrator: Kim Howard
Summary: Hope loves to ask questions! When she asks her busy mom about where God lives, her mom gives a simple answer about heaven. Then Hope explores the possibilities on her own as she encounters nature. Later Hope’s wise grandmother, who has lived a long life of faith, clarifies for her God’s presence throughout the world and about how prayer works. Hope goes home and tries out prayer. She finds that prayer is surprisingly satisfying and God is very accessible.
Hanna’s Comments: This book seems quite simple, but it is rich with theology about God’s nature, presence, and accessibility in the world and God’s presence in each of us. Don't assume it is just for children. Hope's questioning nature and the faith presented by her grandmother are fertile ground for rich conversation by people of all ages.
Original Publisher & Date: H. J. Kramer, 1997
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 3 and up, Preschool and up
Formats other than book: Tablet
Scripture connections: My presence will go with you (Exodus 33:14), You will find me if you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13), I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book for a children’s Sunday School lesson on the importance of asking questions of God or an adult lesson about how a life of faith can involve questions and assurance.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 281

Picture Book: The Boy on the Page

Author & Illustrator: Peter Carnavas

Summary: A boy lands on the first page of this clever picture book. He wonders, “Why am I here?” and “What does it mean?” At first there is nothing, Then a world begins to appear. Comically, he rides a horse, catches a fish, paints a picture, saves an animal, grows up, falls in love…. As his family grows, he looks at the moon sometimes and wonders why he landed on the page. In an attempt to answer this question, he jumps off the page. Again at first there is nothing, but then he tumbles back to the page where he finds “everything he had ever made, every animal he had ever cared for and every person he had ever loved.” Finally, he understands the meaning of his life.

Hanna’s Comments: These hilarious illustrations mask a picture book full of meaning and connections to our own questions about how and why our lives are meaningful and important and what happens when we exit. It’s a comforting thought to think that the end of our lives will have us surrounded by those we love and the fruits of our loves and labors.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Kane Miller, 2014

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

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Fresh off the Press

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, afterlife/heaven, beginnings/morning, birth/birthday, blessings, bonds/connections, creation, family, God’s care/providence, gratitude/thanksgiving, humanity, life, manna, mystery, purpose, questioning/questions, relationships, time/over time

Scripture Connections: The creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1 & 2)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children when studying the story of God creating Adam and Eve. This book would also be a fun read at a family retreat for a faith community.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 262

Picture Book: On Earth

Author & Illustrator: G. Brian Karas

Summary: In this smart picture book, the author/illustrator depicts our Earth in a way that young children can easily understand. Although the children on Earth’s surface are shown to be about the side of a small country, your young audience won’t mind. They’ll be gleaning important scientific concepts to help them visualize and understand our vast and well-designed solar system and the forces that affect them.  Concepts such as the Earth’s rotation, revolution around the sun, and our place among our planetary neighbors are wonderfully shown. Daylight moves from shadow into night. Seasons in both hemispheres are explained, and months are delineated. Gravity is given the credit it is due, and key concepts are defined on the last page.

Hanna’s Comments: This book would be great to read to a group of young students in a homeschool or private school where beliefs in God’s creation can be paired with some basic planetary science. Focus on the beauty and awe we have when personally discovering and considering these extraordinary gifts from God. Then consider talking about our God-given responsibility for caretaking and conservation of Earth and Earth’s resources.

Publisher & Date of Publication: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005

Age & 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: Non-fiction

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, awe, beauty, creation, dependence/interdependence, directions/maps, geography, heaven/sky, home, humanity, land/mountains/soil, life, moon/space/stars/sun, wonder

Scripture Connections: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); he set the earth on its foundations (Psalm 104:5); You, Lord, laid the foundations of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands (Hebrews 1:10)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of young children who are just beginning to understand God’s creation, our human home, and our place in the solar system.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 174

Dynamic Duo: Book 1

Picture Book: Jubilee

Author: Ellen Yeomans

Illustrator: Tim Ladwig

Summary: The most glorious of picnics is the subject of this beautiful book in verse. It begins with an invitation to “Take back roads and backwoods and wonder on down….” Eventually you find yourself welcomed with an affectionate back slap by young, old, and in between of all races who are delighted to have you join them at the jubilee. All are family at this reunion! There’s delightful music, dancing, games and of course, delicious food and drink. Maybe this is an anniversary celebration. That’s one meaning of “jubilee.” Maybe it’s a vision of heaven. Or Maybe it’s an exploration of an American version of the concept of Jubilee in the Hebrew Scriptures (Leviticus 25:8-13) when every 50 years, land is dispersed evenly, debts are forgiven, slaves are freed, and God’s mercy is ample and ever present. This book ends with, “So call ‘em all cousins and come on along - all joy is to be - Jubilee.”

Hanna’s Comments: I have always been intrigued by the concept of the Year of Jubilee in the Hebrew Scriptures. I was pleased to find 2 picture books, this week’s PBT Dynamic Duo, that are both titled Jubilee. There is a third that I was unable to find in my library system. It is Jubilee: One Man’s Big, Bold and Very Loud Celebration of Peace. It is about the 1869 National Peace Jubilee, a post-American Civil War extravaganza.  Of these three, the picture book offered today is most closely tied to the Old Testament concept of Jubilee.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 2004

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

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, celebration/party, community, feasting/food/hunger/nutrition, gratitude/thankfulness/thanksgiving, heaven/sky, joy, jubilee, manna, sharing

Scripture Connections: You shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land (Leviticus 25:8-13)

Idea(s) for Application: Use this book to introduce the concept of the Biblical Year of Jubilee to children in your church or synagogue. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 77

Picture Book: Yes Day!

Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

Summary: Yes Day is the much-anticipated day on the child protagonist's calendar when the answer from his parents is always yes, no matter the request. “Can I have pizza for breakfast? “ “Yes!” “Can we invent our own game?” “Yes!” Even “Can we have a food fight?” “Yes!”

Hanna’s Comments: Part of the fun of reading this book is imagining what your requests might be if you could experience your own Yes Day. I especially enjoy how this book celebrates some of life’s small, simple pleasures as well as some quirky requests too. There is so much potential here for creative conversation and wacky wishing. Follow this with a conversation on prayers of petition.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Harper Collins, 2009

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

# of Pages: 40

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet

PBT Category: Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, blessings, celebration/party, gladness/happiness, gospel/good news, heaven, joy, jubilee, prayer

Scripture Connections: Psalms of praise; Seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7 or Luke 11:9)

Idea(s) for Application: This would be a great book to begin a lesson about what would happen if God always answered our prayers with a “Yes.” 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 36

Picture Book: The Goodbye Boat

Author: Mary Joslin

Illustrator: Claire St. Louis Little

Summary: This simple, thoughtful text involves 2 children anticipating and then saying goodbye to an elderly woman who gets into a boat and sails away. Very real emotions of pain, loneliness, and grief are shown while the evocative illustrations imply that she is leaving them because of her death, but it is not clear. The ending involves a hopeful sense that she is going somewhere new.

Hanna’s Comments: The 3 characters are described as friends. This ambiguity opens this book’s use for any community context, not just family, where a beloved person has died. Because the elderly woman’s leaving & destination are not defined, this book can be a tool for exploring other kinds of permanent goodbyes such as when someone is moving far away or into a permanent nursing home situation. The ambiguous but positive ending will encourage a discussion of beliefs about the afterlife.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Eerdmans, 1999

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

# of Pages: 28

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Pre 2 K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: acceptance, affection, afterlife/heaven, ancestors/patriarchs & matriarchs, anxiety/worry, brokenness, change, death/loss/grief, depression/despair/sadness/sorrow, difficulties, dying, emotions/feelings, endings, exile/separation, lamentations, loneliness, time/timing/over time

Scripture Connections: Deaths of Joseph/Moses/Elijah, Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1)

Idea(s) for Application: use in a lesson after the death of a loved matriarch or patriarch

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 6

 

Picture Book: Where Does God Live?

Author: Holly Bea

Illustrator: Kim Howard

Summary: Curious Hope asks her mom about where God lives. Her mom gives a simple answer referring to heaven. Then Hope explores the possibilities on her own as she encounters nature. Later Hope’s wise grandmother, who has lived a long life of faith, clarifies for her God’s presence throughout the world and about how prayer works. Hope goes home and tries out prayer finding it surprisingly satisfying and God very accessible.

Hanna’s Comments: This book seems quite simple, but it is rich with theology about God’s nature, presence, and accessibility in the world and God’s presence in each of us. Don't assume it is just for children. Hope's questioning nature and the faith presented by her grandmother are fertile ground for rich conversation by people of all ages.

Publisher & Date of Publication: H. J. Kramer, 1997

Age and Grade Appropriateness: 3 and up, Preschool and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than book: Tablet

PBT Category: God Book

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abundance/bounty, blessings, creation, the environment/nature, God’s nature, God’s presence, grandparents, heaven, image of God, prayer, questioning/questions, quiet/silence, reverence, wonder

Scripture connections: My presence will go with you (Exodus 33:14), you will find me if you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13), I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book for a children’s Sunday School lesson on the importance of asking questions of God or an adult lesson about how a life of faith can involve questions and assurance.