Picture Book Theology: money

Showing posts with label money. Show all posts

Friday, March 1, 2019

Favorite Posts #8 - Books for Lent & Easter

As we approach Lent and Easter, I thought seeing this post would be particularly helpful. In my next post, I’ll add to these lists of PBT books, giving you links to more PBT books about Lent and Easter that I’ve featured more recently.

For those of us who are liturgical Christians, Ash Wednesday is upon us. This solemn day begins the season of Lent, a period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) that symbolically represents Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. This season guides us through Holy Week in preparation for Easter.

At PBT, I’ve offered many picture books that you might want to choose to read during this season to help children connect in new ways to the concepts we consider and the events we remember during Lent and Easter. I’ve listed them below with a guiding connection that will help you tie the Biblical concepts/stories to the content of the picture book.

These books are not meant to be perfect reflections of the Biblical concepts/stories. Instead they are offered as tools to encourage conversation, exploration, and application. For each, enjoy the secular story then let it lead you to more meaningful consideration of theological or spiritual possibilities. I’ve listed the book titles which serve as links to the PBT post. Books for the youngest audiences are listed first.

Lent (in general)

Lent is a time for remembering that Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness for 40 days and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Therefore, during Lent we focus on intentional prayer, fasting, and service. Fasting is viewed generally as refraining from something (not just food) that distracts you from God. With a sense of repentance (returning to God), we re-focus our lives to be more like Jesus.

Make connections with these stories and the concept of refraining from distractions or temptations in order to live more generously, like Jesus:

Curious George Saves His Pennies

Strega Nona

A Chair for My Mother

Extra Yarn

My Mouth is a Volcano

These are great books about prayer:

Does God Hear My Prayer?

Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer

Ash Wednesday

In an Ash Wednesday worship service, the sign of the cross is made with ashes in order to recognize our mortality so that we may humbly begin Lent committed to make changes and determined to be more like Jesus.

These stories connect well with the concept of humility:

Bear Has a Story to Tell

The Three Questions

Albert

Those Shoes

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a celebration of the hope that Jesus brings and an offering of the praise that he deserves. Here I’m offering books about both of these concepts: hope and praise.

Tie these concepts to the story of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.

About Hope:

Hope is an Open Heart

If You Want to See a Whale

And Then It’s Spring

A Child’s Garden

We Shall Overcome

Hope Springs

About Praise:

I Will Rejoice

Let’s Make a Joyful Noise

All God’s Critters

The Hallelujah Flight

Jesus’s Anger at the Money Changers

Children need clarification when it comes to how to deal with their anger. When Jesus sees the money changers whose greed is spoiling the purposes of the Temple, he gets violently angry.

Here’s the best story I know for children about anger:

When Sophie Gets Angry…

The Upper Room (Maundy Thursday)

The story of Jesus in the Upper Room with his disciples is a foundational story in the Christian faith. You have the first communion (the elements and a call to remember) and Jesus washing his disciples’ feet (a call to service).

Delve into the components of the Upper Room story with these books:

Hands Say Love

Bread Comes to Life

The Memory String

Uncle Willie & the Soup Kitchen

Washing the Willow Loon

The Garden of Gethsemane

The focus on this event is usually Jesus’ prayer, but here I offer a book about what Jesus’ disciples did not do for him in the garden.

This is the best book I know about being with friends when they are suffering and doing what they need you to do:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Peter Denies Knowing Jesus

This story is about Peter’s deceit and shame.

Here I offer a delightful picture book about being shamed and lying about who you are:

Unlovable

Golgotha

Connect these picture books with the story of Jesus on the cross.

These books are either about the concepts of sacrifice, giving, forgiveness or death:

One Winter’s Day

The Friend

Stone Soup

Badger’s Parting Gifts

The Grudge Keeper

Our Tree Named Steve

The Goodbye Boat

The Giving Tree

Easter

The pivotal event of the Christian faith is a celebration of joy, beauty, and possibility.

These wonderful feelings can easily be connected to these picture books:

AnnaHibiscus Song

MorningHas Broken

WinterMoon Song

YesDay!

Waitingfor Wings

Whata Wonderful World

TheGardener

Monday, March 20, 2017

PBT Redux Series #9 - If the World Were a Village

In this post, I continue my series in which I highlight again an excellent picture book published since 2000. I’m focusing on these more recent publications because, as I tell adults all the time, "Children's literature is getting better and better!" This book is particularly good for older elementary and youth.

Picture Book: If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World’s People (2nd edition)
Author: David J. Smith
Illustrator: Shelagh Armstrong
Summary: The author imagines the world’s population as a village of 100 people, representing population characteristics & statistics in a manner that is striking and understandable. General subjects are listed in a Table of Contents to allow you to have easy access to just those statistics you want to cover. They include nationalities, ages, schooling and literacy, and electricity. For instance, if the world is a village of 100 people, 9 people would speak English, 75 people would have easy access to safe water, and 32 people would be Christians. These details are from my copy of the first edition, but you get the gist. The numbers would be updated in the 2nd edition. This book is available in many languages. See also: If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States.
Hanna’s Comments: This book will broaden the perspective of anyone who reads it! The 2nd version of this book is recommended since it has up-dated statistics. Don't feel compelled to read all of the statistics if they would be too many or not understandable to your audience. I like to use Post-it Notes on sections of a book to remind me to skip particular parts or ask particular questions. Teaching recommendations and activities are included. Note: The video version is of the 1st edition, but it is excellent and recommened. I use this video in lesson 45 of my curriculum for children based on the popular book Manna and Mercy: A Brief History of God's Unfolding Promise to Mend the Entire Universe by Daniel Erlander. See more about that amazing book that is transforming my church an my curriculum [here].
Publisher & Date of Publication: Kids Can Press, 2011 (2nd edition)
Age and Grade Appropriateness: 7 and up, 2nd and up
Formats other than Book: video
Scripture Connections: Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10), Paul’s charge to change communion practices in the Early Christian Church (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), any verses about generosity or sensitivity to the poor or those who are different
Idea(s) for Application: Use this book at a Youth Hunger Banquet. The video version might be your best choice.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Blessed are the Elephants

Picture Book: Pennies for Elephants

Author & Illustrator: Lita Judge

Original Publisher & Date: Hyperion, 2009

Summary: Based on true events in 1914, siblings Henry and Dorothy learn that local animal trainers are hoping to sell 3 elephants to the children of Boston for the zoo.

Boston Globe articles are incorporated into the illustrations and move the plot along as these 2 children and others find ways to earn small change. When the siblings realize that they can visit the elephants, strong relationships develop between them and Mollie, Waddy, and Tony.

Fundraising includes an animal-themed costume party and a Boston Globe publicity stunt involving having tea with the elephants. Movie theaters get involved as do children in nearby states. Success is marked with a big parade and an official handover in Fenway Park.

Hanna’s Comments: If you have children in your church who are passionate about social activism, they’ll be affirmed by this book. For those who are new to such projects, this book can serve as an early lesson on what children can do to better their world, which is what God calls us all to do. Point out that sometimes being a servant means being passionate about raising money.

Other times servanthood is about working hard in small ways toward a huge goal. Point out where such patterns can be found in your faith family. Additionally, this book can help them understand how small financial gifts from many sources can make a substantial difference toward building God’s kingdom.

Idea(s) for Application: This book would be a fun component to a lesson for children about how they can contribute to the missions of their particular faith family so that all are blessed by the good work of God's creatures.

Scripture Connections: Paul urges the churches in Rome and Corinth to give generously for the Saints in Jerusalem who are experiencing famine (Romans 15:22-29, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15).

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

Formats other than Book: None at present

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

PBT Books for Lent and Easter

For those of us who are liturgical Christians, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. This solemn day begins the season of Lent, a period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) that symbolically represents Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. This season guides us through Holy Week in preparation for Easter.