Another Dodd book for Christmas!

A while back, I enthusiastically told you about 9 of Emma Dodd’s books. Find that post HERE . She’s an author/illustrator of simple but profound books for young children. These larger than usual board books have a particular look. They are grounded in loving relationships. In fact, these books are in her series called “Love You Books.” This year she’s come out with a book about Christmas. Like the others, it is about animal families and secular - not about Jesus’ birth but about the season. It’s a snowy landscape so it’s for the northern hemisphere. Below you’ll see in which of my preschool lessons I recommend it.

Interested in learning more about Trinity Treasures, my scripture-based preschool Sunday school curriculum. It features picture books & children’s Bibles. Free lessons are emailed if you fill out the monthly feedback form. Contact me at hannaschock@bellsouth.net. 

Picture Book: Christmas is Joy

Author/Illustrator: Emma Dodd

Summary: A family of reindeer are celebrating Christmas in a snowy woods. The primary relationship is between a fawn and father,

but eventually you see the whole herd. Christmas gifting here may be more about snuggling and quality time than wrapped packages. Still humanlike seasonal responses abound. The book ends with an emphasis on the unity the family feels among the peaceful beauty that they share. It acknowledges that their unity and the beauty that surrounds them lasts well beyond Christmas.

Hanna’s Comments: This gorgeous book's celebratory tone has you almost hearing the giggly joy and feeling the crisp cool air! Joy abounds because of loving familial relationships. There is profound beauty in the snowy scenes and beauty in the strong connections among the reindeer. Be sure to linger there with your audience and claim the love that abounds in their own Christmas rituals with family, both biological and faith-based. Talk specifically about what love and joy look like this time of year in various places. Extend that conversation to concepts of peace, which you'll see mentioned in the last pages. See last photo below. 

Original Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2022

Age Appropriateness: Toddler and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: The Christmas scriptures are full of joy and love! To expand your focus, tie this story of wilderness living to scriptures about God's loving care when we find ourselves in chaotic stress and noise (aka the holiday season).

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: I listed this book in 3 of my Trinity Treasures preschool lessons for Advent (themes: Mary Sees & Sings, Jesus Teaches Love, Prepare the Way), 1 per year in the 3-year lectionary cycle.

PBT Applications: Before reading this book to a group of young elementary children, list for them the 5 Languages of Love (see Gary Chapman's adult books or  THIS BOOK  for children). Find what love languages you can among these pages. End by anticipating how your audience would be inclined to love more joyfully this Christmas season.

Listening as an Act of Love

A few weeks ago, I posted a book about listening to godly sounds. Violinist Joshua Bell playing in a subway was the story in that post. Check it out HERE. Today’s listening is about perhaps the most holy kind of listening we humans can do... listening to a family member, friend, or even a stranger who is hurting. This is the best book I know about that holy practice. Like other excellent picture books, it is rich with tender meaning and encompasses all kinds of humanity, including humor, in its clever images and words.

Picture Book: The Rabbit Listened

Author & Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld 

Summary: Taylor, a young child, begins to build “something amazing.” This wise author doesn’t use pronouns so Taylor can be whoever you want. Disaster strikes and all blocks fall! Taylor does too.

A series of animals comes to help Taylor cope. There’s a chicken that talks too much, an angry bear that wants to yell on Taylor’s behalf, and an elephant who wants to help Taylor remember. The ostrich’s strategy is predictable! The snake’s suggestion made me ssssmile.

“But Taylor didn’t feel like doing anything with anybody.” Yay, Taylor for knowing that! Once finally alone and in the quiet, Taylor is quietly joined by a rabbit. We don’t know if they are friends. Does it matter? After the silence, Taylor asks the rabbit to stay. Then the rabbit listens and listens and listens. Now that Taylor is ready, some of the responses that were suggested earlier now feel just right. Taylor vents, blames, and remembers. Again, “When the time was right,” Taylor details plans to build again. The rabbit listens some more as Taylor dreams of an even more amazing build next time.

Hanna’s Comments: Did you think of yourself as you heard my quick summary? I hope so! Did you think of others who have tried to help you, but the timing or remedy wasn’t right? They didn’t come in quiet, did they? Long ago, I remember hearing Krista Tippett on the On Being podcast interview Parker Palmer about a terrible bout of depression during which he was in the bed for days, maybe weeks. A friend came regularly to give him a silent foot rub. Wow! What love! What empathy! What a godly neighbor!

Original Publisher: Dial Books, 2018

Age Appropriateness: 3 and up

Formats other than Book: Audio & tablet

Scripture Connections: Any scripture about God being a comforter and listener. So many! The great commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself! Any Jesus story where his first response is to listen. Ruth and Naomi, because they were present for each other through a difficult series of tragedies and a long, dangerous journey! I bet they took turns listening. Why don’t we talk about their journey more?

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: I have listed this book for 4 lessons in my 3-year RCL-based Trinity Treasures preschool curriculum. Those 4 lesson themes are: The Trinity: Our Helpers, God Hears Cries, God’s Mothering Love, and Ruth & Naomi.

PBT Applications: Read this book to a group of young parents or teens. Then talk about the power of being present to (and not immediately fixing) another’s pain. Then you LISTEN as they tell stories of listening, not listening, and not being heard. Together vow to do better because it is a godly practice, good for all of us. 

One more thing: (forgive me) I know a few pastors who could use this book. There's a gift idea! 

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.

Grab & Go #19 - I Will Love You Anyway

What's a PBT Grab & Go? These books are extremely easy to use in sacred settings. God’s holiness is all over them. The connections to sacred ideas are easy to find. You may have to be patient as your audience finds the scriptural connections you see. Give them time, and they may surprise you with holy ideas you had not seen. 

Today's book is a funny read about a misbehaving dog. Coax your audience to talk about all viewpoints. There's humor, but there is also temptation, separation, worry, shame, love, and of course, grace! 

To find more PBT Grab & Go books, make sure you're in the web version (On your phone? You must click on that version.). Then check out the Grab & Go search label at the bottom of the screen or type "Grab & Go" into the search box in the upper right corner.

 Picture Book: I Will Love You Anyway

Author: Mick Inkpen

Illustrator: Chloe Inkpen 

Summary: The dog in this story is bad, sooo bad, but lovable and loved unconditionally.  

The desire to please, to do the right thing, is evident but the follow through? Not so much.

He's adorable in his sweat bands, perhaps worn because he never stops. He's constantly running away

  or chasing

 or being chased. 

There is one lesson that Doggie seems to have learned

the hard way. 

The boy's parents plan to find another home for the dog because of all the trouble it is causing. But, a loud thunderstorm leads to another escape and a long night of missing and longing and waiting. The humans realize the depth of their attachment.

 Then there is another reunion!

The family decides to keep the mischief-maker, despite his bad behavior because they love him unconditionally. Good thing! Some things (and dogs) never change!

Hanna’s Comments: This tale of misbehavior and unconditional love is from a father (author) daughter (illustrator) duo. Makes sense! Many picture book plots involve unconditional love. I call this kind of love parental love in the search labels below. This book has the added benefit of definite connections to the Parable of the Prodigal Son (the running away, the embrace...). The overall sense is that this little pup wants to please but can’t seem to overcome urges. I can relate!

In Paul’s Letter to the Romans, similar frustrations are confessed. Paul doesn’t explain what behavior he wants to avoid, but it sure is good to know that, even a man who Jesus spoke to in a vision, never stopped struggling with temptations. 

Original Publisher & Date: Aladdin, 2015

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet 

Scripture Connections: Adam & Eve's temptations (Genesis 3), The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32); I don’t do the thing I want and do the very thing I hate… (Romans 7: 15-17,19-20)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this adorable book to a group of children or parents in your faith family who are learning about God’s unconditional love, Jesus’s parable of The Prodigal Son, or Paul’s frustration with his own behavior. Be sure to practice reading! The rhyming rhythms are crucial for the humor.  

Godly Silence for Everyone

 

Picture Book: Shhh… God is in the Silence:                                                                     A Story for All Ages

Author: Fiona Basile

Illustrator: Alice Mount

Summary: This is a book of shushes and questions. Every page begins "Shhh... God is in the silence. Can you here him?" 

What follows is a series of statements declaring this ideas repeatedly:

God speaks to your heart, saying...

I love you.

You are precious.

There is no one else like you.

I created you.

You are mine.

I am with you always.

Next, it declares that God lives in your heart, and adds to the reassurances above: You are safe so rest little one.

Hanna’s Comments: This beautiful book gets to the heart of what children and families need today: silence and a sense of God's presence. The subtitle declares this is a story (book) for all ages, and surely it is! 

If you prefer to avoid masculine language for God, simply change the text. Sticky notes are helpful for this. 

This book has its own website. Click: here to check it out. You can order the book, while finding activities and instructions on teaching children how to pray. These methods could easily be adapted for adults or teens. I especially liked this: Personal Noise Survey

Original Publisher & Date: Loyola  Press, 2016

Age Appropriateness: 3 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present, but there is a bilingual (Spanish & English) edition of the book.

Scripture Connections: Any scripture about silence, such as Psalm 46:10 (mentioned below) and Elijah's experience of God in the silence (1 Kings 19), connects strongly to this book.

Connections to The Revised Common Lectionary: I listed this book in my Trinity Treasures preschool curriculum for a summer lesson in Year C (theme: Be Still) based on Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.

PBT Applications: This book would be perfect to read to a group of parents of young children. You might want to leave out the "little one" endearment. Then have them brainstorm ways to be in relative silence with their children while modeling mindful experiences of God's presence. For young children, you may want to read only a few pages and show all the images. With each illustration, encourage their responses about God in those images. For teens, you may want to simply read the text since the images are of young children, but the questions are intriguing for any age.

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 Series: For Our Youngest Children #3 Emma Dodd's "Love You" books

Picture Book Series: “Love You”

Author & Illustrator: Emma Dodd

Age Appropriateness: infant to age 5

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered a fabulous picture book series by an author/illustrator. The illustrations are beautiful in their simplicity and charm. The central focus in every book is the rich and profound love between a parent and child. At PBT, I hope you're learning to understand this: Parental love is particularly meaningful to children so it is the best comprehension connection to God’s love for us. Most children learn about loving ways from parents. These books present the daily treasures of such love by showing how God’s love for us is embodied, shared, and treasured. 

Before I give applications for ministry, let me emphasize that ALL these books would be wonderful gifts for a newborn or adopted child. The PBT bonus is parents & grandparents can simply read the book and then at the end of the reading say something like:

“God’s love is like that too.”   OR

“God loves you as much as I do.”    OR    

"All our love comes from God."        OR

“God gave us  all this love!”

The first 2 books I would not recommend for ministry, but they can be presented as explained above with a simple comment to a child in your family. One is for bedtime, so ministry applications don’t work. The 2^nd is all about intimate cuddling, which is not applicable for ministry.

 Counting Our Blessings 

Everything

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

What Matters Most

PBT Applications: This book sees love as most important! Talk about how God is love, is the source of all love, and has given us life for loving God and loving the whole world! 

OR 

Emphasize God’s love as the same for all of God’s children. There are obvious connections to 1 Corinthians 13. Be sure to apply to other kinds of relationships besides parent/child.  

Love: I Love You All the Time

PBT Applications: This book celebrates loving moments in our interactions with nature and between a parent & child. As the creator of everything and everyone, God is the source of all these loving moments. Love is what we are created to do and be. Connect with scriptures showing loving acts of early church members such as those we see in Tabitha/Dorcas. 

Happy: I Love When You’re Happy

PBT Applications: This book celebrates the joy a parent feels when a child is happy. Note the peace at the end of the book. Peace also comes from God’s love. Any scripture about joy or peace will connect. I think of the children surrounding Jesus when he welcomed them! How happy and contented they must have been!

Together: I Love Spending Time Together!

PBT Applications: This book celebrates the loving moments of a day spent together. Emphasize that God wants us to enjoy being together, loving, hospitable, and even kind to those we don't know. Be specific when talking about behaviors. What does love look like? Jesus’ actions and parables are great connections. His disciples (I often call these his “friends”) loved spending time with Jesus! 

Forever

PBT Applications: This book is about empathy, compassion, presence, trust, unconditional love, and resilient love. These are the components of a parent/child relationship that closely relate to God’s love. Jesus’ actions make this clear. His stories of love in action, his passion for the least, lost, and poor, and even hissacrifice offer connections to this book.

The books below have multiple titles! 

Just Like You      OR    When I Grow Up

PBT Applications: This book celebrates change and growing up. Attribute these wonderful changes to God. I’ve connected it to scriptures that call for good works. Such good work is meaningful for young children in their home and classrooms now and later as they anticipate growing, changing, and learning what kind of person to become. Talk about how God’s dreams for us are about growing how we love in ways and in words. Help your children apply these ideas to their specific contexts.

                         

No Matter What      OR    Always: I Love You Always

PBT Applications: This book celebrates unconditional love, the kind of love God has for us. Every scripture that highlights an imperfect hero, demonstrates a mistake, redeems a hurtful act, or exposes a need for change connects here. Those scriptures and this book remind us all that no one is beyond God’s forever, unconditional love.

It's Love! - a Little Late

Sorry I got sick and couldn’t feature these books earlier in February, the month of love. I have 2 new publications that are rich with meaning but very different visually and in tone. Both offer profound ideas about God’s nature and God's greatest gift. I also give you links to other “love-ly” books here at PBT.

Picture Book: Love

Author: Stacy McAnulty

Illustrator: Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Summary: The profound question “What is love?” is the "heart" of this book. Sorry for that very bad pun! Everyday moments, sometimes unexpected, are highlighted. There's lots of fun and diversity in character and deed, but the context is consistent - families and friends loving on each other!  

Loving spiritual practices and loving situations abound such as gifts of hospitality, generosity, and that most precious gift - presence. 

Hanna’s Comments: If your country celebrates St. Valentine's Day, this is a perfect book for that occasion, but it's applicable all year long! I adore the illustrator’s choices here! Check out the cover. Within these pages you have lots of examples of how we communicate love including the American Sign Language sign and other simple signals with our body. I used all these gestures for a preschool lesson about 1 Corinthians 13. This author’s fun book Excellent Ed was featured at PBT [here]. And [here's] another favorite book all about how our bodies (hands this time) show love. 

Original Publisher & Date: Running Press Kids, 2018

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet 

Scripture Connections: God is love. (1 John 4:8b); The Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13); Let all you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14); Above all these, put on love… (Colossians 3:14)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of young children, and practice all the ways in these pages love can be communicated with your body. Then create some new ways.  

Picture Book: My Heart

Author & Illustrator: Corinna Luyken

Summary: This author/illustrator urges us to let our hearts be our guides and listen to the loving voice within us. Sounds like The Holy Spirit to me! There’s a lot of abstract metaphorical language, but don’t let that keep you from sharing this with younger audiences. Sometimes they get such messages when we adults are stuck in the concrete.

Hanna’s Comments: You’ll want to play with these metaphors yourself before you read this book to an audience. What does it mean to say “My heart is a slide, a fence, or a stain? 

I used to collect hearts. There's no red in these pages! What Luyken does with that simple design and the colors yellow and black is amazing! Be sure to have your folks find the hidden hearts in these pages. Spend time with each image’s meaning. Does it remind them of a personal experience or a possibility or hope? Can they make up or dramatize a simple story inspired by an illustration? So much potential here! Keep connecting to scripture and you have a fabulous Sunday school or Bible Study experience. [Here's] another book about loving the world, but it's so very different looking. Kids might like experiencing both and then using all the images to compare, contrast, and create. If you're a preacher, this book could serve as rich visual stimuli for a profound sermon on what it means to love. 

Original Publisher & Date: Dial, 2019

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: Create in me a clean heart O God… (Psalm 51:10); Keep your heart with all vigilance… (Proverbs 4:23); I will give you a new heart and a new spirit…I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh (Ezekiel 36:26); Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children or adults who need some reminders about how to love one another better. This book would also be a beautiful reading for spiritual direction or other bibliotherapy contexts, particularly if someone is struggling with important relationships. For more on that, check out [this post]. 

PBT Favorite Posts #7

In celebration of my 700 PBT post (!!!) and the start of February (the month of love), I give you a favorite PBT post. It is a tribute and sort of memorial to my favorite picture book author, Amy Krause Rosenthal. You may recall her NY Times article You May Want to Marry My Husband. Since AKR's death, a TED talk by her husband has had over a million views. It is such a loving tribute to a woman who lived well and an honest testament to the heartbreak of terminal illness and grief. Check it out [here]. And now, that favorite post... 

Last Friday, I posted a tribute to author Amy Krouse Rosenthal after reading that she had a terminal illness. Sadly, AKR died on Monday (3/13/17). [Here’s] an obituary that gives you the breadth of her great work. Below is a post about her most recent publication. I've heard more original works will be published posthumously. I’m glad and very thankful for her life and her work.

Picture Book: That’s Me Loving You

Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrator: Teagan White 

Summary: Each page of this gorgeous book explains how a particular child might find additional meaning in particular experiences of nature. A shimmering star is "me winking at you."

A drifting cloud is "me thinking of you."

The ocean is "me waving at you."

And even a clap of thunder is "me raving about you."

Even insect encounters are given new meaning. A persistent mosquito is "me bugging you"

and a butterfly, "that's me hugging you."

All these nature experiences are moments of transcendence 

and moments of love in the absence of someone who is missed.

Hanna’s Comments: Check out AKR's 1.5 minute short film [Today is a Gift]. Similar sentiments under-gird this book. Knowing the plight of AKR, her words here have bittersweet meaning. She dedicates the book to her 3 children and others who are obviously close to her. Mother love has been featured as a sort of parallel to God's love in other PBT posts. Here are links to 2: the ever-present love found in The Runaway Bunny and the unconditional love found in I Love You Stinky, Face. The kind of love that is expressed in today's PBT book can also be a parallel to God’s unfathomable love and ever-presence. In the United Methodist Church, we hear about prevenient grace, a wooing sort of love that is holy and wonderfully prevenient (anticipatory and constant). Like the mother's love in this book, it is found in God’s generous creation. Find more PBT books that connect to prevenient grace [here]. Children are not too young to hear such an usual word. With their magical thinking, they get that love can transcend time and place. They can find comfort in knowing that God’s presence (and that of an absent parent) can be found in creation in all sorts of ways through acts of contemplation and simply through beauty. Thanks be to God!

Original Publisher & Date: Random House, 2016

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: My presence will go with you (Exodus 33:14); In your presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11); Where can I go from your Spirit? Where shall I flee from your presence? … (Psalm 139:7); I (Jesus) am with you always (Matthew 28:20)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children who are learning about how God’s loving presence is with us and can be particularly meaningful when experiencing God’s creation.