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. 

 

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.  

Peace Grows Like Coffee

A few weeks ago, we remembered the tragedy of September 11, 2001. I found myself thinking about how the world had changed because of that horrific event. In my mind, few changes are positive. This picture book tells of positive changes in an African village inspired by the events of 9/11. 

Picture Book: Growing Peace: A Story of Farming,                                               Music, and Religious Harmony

Author and Photojournalist: Richard Sobol

Summary: This story begins and ends in Africa in the village of Namanyonyi, near the border of Uganda and Kenya. 

Namanyonyi is unusual. In this small Ugandan village live Christians, Jews, and Muslims. They live in harmony, but they used to live more separately. Here you see children from each religion enjoying futbol. (The hats identify the boy in the middle as Jewish and the boy on the right as Muslim.

Since one villager's witnessing of 9/11, they live more cooperatively and productively. J. J. Keki, a musician and coffee grower, happened to be in New York City on his way to The World Trade Center on 9/11. 

He emerged from the subway station in time to see one of the planes hit a tower. His life, like so many others, would never be the same. 

He came home and realized his village offered a perfect opportunity to model interfaith cooperation. Most families have a garden for food but also grow coffee for export. (They prefer to drink tea.) 

Through contacts made in his village via his children's many friends, Mr. Keki met with village farmers of all 3 religions: Islam

Christianity 

and Judaism.

Together they created a farming cooperative so that they can import their coffee at a better price and highlight their cooperation despite their village's religious diversity.  On the sign below find the word "Kawomera." It means "delicious." The Delicious Peace Growers Coop was born and has transformed this community! 

A model of interfaith cooperation was been born thanks to one man's determination to counteract religious hatred! 

J. J. Keki has even written songs celebrating the extraordinary peace and joy that his village now experiences. 

Besides a detailed account of this story, you'll find the process of growing coffee beans. Children and adults are photographed demonstrating the steps: the harvesting of coffee cherries,  

the drying of their seeds, 

the shaking to remove skins, the bagging, and the transporting to a Kenyan sea port. 

Growing Peace offers a wide but pragmatic perspective on peacemaking, integrated with economic cooperation. 

Hard work is celebrated here as well as the joy of living in the diversity that God ordains through nature and humanity.

Hanna’s Comments: There is so much text in this book that I highly recommend reading it over a couple of sessions or telling (rather than reading) this powerful story while showing the photographs. Find in the back an Author's Note and lots of resources including a glossary which will help with pronunciation. The music behind this story is available [here] and you can purchase the fair trade Delicious Peace Coffee [here]. 

Check out other PBT books about Africans' responses to September 11, 2001 [here] and [here].

Original Publisher & Date: Lee & Low, 2016

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 7 and up, 2^nd and up

Formats other than Book: this story is told in a feature-length video available at [Youtube]

Scripture Connections: Two are better than one, because they have good reward for their toil. If they fall, one will lift up the other. (Ecclesiastes 4:9); Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called people of God. (Matthew 5:9); Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24); Strive for peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of older children or adults and consider how scripture encourages cooperative community, even across religious traditions.