PBT God Book #13 - Glory

Picture Book: Glory

Author: Nancy White
Illustrator: Debra Reid Jenkins
Summary: Glory be to God! Creation is celebrated as an enormous variety of creatures praise God in this beautiful book. How does a butterfly, frog, fish, turtle, or rooster praise God? God is praised when God’s creatures do what they are created to do, whether flying, wriggling, making a joyful noise, singing to God in silence.... In the case of the young costumed girl on these pages, praise involves pretending to be another of Earth’s marvelous creatures. Here’s a sample of the verse:
Glory be to God for friendly fur,
For wiggling nose and racing heart,
For twitching ears and throbbing purr,
Tails that stretch and tails that wag,
Tail buttons soft as cotton…
All creatures by their being praise their Creator’s name.

Hanna’s Comments: While reading this book to your audience, pause after each double page spread and encourage them to move their bodies, acting out the motions and voices of favorite animals on the pages. At the book's ending, together verbally praise God for the abundance and beauty we see in animal life. Get creative together and praise through writing a group poem. Talk about how animal characteristics serve their survival and how that is true for humans too. Surely God’s creative love is at work in these creatures and each of your listeners. Ask them for some examples of God's creative love in them - some passions and gifts they treasure or favorite aspects of their glorious bodies. Talk about how God can be praised at church, home, and nature throughout their lives.
Original Publisher & Date: Eerdman’s Books, 2001
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up
Formats other than Book: Digital
Scripture Connections: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due God’s name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness (Psalm 29:2); let everything that has breath praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6); for by God all things were created, in heaven and on Earth (Colossians 1:16)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children who are learning about God’s creativity, human creativity, or the spiritual practice of praise.

Good Friday Peace

I recently heard a podcast about the symbolism of the cross. It challenged me to see the cross as a question: Is there a better way to be human? I now realize the cross can serve as a reminder of Jesus’ refusal to perpetuate the myth of redemptive violence. A cross, an instrument of torture, surprisingly is a symbol of peace! 

[Here’s] the podcast if you’re interested and 2 new PBT picture books about peace to consider for your ministry, your classroom, or your family. I end the post with links to 5 other PBT books about peace. 

I hope this weekend, no matter your relationship to Christianity or the symbolism of the cross, finds you contemplating our great need for peace and how you and your faith community might play your part in meeting that need.

Picture Book: The Peace Book

Author & Illustrator: Todd Parr

Hanna’s Comments: For thoughts about peace with elementary or preschool children, consider Todd Parr's fun exploration of what peace looks like. 

He also offers a global and even ecological perspective,

 often with a bit of humor...  

and some meaningful situations for young children. 

His books often connect directly to scripture,... 

 sometimes with a little twist. 

These peaceful acts can lead to life-long changes to self... 

and aspirations for world change.

Parr finds peace in simple, fun gestures... 

and big, hard work. 

His characters are sometimes surprising, 

often human and animal, 

but very relatable. 

Your children will love his whimsy...

 and his heart.

As usual, Parr ends this book with a letter to his readers.

Original Publisher & Date: Little, Brown & Co., 2004

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: Any scripture that encourages peaceful acts such as If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Romans 12:11) OR ...seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter: 3:11)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of preschoolers who are having lots of conflict in their classroom.

Picture Book: Can You Say Peace?

Author & Illustrator: Karen Katz

Hanna’s Comments: For a truly global perspective, consider this book as a start to a series of lessons about peace. 

Even young children pick up on international news events so it's important for faith families to humanize all persons, 

even those who might be demonized in mass media. 

This book is published with International Day of Peace in mind.  

That's September 21, but you can use it (and particularly it's verbal content) anytime you are providing an experience about world peace. The structure is simple. Most double-page spreads highlight one child from a particular country. That child's way of saying peace (the word and the pronunciation) are given. Given recent headlines here are a few timely examples: Hana in Iran... 

Stephan in Russia,... 

 and May in China. 

Resource material in the back shows a map and a list of even more ways to say "peace."

Original Publisher & Date: Henry Holt & Co., 2006

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

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: Any scripture that explores the concept of peace such as Strive for peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14)

Idea(s) for Application: Use this book as a resource when wanting to introduce various ways of saying "peace" during a faith family lesson or sermon about peace for any age. 

I have several others books about peace here at PBT where I'm about to celebrate my 4th anniversary on Sunday! Yay! Here are those links:

Peace, Baby!

A Little Peace

Let There Be Peace on Earth

Peace is an Offering

Growing Peace

PBT Series: God Book #2

Picture Book: Does God Hear My Prayer?

Author: August Gold

Photographer: Diane Hardy Waller

Summary: Through a series of questions, this inviting book explores the many ways children can communicate with and experience God. This book emphasizes the assurance that God’s love and presence is always available and attentive. Photographs highlight the ways we experience God, God’s world, and other creatures created by God.

Hanna’s Comments: In a sense I am featuring 5 books today and giving you a link to a 6th! The book above is representative of a series of 5 books. All have the same format and are comparable in content. In ways that are neither preachy nor simple, these books offer thought-provoking questions about God’s nature and our relationship with God and others. Reading these books should lead to some valuable conversations with your children across settings: in faith communities, in private schools where faith conversations are welcome, and in homes. Photographs and other illustrations increase the child-friendliness of these books. This entire series as well as other books from this publisher are "endorsed by Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist religious leaders." If you are Christian, note that Jesus is not mentioned, but God is represented in ways that reflect Christian values. At the end of this post are photos of other books in this series, their authors, and photographers.

Original Publisher & Date: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2005

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: You make known to be the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11); behold, I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)
Idea(s) for Application: Use this book and the other books in this series anytime you want to explore the nature of God with children in a way that invites their questions and explorations. 

Author: August Gold

Photographer: Diane Hardy Waller

There is another PBT book with this title that you can read about [here.] 

Author: August Gold

Photographer: Diane Hardy Waller

Author & Photographer: Joan Sauro

Author: Kay Lindahl
Photographer: Cynthia Maloney

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 347

Picture Book: Glory

Author: Nancy White

Illustrator: Debra Reid Jenkins 

Summary: Glory be to God! Creation is celebrated as an enormous variety of creatures praise God in this beautiful book. How does a butterfly, frog, fish, turtle, or rooster praise God? God is praised when God’s creatures do what they are created to do whether flying, wriggling, making a joyful noise, singing to God in silence, or in the case of the young costumed girl on these pages, pretending to be another of Earth’s marvelous creatures. Here’s a sample of the verse:

Glory be to God for friendly fur,

For wiggling nose and racing heart,

For twitching ears and throbbing purr,

Tails that stretch and tails that wag,

Tail buttons soft as cotton…

All creatures by their being praise their Creator’s name.

Hanna’s Comments: While reading this book to your audience, pause after each double page spread and encourage them to move their bodies, acting out the motions and voices of favorite animals on the pages. Afterwards, praise God for the abundance and beauty we see in animal life through writing a group poem or pantomime. Talk about how animal characteristics serve their survival and how that is true for humans too. Surely God’s creative love is at work in these creatures and each of your listeners. Ask them for some examples of God's creative love in them - some passions and gifts they treasure or favorite aspects of their glorious bodies. Talk about how God can be praised at church, home, and nature throughout their lives.

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Eerdman’s Books, 2001

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: God Book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abundance/bounty, affirmation, animals, art, authenticity, awe, beauty, creation, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, difference, diversity, Earth/world, the environment/nature, gifts/talents, gratitude/thanksgiving, play, pleasing God, prayer, purpose, response to God, reverence, variety, wonder, worship

Scripture Connections: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due God’s name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness (Psalm 29:2); let everything that has breath praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6); for by God all things were created, in heaven and on Earth (Colossians 1:16)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children who are learning about God’s creativity, human creativity, or praise.  

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 343

Picture Book: Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise

Author & Illustrator: Tomie de Paola

Summary: Here is the text of this beautiful book:

Sun and Moon, Stars and Comets in the Heavens.

Praise God.

Light and Darkness, Day and Night, 
Showers and Frost, Ice and snow.

Bless God.

Fire, Heat, Lightning and Clouds, 
Mountains, Hills, Seas, Rivers, and Fountains,

Praise God.

Fruitful Trees, Cedars, and all that Sprout upon the Earth,

Whales, Fish, and all Creatures that Move in the Waters,

Bless God.

Birds, Everything that Flies in the Air,

Dogs, Cats, All Animals and Creeping Things on Earth,

Praise God.

All People, Young and Old, Let Everything in Heaven and on Earth

Bless and Praise God.

Hanna’s Comments: In the Authors Note, Tomie de Paola explains that this book was inspired by two pieces of Old Testament scripture: The Canticle of the Three Young Men from the Book of Daniel and Psalm 148. He has purposefully made it like a children’s song. The illustrations are inspired by folk art designs of the Otomi people of Puebla, Mexico.  

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2011

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

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present 

Formats other than Book: Tablet

PBT Category: God Book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abundance/bounty, adoration, animals, awe, Bible/scripture, blessings, creation, diversity, the environment/nature, heaven/sky, humanity, moon/space/stars/sun, pleasing God/the Shema, prayer, response to God, unity, variety, weather, worship

Scripture Connections: Praise the Lord…Praise him, sun and moon… (Psalm 148); let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name (Hebrews 13:15)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children when teaching them about worship and praise to God.  

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 252

Picture Book: All God’s Critters

Author: Bill Stains

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Summary: This picture book is comprised of the lyrics to a folk song written and made famous by Bill Stains. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

All God’s critters got a place in the choir.

Some sing low, some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire,

And some just clap their hands,

or paws, or anything they got.

The verses describe where on the scales various species sing while all are delighting in the sounds of God’s creatures.

Hanna’s Comments: This is nice big book so you’ll be able to show the illustrations easily. The score to the song is in the back so you can even teach your children the song and invite them to sing as you show the fun illustrations. Celebrate God’s creativity with song and praise of Earth’s bounty of creatures, great and small. You may another book with this title and these lyrics, but different illustrations by Margot Zemach.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Simon & Schuster, 2009

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

# of Pages: 36

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: There are several versions of this song being performed on Youtube.com.

PBT Category: Song book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, adoration, animals, choir/music/singing/songs, communication, creation, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, differences, diversity, the environment/nature, joy, language/literacy/reading, noise/sounds/voice, response to God, variety, worship

Scripture Connections: Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the Earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. (Psalm 100:1); Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book or sing along with it when teaching children about God’s creatures and the creative diversity they demonstrate. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 242

Picture Book: Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures

Author: Saint Francis of Assisi

Adaptor: Katherine Paterson

Illustrator: Pamela Dalton

Summary: This is a reimagining of the beautiful hymn of praise to God called Canticle of the Creatures or Canticle of the Sun, written by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224. The text is a prayer of gratitude for various aspects of God’s creation such as the sun and moon in the title. Also, lauded are fire, water, weather, etc. The illustrations are extraordinary scherenschnitte, the art of paper cutting.

Hanna’s Comments: Reading this book is a doubly wonderful experience. The verse is refreshing as it praises some of God's blessings in a unique sort of phrasing. A complete translation of the canticle in English is in the back of the book. You’ll find comments from the author and illustrator in the back as well. I was especially intrigued by this Katherine Paterson comment about her experience of adapting the canticle: “It was such a wonderful exercise to see myself as close kin to all the rest of the natural world… even to look death in the face and call her my sister.” Also, the visual artistry is stunning. Be sure to point out to young audiences that the illustrations are detailed paper cuts. Do give them some biographical information on Saint Francis beforehand, and you might want to mention that the current Pope Francis is inspired and named after Saint Francis, a name he chose.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Chronicle Books, 2011

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

# of Pages: 36

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet, There is a video on Youtube that is this song as presented in a movie with the same title. I’ve not seen the movie so I can’t recommend it, but you might want to check it out.  

PBT Category: God book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, adoration, awe, beauty, blessings, choir/music/singing/songs, contemplation, creation, Earth/world, the environment/nature, gratitude/thanksgiving, moon/space/stars/sun, prayer, response to God, reverence, wonder, worship

Scripture Connections: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); the universe was created by the word of God (Hebrews 11:3); worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11)

Idea(s) for Application: This book could be read to a group of children when studying Saint Francis, songs of praise, prayers of thanksgiving, or when focusing on the natural world of God’s creation. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 232

Picture Book: Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals

Illustrator: Ashley Bryan

Summary: In this picture book, vibrant illustrations are paired with the text of 3 commonly known and loved spirituals: “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Multiple verses are given for each song.

Hanna’s Comments: You could use this book in several ways. You could simply read or sing the lyrics of the 3 songs altogether. OR You could read or sing them each on separate occasions to go thematically with your other activities. Musical scores for all 3 are provided in the back. Be sure to show the illustrations at least the first time the children experience this book. Their comprehension of the lyrics’ meanings will be that much richer. If the children in your family of faith don’t know these beloved songs, now’s the time to teach them. Also, you’ll find a note from the illustrator that gives some historical context to spirituals. She ends with a wish: “May the spirit move you to make them (these 3 spirituals) your own.”

Publisher & Date of Publication: Antheneum Books, 2007

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: Song Book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, America, choir/music/singing/songs, God’s care/providence, joy, light/morning, response to God, satisfaction, slavery/slaves, worship

Scripture Connections: Oh come, let us sing to the Lord (Psalm 95:1); make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! (Psalm 100:1); addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart (Ephesians 5:19); let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Idea(s) for Application: Teach these songs to your children so that together they may make a joyful noise in worship. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 47

Picture Book: Thank You, God, For Everything

Author: August Gold

Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin

Summary: Young Daisy sees her parents thanking God for various things so she decides to try it herself. As Daisy considers what she should be thankful for, her gratitude journey quickly becomes very meaningful, moving from concrete objects & people to abstract ideas, eventually encompassing everything.

Hanna’s Comments: The author, a renowned spiritual director of Sacred Center New York, offers some wise advice in the Forward for introducing spiritual gratitude to young children. This illustrator is one of my favorites. Because of the multiple images in each double-page spread, you may want several copies of the book so that your children can view the multiplicity of images and offer their own ideas. 

Publisher & Date of Publication: Putnam, 2009 

Age and 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: God Book, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abundance/bounty, attentiveness/observation/seeing, awe, beauty, blessings, celebration/party, creation, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, diversity, gladness/happiness, God’s care/providence, God’s nature, gratitude/thankfulness/thanksgiving, joy, life, manna, pleasing God/the Shema, possessions, prayer, renewal/restoration, response to God, satisfaction, variety, vision, wisdom, worship

Scripture Connections: The Shema/love the Lord your God with all your heart… (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), giving thanks to God (Psalm 7:17, 107:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Idea(s) for Application: incorporate in a lesson on prayers of gratitude to God

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 21

Picture Book: Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

Authors: Kimberly & James Dean

Illustrator: James Dean

Summary: Pete had the “blue cat blues” for the first time, but a pair of magic sunglasses helps him see things in a whole new way. His and others’ perspectives are transformed as he shares the glasses, but the glasses become broken. Wise owl helps Pete realize that he doesn’t need the glasses; he can look for the good in every day.

Comments: There are a few repeated phrases in this book. Teach one to your listeners and then through gesture prompt them to say aloud together as you read. This invites engagement and fun learning.

Publisher & Date of Publication: HarperCollins, 2013

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

# of Pages: 40

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: video, tablet, audio

PBT Category: Fresh off the Press

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abilities, abundance/bounty, attentiveness/observation/seeing, awe, beauty, blessings, brokenness, change, depression/despair/sadness/sorrow, emotions/feelings, encouragement, golden rule/great commandment, golden rule/great commandment, goodness, grace, gratitude/thankfulness/thanksgiving, helping, healing/healthcare, mentors/teachers, outreach, perspective, renewal/restoration, response to God, reverence, sharing, transformation, vision, wisdom

Scripture Connections: create in me a clean heart of God (Psalm 51:10-12), be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:2)

Idea(s) for Application: a program for a visioning team