PBT Grab & Go #8 - Nova's Ark

Here's the latest book in my Grab & Go series. These are repeated posts about books that lend themselves to a super easy lesson because their content directly relates to biblical traditions or spiritual ideas.

Picture Book: Nova’s Ark 

Author & Illustrator: David Kirk

Summary: While playing with his family’s ancient treasure, a wooden ark and a set of wooden animals, Nova, a robot boy, misses his father who is on a space mission. Later, he accidentally rockets himself to a new planet (Nova is an engineering genius!) and uses his amazing talents to invent new mechanical animals to keep him company. After being reunited with his father who is injured, Nova & each animal sacrifice a component of their mechanics to save his father. Eventually father & son discover on this new planet the energy source that their planet desperately needs.

Hanna’s Comments: There is a great deal to talk about in this story. Encourage discussion among older listeners about connections between this tale and the biblical ark story. Ask about why this old story has various versions in cultures and media. What message does the old story (and this new one derived from images of that old story) have for us today? Younger listeners will simply enjoy the story and help you find connections to Genesis.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Scholastic, 1999

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

Formats other than Book: None at present 

Scripture Connections: Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children, youth, or adults to explore the power and themes from the biblical story of Noah’s ark.

Big Questions

Picture Book: Life on Mars

Author & Illustrator: Jon Agee

Summary: Alone in his determination to prove life on Mars, 

an astronaut arrives on the planet with a gift of chocolate cupcakes. 

He walks upon the “gloomy” surface,

ready to spy any sign of life. Soon he is spotted 

 and followed, 

but he is oblivious or perhaps his companion is particularly sneaky and shy.

With such a desolate landscape, the astronaut reconsiders his position. “Could anything possibly live here?” 

Hopeless, he decides to go home and drops the gift. 

It is quickly inspected by the Martian. 

 After much wandering and losing his way, 

the astronaut spots a lone flower.  

He picks it to take back to Earth, proof that he was right. 

Soon after, he comes upon his gift, picks it up, and climbs a mountain to seek his spaceship.  

The mountain is unusual in its color, but he doesn't notice.

He finds the spaceship and leaves the planet certain of his success and initial position. 

After blasting toward home, he opens the package believing he is deserving of the cupcakes. 

 Surprise!

Hanna’s Comments: Your children in your faith family or at home will love this story. It’s simple, funny, and profound. The illustrations really tell the story so make sure your audience has a clear view. You’ll be surprised how quickly children can step into conversations about proof or lack of proof where God is concerned. Make sure they understand that you are not saying that God is the Martian although there may be ways the Martian is like God (present or  observant, for instance). There’s a lot to interpret here, particularly the thoughts and feelings of the Martian. Belief seems to be the main theme, but it offers an opportunity to explore several theological ideas such as faith, doubt, exploration, certainty, pride, and wisdom. The concept of plunder comes to mind too. For an adult audience, might this book be a parable for those who are oblivious to and disrespectful of the rich and valid theologies of other faiths? Might the flower be symbolic of natural resources as signs of God’s presence? Is this little gift representing the little bit we might offer in exchange for access to something much richer and perhaps not ours to be accessed? All possible directions this fun book can take you and your listeners.  

Original Publisher & Date: Dial Books, 2017

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1); for we walk by faith, not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of elementary children, teens, or adults and do some age-appropriate exploring of some of the concepts  and big questions listed above or others you find.  

PBT Blog Series: Theological Statements for Young Children #2

Illustration from Big and Small, Room for All by Jo Ellen Bogart and Gillian Newland

I just returned from a conference in Tennessee for teachers of toddlers and preschoolers where I presented these theological statements for young children. They gave me great feedback and were enthusiastic about the 100 plus books that I was connecting to these statements.

I love presenting at conferences and would welcome more opportunities to present the books and ideas here at PBT to groups of people who want to encourage children to begin building their faith early and meaningfully. Just contact me via email if your group might be interested in a workshop.

I think the teachers were particularly pleased about the simplicity of what I was suggesting. Your own short statement or two that connects a simple theological or spiritual idea to a story is enough to begin building young children’s religious foundation. Linking these faith statements to books that are secular gives a very real context for understanding.

The second theological statement is: God created an amazing, diverse world for people to enjoy and treasure.

I’m offering 3 new books that connect with this statement and a list of books already on PBT. Supporting these concepts would be many non-fiction books such as those covering science and social science concepts. Animal books and nature books, common in preschool literature, would relate to this statement as well. There will also be great fiction books too.

A few of these books offer more text than you would want to read to very young children. I suggest that that you simply place a Post-it note on top of text that is too long and write a sentence or two that you’ll read instead. Make these books work for you and your audience!

To demonstrate the simplicity of this idea, I’ll start with a Sandra Boynton book. Her comical board books are almost a rite of passage for toddlers here in the US. Fifteen Animals is as simple as it sounds. It’s basically a counting book with Boynton’s signature absurdity. Every animal is named Bob except for the one on the last page, the turtle named Simon James Alexander Ragsdale the Third. Young children will be cracking up. Between their giggles, talk about how amazed you are by the variety of animals God has created and how glad you are that humans get to delight in them.     
Picture Book: Fifteen Animals

Author & Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Original Publisher & Date: Workman, 2002

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 1 and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Next I offer another animal book that focuses on mammals and their parents. You will love the illustrations! Choose the facts that your children will most likely respond to and focus on helping them learn the names of some of these exotic animals and the needs that their parents provide them. Suggest that God’s hope is for young mammals to be well cared for by their parents, just like God’s hope for human babies.

Picture Book: Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents

Author & Illustrator: Lita Judge

Original Publisher & Date: Scholastic, 2014

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Gravity by Jason Chin is visually striking. Your scientifically inclined children will want to look at these illustrations repeatedly. There are only a few words per page, but there is a story here told largely through the illustrations. Make sure your children are following the events from page to page. Afterwards, talk about how gravity is a blessing from God that helps our world be more predictable. Consider what life would be like without it. For instance, balls would be interesting, but not much fun!  

Picture Book: Picture Book: Gravity

Author & Illustrator: Jason Chin

Original Publisher & Date: Scholastic, 2014

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

Formats other than Book: Tablet

To find my detailed posts about the books below, simply click on the post date.

Other PBT books that connect with links to posts:

The Water Hole - 5/24/14

Planting a Rainbow - 9/5/14                

The Quiet Book - 6/30/14

I Love Hugs - 12/12/14             

Yes Day! - 7/5/14       

What a Wonderful World - 7/6/14

Owen and Mzee  (board bk version) - 2/27/15                        

All the World - 5/26/14

A Cool Drink of Water - 6/29/14              

Two Eggs, Please - 7/10/14

Hello, Hello - 8/5/14                                   

Nest - 8/11/14

On Earth - 1/6/15                                    

My Favorite Things - 9/4/14

Homes Around the World ABC - 10/7/14                        

Panda Bear, Panda Bear… - 1/22/15

Brown Bear, Brown Bear… - 1/22/15

And Here’s to You! - 3/11/15               

Animal Teachers - 4/8/15

The Incredible Peepers… -  2/7/15

An Orange in January - 1/29/15

Shades of People - 9/17/14
Whose Eyes Are These? - 3/20/15

Big and Small, Room for All - 4/19/15

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 365!!!!!!!!!!

Picture Book: Big and Small, Room for All

Author: Jo Ellen Bogart

Illustrator: Gillian Newland

Summary: The first double page spread of this book has a little girl in a tree. The words read, “Big and Small, Big and Small.” Then a visual jump is made to the vast universe. “Room for all, Big and small.” With each page, a tighter view occurs. First the big sky (universe) and small sun, then the big sun and small Earth, and so on until you read, “What is smaller than a flea? A world of things too small to see.”  

Hanna’s Comments: This book captures my values in a nutshell. I believe every element of this universe is a beloved creation of our loving God. Also, here the mystery of the Divine is captured in the big sky and even in the tiniest creatures. My church’s vision statement is “An Open Place for All to Worship, Grow, and Serve.” This big statement is an invitation to anyone who happens to walk in our doors, no matter how small they are feeling. We are a big church, with a big steeple, and big stained-glass windows. But we know that small things matter, a warm greeting for a visitor, a phone call when someone is missed, or a touch when a beloved friend is hurting. I love my church because our big hearts for our much bigger God are expressed in the small ways we are the hands and feet of Christ to others on a small corner of this world in downtown Birmingham, AL, USA, Earth….

I have now demonstrated for you 365 times that big ideas can be found in even small picture books. The two extremes represented in this picture book ground my faith in a way that is comforting and has kept me writing these blog posts for you for 365 consecutive days, a big goal that I have managed, with God’s help, to accomplish, one small step (day) at a time. Praise God!

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Tundra Books, 2009

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, adoration, animals, attentiveness/observation/seeing, awe, babies/children, beauty, belonging, blessings, creation, diversity, Earth/world, the environment/nature, God’s care/providence, heaven/sky, life, moon/space/stars/sun, mystery, reverence, variety, wonder

Scripture Connections: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers… who are we that you are mindful of us? (Psalm 8:3-4)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of children, youth, or adults who are wanting to consider both the enormity and detail of God’s creation and the way in which God is in the big picture and the details.  

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 355

Picture Book: Above My Head, Beneath My Feet

Author & Illustrator: K. D. Plum

Summary: This is a cleverly designed book that demonstrates in several situations what can be found above a young boy’s head and beneath his feet. Each page has a flap to flip, revealing the boy’s discoveries. Some are cut-away illustrations and some are wide expanses in space. For example, he awakens and sees curtains, his window, and the sun above his head. His lost slipper and kitty are found underneath his feet in the bed covers. He goes outside and sees the city’s clock tower, flags, and leaves above his head while beneath his feet are sidewalk, grass, dirt, anthills, and ant tunnels.

Hanna’s Comments: There’s some great science in this fun flap book, but even better, you’ll be encouraging young children to be more observant and discover new aspects of God’s creation. While reading this book, be sure to ask them about other discoveries they can make on each page. Help them identify which of those discoveries are made by God and which are human-made. With observation comes wonder, and with wonder comes gratitude to God for making such an amazing world and giving humans the abilities to use our minds to invent things. All are celebrated here! Consider this book an invitation to go out and explore God’s world with a sense of wonder and gratitude.

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Price, Stern, Sloan, Inc., 1997

Age & Grade Appropriateness: Toddler and up 

# of Pages: 14

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Rare but Worth the Search, Pre 2K

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abundance/bounty, animals, attentiveness/observation/seeing, awe, beauty, blessings, creation, discovery/invention, diversity, Earth/world, the environment/nature, exploration, found, gratitude/thanksgiving, heaven/sky, land/mountains/soil, moon/space/stars/sun, reverence, variety, wonder

Scripture Connections: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16); 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 learning to explore and be grateful for God’s amazing world. 

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 75

Picture Book: Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit

Author & Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen

Summary: The main character of this picture book in verse is Randy Riley who loves 3 things: space, robots, and baseball. He’s no good at hitting baseballs, but his search of the night sky warns him of a large fireball plummeting to Earth, to his town no less. He tells his parents. When they don't respond, Randy's determination is unwavering. He has just enough time to perform his calculations and build a giant robot that, you guessed it, swings and doesn’t miss. The fireball leaves the Earth’s atmosphere, and Randy is the hero.

Hanna’s Comments: This is such a fun picture book! The poetic verse is delightful, and the illustrations of 1960’s America are hilarious. Kids will love it so much that it will be easy to sneak in meaningful connections with scriptural subjects such as giftedness, heroism, or even prophets.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Candlewick Press, 2012

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

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Amateur videos on Youtube

PBT Category: Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abilities, acceptance, action, America, body of Christ, bravery/courage, call/calling/vocation, confidence, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, gifts/giftedness/talents, heroes, hope, individuality/uniqueness, intercession, labor/work, mission, moon/space/stars/sun, passion, preparation/preparing, problems/problem solving, prophesy/prophets, purpose, risking, sacrifice, savior/saving, servant hood/service/serving, sports/sports stars, wisdom

Scripture Connections: Book of Jeremiah

Idea(s) for Application: as part of a children’s lesson on the prophet Jeremiah