Bicycle Generosity & Hospitality

I’m going to step away from the PBT blog series of theological statements for young children and highlight a book for children who are a little older. I’ll get back to the series with my next post. 

I look forward to Alma Fullerton’s new books for she always offers a glimpse into a world far away from me and the children that I work with and yet, she makes obvious connections that all children can enjoy.

In this beautiful book, her main character, Anna, is a young girl in Tanzania who is having difficulty in school because her walk to and from school is so lengthy she has no daylight at home to do homework. 

At school while Anna is studying during lunch break, the bicycle library comes. This is simply a pick-up truck with bikes in it for the children to borrow for a time. 

There are not enough bikes for Anna to have one. Despite her disappointment, her generous heart has her helping her friends learn to ride and encouraging those friends who are having trouble.

Anna’s journey home takes much less time because she runs beside one bike and then rides with other bikers. When the last boy reaches his home, he suggests that she ride on to her home. They make plans for Anna to pick him up in the morning for school.

There are so many important values and concepts that you could emphasize here in a lesson for children in your family of faith: perseverance in difficult circumstances, generosity despite disappointment, hospitality in sharing our gifts, and coming together with friends to make a situation better. In Christianity we like to call that last one The Body of Christ.

The Author’s Note in the back explains about the need for bikes in much of Africa and lists several organizations that distribute bikes to Africa and other countries. If you’re near one of these organizations, you may want to have your children organize a bike drive in your faith community.

Picture Book: In a Cloud of Dust

Author: Alma Fullerton

Illustrator: Brian Deines

Original Publisher & Date: Pajama Press, 2015

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

Formats other than Book: None at present

Another one of my favorite Alma Fullerton books is A Good Trade, featured on PBT on 5/7/14. I’ve created a lesson about missions based on it for elementary aged children. I sell that lesson here on PBT for only $5. Just contact me via email to receive it.

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

PBT Blog Series: Theological Statements for Young Children # 1

Illustration from cover of Me I Am by Jack Prelutsky & Christine Davenier

Over the course of several blog posts, I’ll be presenting my approach for connecting theological ideas to young children’s secular literature. My premise is that there are several specific theological statements that can be easily adapted and incorporated into a discussion of many secular books for toddlers and preschoolers.

For each blog post, I’ll offer the theological statement, ways you can adapt it for your particular use, a list of PBT books that connect to the statement, the date I posted about each of those books, and at least one new book. To find my detailed post about each book, simply click on the date.

The first theological statement is: 
You are a one-of-a-kind, precious child of God.

There are many books for young children that celebrate the fact that they are unique, valuable, and wonderfully made. I'm simply proposing that you offer your view that God made them that way. When doing so, point out positive aspects of each child and affirm those character traits while giving God the credit. Try not to focus on outward appearances, especially for your girls who might be too often told they are pretty but less often told they are brave or smart.

Today’s feature book is hilarious! What Baby Wants offers a story that children will love in which the title is a mystery to every one of Baby’s huge extended farm family except for his brother. While Baby’s mama gets some much-needed sleep, Baby screams and screams and no wonder! The strategies used to calm him are ridiculous. No baby wants flowers tickling his nose or sheep nibbling his hair. Finally, Baby’s brother feels empowered. He cuddles and kisses him, wraps him in a quilt, and sings him a lullaby. That’s what Baby wants!

Use this book as an invitation for your young audience members to tell you what they can do really well. Be sure to affirm them for their great problem solving like the brother demonstrates in this story. Your children will be delighted and you’ll have the opportunity to give credit to God who created each one-of-a-kind, precious child of God who is getting to hear this silly story.

Picture Book: What Baby Wants

Author: Phyllis Root

Illustrator: Jill Bartow

Original Publisher & Date: Candlewick, 1998

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

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT books that connect with links to posts:

The Big Orange Splot - 7/16/14

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon - 7/25/14

Chrysanthemum - 8/24/14

Me I Am - 9/24/14              

Spoon - 10/22/14

I Like Myself! - 12/31/14             

I’d Know You Anywhere - 1/31/15

Only One You - 4/11/15