Vocation and Rocks in Pockets

Picture Book: Rocks in His Head

Author: Carol Otis Hurst

Illustrator: James Stevenson

Summary:  This story is about the author’s father who has been a passionate rock collector since his pre-depression childhood. 

Not understanding the economic or learning potential for the subject of rocks, all joke about him having rocks in his head and his pockets. 

He's always ready to show an interesting rock to anyone who wants to see and learn. 

Throughout his early professional life as the owner of a “filling station” and a Model-T mechanic, rocks are in the background, literally displayed on small shelves in the station.

When his business fails because of the Great Depression, he moves the rocks to the attic of his home. 

Between jobs, he frequently visits the rock collection at the nearby science museum to compare his collection to the one in the museum. 

When the director of the museum hears his comparison, she very much wants to see his rock collection so she climbs into his attic and is compelled to hire him, but as a janitor. 

Eventually he impresses everyone and becomes Curator of Mineralogy and serves the rest of his days communicating his passion to others.

Hanna’s Comments:  This is a story about vocation. I learned this word as a teen at church camp and understood it to be more than a job. Instead it is a God-given potential for service and even ministry. Tweens and teens are ready to learn this concept and then explore and discover how they might serve the “Kindom” of God while tapping into their passions and skills. 

Note how the main character’s journey to become a mineralogist was neither simple nor easy. Be sure to read the info. about the author; she gives some more details about her father and his vocational development.

Original Publisher & Date: Greenwillow Books, 2001

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

Formats other than Book: None at present

Scripture Connections: For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to a group of tweens or teens and encourage them to begin considering their God-given inclinations and passions for vocational work. Consider doing a series on this concept by reading other picture books found here at PBT that tell the story of people discovering and developing their various vocations. Click on “vocation” in the large Labels section down below and you’ll find over a dozen books on this subject to consider. 

PBT Redux Series #3 – Lion's Lunch

Today I’m featuring the third book in the PBT Redux Series in which I re-post (with a little editing) an earlier post about a picture book published in the last few years that you need to know. The books in this series are treasures with so much potential for ministry!

Picture Book: Lion’s Lunch

Author: Fiona Tierney
Illustrator: Margaret Chamberlain
Summary: Quick-witted Sarah wanders into the jungle happily singing until a lion threatens her. From Lion’s perspective, she is useless and nobody should sing in the jungle. Sarah asks what she can do to be a part of the jungle community. Lion sees her only as lunch, but Sarah quickly demonstrates her value by drawing a picture of Lion. No one else in the jungle can do that. Lion is astonished that Sarah portrays him as “mad and mean.” The other animals agree with Sarah’s assessment so she draws them in more positive ways, friendly, perky, cuddly, etc. The animals declare that Sarah “only draws it like it is.” Sarah’s drawings convince Lion to change his attitude. Then he invites her back to the jungle to see his transformation. When Sarah returns, she finds a very different Lion who invites her to become a permanent member of their jungle community. 

Hanna’s Comments: Children will love this silly book! It has a great deal to say about how we are sometimes oblivious to our own behavior and how others view us. Sarah is such a great role model for being creative, smart, frank, and empathetic. Her problem-solving is brilliant and seems to be God-inspired because it is grounded in valuing the uniqueness of each member of a loving community.
Publisher & Date of Publication: Chicken House, 2010
Age and Grade Appropriateness: 3 and up, Pre and up
Available in Spanish? Yes
Formats other than Book: None at present 
Scripture Connections: Tax collectors, like Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), are viewed as outsiders but change their ways after meeting Jesus; Saul changes after the Road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22)

Idea(s) for Application: Lion's Lunch would be a great component to a lesson on the importance of self-awareness and how it may lead to transformation. Additionally, consider reading it in a lesson on peaceful resistance.

Chocolate and Generosity

Picture Book: Love Monster and the Last Chocolate

Author & Illustrator: Rachel Bright 

Summary: This book is in a series of several books. In all, you’ll find Love Monster living in a world of cute, fluffy things. In the first, Love Monster searches for love among the fluffy creatures, thinking no one will love a slightly hairy, googly-eyed monster.

In this latest book, Love Monster knows he is loved by all his cute fluffy animal friends. He is fretting about a box of chocolates, found when he arrives home from a trip. 

Before opening it, he worries about whether he should share the chocolates. There might not be enough to share with all his cute, fluffy friends. 

Someone might eat his favorite, Double Chocolate Strawberry Swirl. Perhaps he will have only the coffee one left after sharing. He hates the coffee one! 

After deciding not to share and then feeling very guilty, he runs to his friends and confesses his selfishness. 

They tell him to look in the box. There he finds one chocolate, his favorite, and a love note saying how much they missed their favorite monster. 

The story ends with this wise statement: “Sometimes it’s when you stop to think of others that you start to find out just how much they think of you.”

Hanna’s Comments: How could I not love this book?! It’s about 2 of my favorite experiences if this great life God gives: chocolate and friends! Your children will get a kick out of Love Monster’s fretting. Help them realize how he struggles with generosity but is still willing. Claim and explain the joys of generosity.

Allow them to give examples of when they have discovered surprising generosity from others. Then tie it all together with some scripture. See my suggestions below.

Original Publisher & Date: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2015 

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 2 and up, Pre and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: One gives freely, yet grows all the richer. (Proverbs 11:24-25); Give and it will be given to you. (Luke 6:38a); It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35b); Let no one seek their own good but the good of a neighbor (1 Cor. 10:24); Look not only to your own interests but to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book when teaching children about the joys (and struggles) of generosity.