Green

Title:  Green

Author/Illustrator:  Laura Vacarro Seeger

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Publication Date: 2012

ISBN: 9781596433977

Audience: 2-6 years

Summary: This is a book showing seventeen shades of green.  That’s accurate but inadequate.  Enter the world of green-a tree, a turtle, a lime, a pea, a firefly, a fern, a lizard.  There is more. Die cut pages surprise and lead from one shade of green to the next.  A section of lime becomes a spoon of pea soup; two of the peas become a tiger’s eyes.  One double page includes all the shades of green in the book, inviting children to find matches.  There is one page with a bright red stop sign, one page of a snow covered world for contrast.  A young boy plants a seedling, a page with no words; the next page shows a large tree with adult and child beneath, “Forever green.”

Literary elements at work in the story: This is a concept book, one of several that have won Seeger Caldecott Honor awards. One color, many hues.   The double pages give a sense of the vast world in which these greens are seen. The rhyming text makes the shades easy to remember.  The intense colors and thickly painted pages are almost textured, inviting touch.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? Not applicable.

Theological Conversation Partners: Look. See. Consider. Observe.  These are some of the words used to translate Matthew 6: 26, 28 as Jesus invites us to learn from God’s world. We are so frequently blind, indifferent, too busy to “hear” what God is saying to us.  One of the greatest gifts we can give to children or adults is to help them focus, to pay attention to the world around them. Green is the perfect guide for practicing this. The boy planting the seedling is a gentle reminder about our care for God’s world.  The symbol of the good, the righteous life in the Bible is a tree. Ps. 1, Ps. 92:12-15. This could be mentioned in connection with the last two pages. God could have created a monotone world.  Psalm 104:24 is an apt prayer of praise.  Add “color” after the word “creatures.”  For the adult: Chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color, is essential for photosynthesis, which is, in turn,   essential for our lives.  Plants change sunlight into energy and nutrients and release oxygen. Black is a more efficient color for photosynthesis but green does the job and colors our world.  Miraculous!

Faith Talk Questions and actions.

1.  Examining a box of crayons with several shades of green can assure that children understand “shades” or “hues.”
2.  Examine crayons of different shades.  Not all greens are alike. This can involve noticing clothes, hair ribbons, lunch boxes, etc.
3. Count the shades of green in the book.
4. Children will enjoy using the shapes as clues to the next page.
5. Green sometimes helps animals hide.  This is called camouflage. Find some animals that green helps to hide.
6. Some greens are found in places other than plants.  Find these.
7. Go for a looking walk.  Note where you see green.
8. Pick leaves, plants, (if possible), other objects and make a green display. Compare shades of green.
9. Plant a tree, a shrub, or a flower.

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary graduate and regular contributor Virginia Thomas.

A Leaf Can Be…

Title: A Leaf Can Be…

Author: Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrator: Violeta Dabija

Publisher: Millbrook Press

ISBN: 978-0-7613-6; 51795

Audience:  Ages 5 – 8

Summary: A leaf is a simple part of the plant but it offers an unlimited number of possibilities.  In this story, it can go from being a water ladle, water taker and food maker to shelter and rain stopper. A leaf can make medicine and beauty ingredients as well as air cleaner and help make the earth green. Finally, a leaf rides in the air when it is dead. The leaf benefits the environment, humans, and animals.

Central Literary elements at work in the story:  Poetically written, the rhymes of the personified leaf describe different attributes where the leaf as subject plays several roles. For example, instead of saying that a leaf can be an animal’s food, the author puts it this way: a leaf can be “food maker”, or “nest former”. The leaf is presented in anactive role rather than undergoing the action passively.  In certain roles, a leaf protects the prey from predator: “snake concealer”.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/abilities/disabilities/economic status:  Although the leaf plays various roles, the gender element is unthinkable; economic and social statuses are positively described as possible roles of the leaf but are not used in the discriminatory way.

Theological Conversation Partners:  A leaf is characterized with vulnerability and flexibility. Sometimes the vulnerability of the leaf makes ond think of the fragility of our life. The leaf’s flexibility makes one think of how God endows our life with different gifts for different uses.  In the Bible the leaf symbolizes prosperity or spiritual blessing (Ezekiel 47:12; Psalms 1:3) as well as moral decay (Isaiah 64:6).

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How do you make use of the leaf?
2. Consider the time when there are no leaves on the trees, how does it make you feel?
3. In what way our life might be as flexible as the leaf?
4. Think of human conditions and the leaves on the tree.  What lessons can we learn?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Bahekelwa Imatha.

You Are a Gift to the World

Title: You are a Gift to the World

Author: Laura Duksta

Illustrator: Dona Turner

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011

ISBN:  9781402219542

Audience: Ages 4 – 8

Summary:  The answer to the biggest question lays inside the heart. The question is what is the biggest gift in the whole world . With the gift of the world, there are melodies of joy, wonder and laughter, uplifting smiles that tenderly and warmly brighten our lives. The world offers opportunities for fellowship and loving families. Travel makes possible the discovery of the wonder that the world has to offer. Nature is a miracle that waits to be discovered; the plants, seas, and all the creatures big and small living in it, snowy mountains and sunshine, all inspire the endless possibilities for painting. The world is really a gift.

Literary Elements at work in the story:  The book is divided into two sections both ending in the middle of the book. On one side “You are the gift to the world” and on the other side “The world is the gift”. Each part of the book opens with the memory of the question as if it were a dialogue between two individuals. But it remains unclear to know who is asking the question, and to who? Although the illustrations show two peoples and adult and a girl enjoying the time together as family, still between the two of them nothing indicates who is speaking. The adventurous exploration of the gift of the world has no indication of racial or cultural connotation; however, it takes a good economic status to travel around the world and take advantage of what the world has to offer.

(How) does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story?  The author emphasizes the concept of gift. To be a gift to the world or the world to be a gift to us gives no indication of race or economic status but it is itself a culture   in the sense it is a call for responsibility toward the world.

Theological Conversation Partners:  Nature as God’s creation is good, because God declared good all that God has created. All creation is a gift God trusted to human beings to cultivate or take care of.  Genesis 2:15; Psalms 8:6

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Where does your biggest gift come from?
2. How responsible are you toward the biggest gift?
3. How do you show your gratitude for having the world as a gift?
4. What makes think you are a gift to the world, and the world a gift to you?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Bahekelwa Imatha.

Night Tree

Name of Book:  Night Tree

Author:  Eve Bunting

Illustrator: Ted Rand

Publisher: Voyager Books Harcourt Brace & Company

ISBN: 978-0152001216

Audience:  Ages4-8

Summary:  On Christmas Eve, a family treks into the woods to trim an evergreen with edible decorations for the forest animals.

Literary elements at work in the story:  A fictional telling of a family Christmas Eve ritual told from the point of view of the about 10 year old son. The text has a quiet, reverential tone and the illustrations are in Ted Rand’s characteristic glowing style. Father, Mother, son and young daughter smile, sing and take care of the natural world and each other in this sweet picture book.

Theological conversation partners:  The endearing text and beautiful illustrations are reason enough to have this book in a family library but its link to the observance of Advent makes it a faithful choice as well. Anticipating the yearly event, preparing (“For weeks we’ve been making balls of sunflower seeds and pressed millet and honey.”) and showing light in the dark night are qualities of the Advent season. There is a contemplative feel of the next to last page’s wording and painting of the boy tucked in bed looking out the window. The boy’s face turned to and illuminated by the full moon conveys peace and wondering.

Faith Talk Questions: 

1. What rituals do you remember from your childhood Advent seasons?  
2. What rituals are a part of your family’s Advent observance?
3. How is light portrayed in Night Tree?
4. What was the boy thinking about in bed after the family’s pilgrimage to the woods? When you are feeling reflective, to where do you “let your mind go back”?
5. The family extends generosity to each other in their interactions and to the woodland animals in their tree decorating. What are examples of generous acts given during holiday celebrations?

This faith review was prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Robin Crawford.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Name of Book: All Things Bright and Beautiful

Author:  Cecil F. Alexander; illus. Ashley Bryan

Publisher: Atheneum

ISBN: 978-1416989394

Audience: Ages 2-5

Summary:  Cut-paper collages depict scenes of people, animals, and nature that perfectly interpret this wonderful 19^th c Irish hymn. Bryan has created a masterpiece in which art and text work together to God’s glory. Children can sing along (words and music are included) and point out all of the things mentioned in the song.  A fun book for all.

Literary elements at work in the story: Illustrations and words come alive and work perfectly together in this visual presentation of the song, making it especially accessible to the very young. The placement of the text also adds a sense of movement and keeps the book moving.

How do the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story: Bryan’s illustrations include not just the glory and beauty of creation but its diversity as well. All races celebrate God’s creation from the ferris wheel at the opening to the rainbow at the end. This is multiculturalism at its best.

Theology: Psalm 8:1

There could hardly be a better song or better illustrations to serve as an example of this verse. God’s glory shows through every phrase and every illustration. It is as if God reached down, touched the author and illustrator and said, “Show forth my glory”.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Can you think of something “bright and beautiful?”
2. God’s creation is so magnificent. What can we do to keep it so?
3. The end of the song says, “He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell, how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.” How can we see and speak better about God and God’s creation?

This review was written by regular contributor Janet Lloyd.

The Curious Garden

Title: The Curious Garden

Author: Peter Brown

Illustrator: Peter Brown

Publisher: Little, Brown, 2009

ISBN: 9780316015479

Audience: 4-8 years

Summary:  There was once a city without gardens or trees or greenery, a dull and dreary city where everyone stayed inside.  Except young, red-headed Liam who, while splashing in the rain one day, discovered a few wildflowers on an elevated railroad track.  The plants needed a gardener and Liam set to work with pail and pruning shears and song. And then, page by page, season by season, the garden grew and the city blossomed with both plants and gardeners.

Literary elements at work in the story: A 32 page picture book of a few choice words and delightful, whimsical illustrations.  Brown has used acrylic and gouache to create fanciful plant life that changes the city and the community.  Children will enjoy spotting Liam in each picture and adults and children alike will “read” these pictures again and again.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? A young boy who loves the outdoors makes the difference.  The need to appreciate and care for the plant world around us transcends race, gender and culture.

Theological Conversation Partners: Genesis 1 and 2 remind us that God’s created world is good and that we are stewards of it.  Paul reminds us (Romans 8) that creation is caught up in our sin.  Psalm 104 describes some of God’s plan for the natural world.  Psalm 65:9 (JB) speaks of God as a gardener who visits the earth and waters it. This is a natural for study units about nature and God’s providence, for families that plant gardens with children.  (But don’t expect Liam’s results.)

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How did the city look without plants?
2. Where did the plants Peter discovered come from?
3. What did Peter do to make the garden grow?
4. What other living things came with the gardens?
5. What signs do you see that caring for nature is good for the people around you.
6. What does it take for us to make a garden?
7. In what ways is God a gardener?
8. Plant some seeds and watch them grow.  It’s a miracle.

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Virginia Thomas

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors

Name of Book: Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors

Author: Joyce Sidman

Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN: 9780547014944

Audience: Ages 2-5. Because this book is divided into 4 separate poems, for younger children only a portion of the book could be read at a time.

Summary: This children’s book is comprised of 4 poems, each about a different season of the year. Its focus is on the colors you see in nature throughout the year and how they change in each season. The author’s choice of words and the illustrator’s beautiful images give wonderful illustrations  of colors most children can see and experience in their world each day.

Literary Elements at Work in the Story: The author’s poems are very sensory focused and encourage children to experience color in new ways, through more than just their eyes. For example, red can taste crunchy like apples and in the fall purple is “the smell of all things mixed together.” Because of this multi-sensory emphasis, the book lends itself easily to many accompanying activities involving the senses.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? This book is gender and race neutral. However the geographical location, culture and economic background of the children may mean some of the experiences described by the author would be unfamiliar to certain groups of children (winter snow to kids in warmer climates or the changing fall leaves to children in the inner city). But this could be occasion for exploration!

Theological Conversation: The beauty of creation is a gift from God! The colors, sounds, smells, and tastes of nature invite us to explore and celebrate all that God has done and to see ourselves as part of that miracle and gift. This book offers a wonderful way to do just that. It would work very well in a unit focused on the creation story in Genesis, possibly as an extension of that story, a way to look with greater detail at the waters, the sky, the earth, etc.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What are some of the colors the author showed us in this book?
2. Did any of the colors smell/taste/sound in a particular way?  Which ones?
3. What is your favorite season of the year and why?
4. When you go outside and look around (actually going outside would be great!), what is your favorite thing that God made for you to enjoy?
5. Activity: Explore the tastes, smells, feels of different colors. Eat crunchy red apples, squish brown mud between your toes, feel the warmth of a glowing orange jack-o-lantern.
6. Activity:  After reading this book and the creation story in scripture, make your own classroom book thanking God for the children’s favorite colorful things they see in their world.  Each child could write and illustrate their own page.

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Megan Argabrite.

 

The Baronet’s Song

Name of Book:   The Baronet’s Song

Author:  George McDonald, edited by Michael R. Phillips

Illustrator:  Cover Art by Dan Thornberg

Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers

Audience:   Ages 12 and up

Summary:  This is the story of a young boy, Gibbie Galbraith, unable to speak but who lived a life of innocent love, goodness, and truth.  After his titled but penniless father’s death, “wee Sir Gibbie” witnesses a violent murder and flees the city. Gibbie, an orphan now with nowhere to go remembers his father’s many drunken mumblings of “up Daurside” and so heads up the River Daur to the Scottish Highlands.  Here he manages to find friendship and love in the midst of a simple country family. Eventually his life leads him back to the city and to places he never could have imagined.

We read as Gibbie – a young boy with no advantages as this world counts them – grows to manhood.  Yet in seeking goodness, Gibbie discovers that doing right, as God counts right, is the best reward of all.

Literary elements at work in the story:  This is a tender love story (on many levels) from one of Scotland’s best storytellers.  George MacDonald is the master when it comes to communicating the all-present love of God through the beauty and power of Nature. Because MacDonald firmly believed that life’s deepest insights were found in everyday relationships and ordinary contacts with the world, this book is filled with commonplace lives in a simple agrarian world.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability:  Gibbie is not your typical lead character in a novel.  We first meet him as a scrawny child of eight, the city’s urchin. What’s more he’s a mute.  Even orphaned, homeless and penniless, his greatest joy lies in helping others.  As he grows to manhood and comes into an unexpected inheritance, Sir Gibbie remains untouched by greed and lust for power.

Scripture:  Micah 6:8; Psalm 34:13-14

Theology:  The Baronet’s Song shows us that the salvific work of Christ is available to all, even those ignorant of the notion of salvation.  God loves us just as He finds us, but God loves us too much to leave us that way.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Do you think it’s possible for a person to be as good and kind as Gibbie?  Do you know anyone who puts your happiness and wellbeing above their own?  Someone who makes sacrifices for your sake?  How does this reflect a Christ-like love?
2. Gibbie is a loving and giving person even without the benefit of a “conversion experience.”  What does this say to you about the way God acts in our lives?  How did God use the events of Gibbie’s life to draw him into relationship with Christ?
3. Life in the Scottish Highlands at the turn of the 20^th century was not an easy one.  Traveling to church regularly from the untamed mountain of Glashgar would have been impossible.  Given that, in what ways to do you see a worshipping community of faith portrayed by these simple shepherding folk?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Kelly Hames

All the World

Name of Book: All the World

Author: Liz Garton Scanlon

Illustrator: Marla Frazee

Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2009

Audience: Ages 4-8

Summary: A multicultural family with young children spends a summer day interacting with each other, their community and the land on which they live.  That’s the simple but it doesn’t do justice to this visually stunning book that was a 2010 Caldecott Honor Book for excellence in illustration in children’s books..

Literary elements at work in the story: The text in this book is a poem about the interconnectedness of the world and those that live in it.  The text gets much of its power from the illustrations which accompany the text.  The main characters of the poem – a multi-racial family – do not speak, but their illustrated activities juxtaposed against the poem, bring to mind a sense of the sacredness of every day activities.  This is a perfect example of a picture book that is dependent on the pictures to bring the text to life.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? The family seen on every page is a multi-racial family, and they move in and among a community of diverse people at various locations during the day.  The community has a small town feel to it, but the themes of the book are not limited to those in that setting.

Scripture: Genesis 1, Psalm 19:1-4, Psalm 24:1-2,  Isaiah 65: 21-25

Theology: God created the world and all that is in it and calls humankind to participate with joy and care in the life that we share with others on the earth.  The world is both awe-inspiring in its vastness, and also the place where small, quiet acts of connectedness and joy take place.

Faith Talk Questions

1. What is your favorite picture in this book?  Why?
2. What is your favorite thing to do on a summer day? 
3. Where are some places that you’ve visited that make you feel really happy?  Were there special people who were there?  Thank God for your special place and the people who shared a happy time with you.
4. What kinds of things to people do together to make sure we share God’s hope and peace and love and trust in the world? 

Review prepared by Ann Knox, graduate of PSCE and Director of the Instructional Resource Center at Union-PSCE.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Name of Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Author: Eric Carle

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Publisher: Scholastic

Audience: Ages 2 and up

Summary: This is a story of a caterpillar’s life. The caterpillar hatches from an egg, grows through eating, and then builds a cocoon for himself. After a bit of time, he emerges as a beautiful butterfly.

Literary elements at work in the story: This is a short informational, picture book that works through the life cycle of one character, a caterpillar. It is told from the third person perspective by an omniscient narrator. It is a relatively accurate portrayal of the brief life cycle of a caterpillar, despite also being a picture book.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economic/ability make a difference to the story? This is a fictional story about a male caterpillar. None of the other perspectives really pertain to this book.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Theology: Because of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, we have a new life and a new relationship with God. We are also promised that physical death is not the end of our life. We will continue to live in and have relationship with God.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What happened to the caterpillar after he went into the cocoon?
2. Did the caterpillar change or stay the same?
3. When we have Jesus in our hearts, do we change or stay the same?
4. Who made the caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly?
5. Does God make us beautiful?
6. How? (for older children/adolescents only)

Review prepared by Katie Todd, MDiv/MACE, Entering Cohort Fall 2005