The Perfect Nest

Name of Book: The Perfect Nest

Author: Catherine Friend

Illustrator: John Manders

Publisher: Scholastic

Audience: 5+

Summary: A story about a cat who comes up with a plan that he believes will get him what he wants, many birds to lay eggs in the nest for him to make his omelets. After building the nest birds start to lay eggs and they hatch after the birds have left. The cat then must take care of the hatchlings and learns that caring for others is more important than fulfilling his intended plans.

Literary elements at work in the story: A picture book told from an omniscient narrator’s perspective. The story is set on a farm. It shows the interaction of the different birds with one another, the cat’s interaction with the birds, and finally the cats interaction with the hatchlings. The theme is realizing that God’s plans are not our plans.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economic/ability make a difference to the story? The story is fictional and the characters are animals. The main character is a male and the other characters are female and babies. It stands in opposition to the cultural assumptions that women are the primary caregivers of children.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Theology: Our plan for life is not God’s plan for our life, and even though we may be unaware of it, God will eventually reveal to us God’s plan for our life. Most of the time, God’s plan for us is better than what our plan would have been.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What was originally important to Jack the Cat?
2. What changes Jack’s feelings about what’s important?
3. What does this story tell us about God’s plans for us?
4. Does God use us for things we didn’t think we could be used for?

Review prepared by Mason Todd, Union-PSCE in Charlotte

Because of You

Name of Book: Because of You

Author: B. G. Hennessy

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publisher’s Intended Audience: 3 – 7 years of age

Summary: Because of You is the delightful story expressing the whole world’s celebration each time a child is born, making it ideal for a newborn baby or baptism gift.

Literary Elements at Work: Because of You is B. G. Hennessy’s realistic-fictional account of the impact a helping, caring, sharing, listening, and being kind child can have on creation in her home, at school, in the community and on into world; as well as the impact on a child from a helping, caring, sharing, listening, and kind family, school, community and world.  The story is narrated from an adult perspective to children concerning the get and give of life in community.  The setting and illustrations further develop this theme by moving the child from receiving help, care, and kindness to giving help, care, and kindness in his or her home, at school, out in the community, and on into the world.

Scripture:  Isaiah 9:6, Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis 2:1-24

Theology: For unto us children are born, gifts of God for the children of God.  Therefore, their Christian care and nurture rest upon our shoulders.  For unto us children are born, gifts of God for the people of God.  Therefore, our Christian care and nurture rest upon their shoulders.

The Genesis creation stories give the account of creation in two different orderings.  One begins with the creation of heaven and nature and culminates with humankind; the other begins with the creation of man and culminates with the creation of nature and woman.  I think the first account says that God so loved the world that God gave to the world us to care for it (call); and the second account says that God so loved us that God gave to us the world with all of its beauty and bounty (gift).  Children are born into this gift and call.

Faith Talk Questions (Intended for use with preschool/early elementary):

1. Who gave us moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets?
2. How do moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets care for us? love us? teach us? share with us? help us? listen to us?
3. How can we care for mom and dad? teachers and friends? flowers and dogs? stars and planets?
4. How can we teach mom and dad? teachers and friends?  How can we share with mom and dad? teachers and friends? flowers and dogs?  stars and planets?
5. How can we listen to mom and dad?  teachers and friends? flowers and dogs? stars and planets?
6. (If in a classroom, write on a wipe board.) Let’s make a list of all the ways we can say thank you to God for moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets?

Prepared by Kim Lee, MACE, Entering cohort – 2007