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Engaging in critical thinking about one’s own belief system does not often include laughing so much you end up breathless and hiccuping but that’s just what happened one evening last week when our bedtime read was Meet at the Ark at Eight! by Ulrich Hub, illustrated by Jörg Mühle, translated by Helena Ragg-Kirkby.
This witty, keenly observed and questioning novella retells the biblical flood story with wave after wave of philosophical observations and deadpan humour. Two (male) penguins smuggle a third aboard the ark when an overworked and stressed-out dove chivvies them along to avoid extinction.
Deep in the hold of the boat the friends continue what they started on land: trying to tease out in their own minds whether God exists, and if so, what he is like. Conundrums (“We’re birds, but we smell like fish; we have wings, but we can’t fly.“), chance (“Life is so strange. If two other penguins had been standing here, they’d have been given these tickets and we’d have ended up drowning miserably,“), honesty, guilt and the complexities of friendships are explored with a stark innocence that makes the penguins’ questioning all the more powerful.
And these questions are ones that I think come naturally to children when thinking about religion – about punishment, about proof, about the essence of faith. The answers, such as they are in this book, leave a lot of space for making up your own mind; this isn’t a black and white pot-shot at religious fundamentalism, but something much more nuanced, even if some may find the laser-sharp humour hard to marry with their own beliefs.
Whether or not you or your kids pick this book up because of its rich philosophical strand, two further aspects of this moral tale are worth pointing out.
Meet at the Ark at Eight! is extremely funny. One scene in particular had my girls and I barely able to breathe for all the laughter as I read the book out loud to them; when the dove comes to check up on the penguins, one of them hides in a suitcase and pretends to be the voice of God. This scene is just so theatrical (it comes as no surprise to later find out that the author, Ulrich Hub, has written many plays) with perfect timing and exquisite dialogue. “God”‘s game is up when he pushes the boundary just a little too far and asks the dove for some cheesecake; I am putting money on this becoming a family catchphrase that will stay with us all our book=reading lives.
Secondly, the illustrations by Jörg Mühle are wonderful. Nearly every double page spread has at least one illustration and the characterization, especially of the dove, is sublime. I’ve seen very few cases in all the illustrated books I’ve ever read where an apparently simple, nonchalant line can pack such a punch.
I can only heartily encourage you to read this multi-award-winning retelling to find out how three goes into two for the final disembarkation in front of Noah. This novella hides real delight and serious philosophizing in between its slim, sensational pages.
The day after we read Meet at the Ark at Eight! “God” came visiting in his suitcase. We supplied cheesecake, and I’m glad to report that penguins, kids and all the celestial beings we know were all very happy with such a delicious after school treat.
Whilst taste-testing cheesecake we listened to:
Cheesecake by none other than the brilliant Louis Armstrong
Thank you – new to me but it sounds great. Interesting to see a Norwegian author, Scottish illustrator, but published by an US publishing house (and not available through any UK imprint I can see). I’ve added to my wish list!
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” - Phillip Pullman
“And what do you do?” asks the polite professional lawyer in the group of polite professional people at my polite professional neighbour’s Christmas party.
“Me? Oh, I'm a writer,” I answer, equally politely.
“Oh, really?” A wave of heads turn in my direction, polite smiles become suddenly more interested. “What kind of writing? Journalism? Novels?”
“Well, I write stories for children and young adults,” I begin confidently, but oops, I'm losing them already. Smiles have taken on a glazed quality and I'm starting to be relegated to the category in their minds that houses lolloping bunnies, plucky hobbits and talking lions. I follow up quickly with a couple of my adult plays and novels but I can see in their eyes that my status has already been set. Children’s stories! – how quaint.
“But we all tell stories, don’t we,” I begin jovially, in what my husband would term my instructively-speaking-to-a-three-year-old tone. “Our reality, our economy, our social structures are all governed by stories, aren’t they?”
Deep nods and a strained kind of silence greet this; though a couple of people look a little as if they’re trying to work out if I'm insulting them in some covert fashion.
“And whether you subscribe to the idea that there’s only seven stories in the world or not, it’s amazing how these stories get replayed over and over in media and advertising isn't it? The small company who fights back from the edge of extinction. The underdog who wins through on the X Factor.”
Oh dear, the mention of X Factor – the professional version of Godwin’s Law after which any proponent can lose her credibility. And I haven’t even watched it in years!
A chorus of agreement, though with no discernible words, follows this, and mercifully our hostess comes to our rescue with a tray of mince pies. People break up into twos and turn to each other with noticeable relief. “Have you heard about X?”
I take refuge in a mince pie, and think. Why should we be afraid of confronting our stories? We adults absorb stories as voraciously as if we were children. The middle-aged lawyer creates a story to the judge and jury about why they should believe his client’s version of events. The saleswoman on my left creates stories that we will look better, feel happier and be more successful if we buy her product. And don’t even get me started on the advertising director opposite.
Stories are all around us, shaping our world and our outlook – and let’s face it, stories are not all capitalist cynicism. Good stories are centuries old, and they’re around for a reason. We NEED the story that we can succeed in whatever we do against insurmountable odds. We NEED the story that the bad guys will get punished and the good guys triumph.
Stories are acutely important for learning. They are the models by which children see the world and learn from it. Telling my son a story to deliver a message is ten times more effective that merely telling him the message. When I see him playing, I can see that games are stories in action. He’s already channelling the “rescuing hero” story, the “quest” story and the “overcoming the monster” stories all by himself.
Where does the power of story come from? As psychologists Melanie C Green and Timothy C. Brock note in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the mechanism of “transport” – using detail and emotional affect to involve the reader – is essential for a narrative. Highly transported readers find fewer false notes in a story than less transported readers, they evaluate protagonists favourably and show many other similar story-consistent beliefs. Interestingly, corresponding beliefs tend to be generally unaffected whether the reader knows a story is fact or fiction. I can know that a cream will not make me look younger, but I’ll buy it anyway.
And we’re at a Christmas party after all. Christmas is a great story. Though I'm an avowed atheist, I love Christmas! The human story of birth in humble adversity; the strong baddie that searches to kill the saviour of mankind, the call to adventure, the exiled and returning hero, the love that lays itself down for another; the elements are all there. And beyond the advent of Christianity, I feel the pagan solstice of Yule as instinctively as one born in the Northern Hemisphere can; the affirmation of life in the midst of snow, the fire lit against the cold and darkness, the shadows on the wall of the cave that mystics interpret, making sense of the sun and the stars, winter and summer, life and death.
Along with other wonderful stories passed down from times immemorial –The Flood, the Apocalypse, the Exodus – the story means something to us because in a sense (whether you are a believer or not) stories ARE real. Stories hold a deep psychological purpose, about our relationship to the universe and to Time. Stories give us hope, they give us meaning. In my book, the greatest story ever told is that of life; that we exist, and we do.
Around me the conversation has moved on, and now they’re talking about the recovery. (Belief in the market’s one of the best stories around at the moment!) I don’t have much to add to this so I gather my things together and start to slide unobtrusively towards the exit, when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It’s the polite lawyer.
“I thought it was interesting,” he says breathlessly, “what you said about stories back there. It really made me think.”
My heart warms to him. “Why thank you,” I say.
“I've got to get my niece a Christmas present, and your book sounds ideal. Would I be able to get a signed copy?”
0 Comments on The Greatest Story Ever Told by Tess Berry-Hart as of 12/15/2014 9:32:00 PM
Katreina Eden grew up in the Midwest, eventually landing in California, where she went to law school and then ran her own law firm for a number of years. She currently works as the Executive Vice President of Cedar Fort, Inc., in Springville, Utah. Katreina also owns and operates Organiwic, LLC, an all-natural candle company, with her sister. She enjoys being out in nature and spending time with family. Aside from being published in various legal journals, this is Katreina’s first trade publication.
It's apleasure to have you on my blog, Katreina! How did you come up with the idea to write Bible Bands? The idea was actually suggested by the owner of our publishing company because the topic was a huge trend but we wanted to add a bit of a twist to what was already out on the market and we thought the Bible themes would also help inspire kids.
How was your writing process like? The hardest part about writing the book, aside from learning the art and then creating my own designs, was taking all the step-by-step images. Going into the project, I thought it would be difficult to come up with my own design ideas, but once I learned how to make the jewelry, coming up with my own designs to match scripture themes came pretty easy. I was surprised about that part. Some of the technical aspects of the designs were a little more difficult to create than others once I had a vision of what I wanted so it was a matter of trial and error until the design worked.
What do you hope children will take away from your book? Mostly I hope kids will learn that they can have fun while being spiritually uplifted as well. I want them to be able to embrace their spiritual beliefs, whatever they may be, through living life, not just when they happen to be in church.
This is your first book. Are there any more on the way? Maybe. I'd like to write more, but I'm also extremely busy. It will probably depend on if this one is successful.
You're also an attorney and vice-president of Cedar Fort, Inc. Tell us about that. Ever since I was little, I have been rather determined and let's say ambitious. I like learning. Going to law school and practicing law was just something I wanted to do at the time and I am grateful for the knowledge and training law school and the practice of law has provided me. I also enjoy helping good businesses succeed and being involved in that actual process. Cedar Fort is a great place to work and I feel we are trying to accomplish great things by inspiring the world through books.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of writing this book? I think the most rewarding aspect is seeing other's reactions to the book. I had no idea others would find it so enjoyable. Initially I took on the project because it made good business sense, but it has turned in to more than that.
Anything else you'd like to share with readers? I would just say live your dreams; nothing is impossible with God's help.
0 Comments on Interview with Katreina Eden, author of Bible Bands: Create Your Own Faith-Based Rubber Band Jewelry as of 9/21/2014 11:15:00 AM
Bible Bands is a fun, educational how-to book for children who love making jewelry. Not only does it teaches how to make lovely designs, but it also strengthens children’s faith by combining hands-on creativity with Bible verses and stories.
Rubber band jewelry seems to be the hottest new craze, so Eden’s book comes at the right time. Though at first glance, when you look at the jewelry, it might seem complicated and difficult to make, especially for kids, the author demystifies it with simple step-by-step instructions accompanied by colorful photos. I found the language and descriptions clear and straight-forward, easy for most kids to understand, though the younger ones will need guidance from an adult, at least at first. There are over 12 designs, from the simplest to the most elaborate.
Eden incorporates faith with verses and symbols, such as a blue and white pattern to symbolize Christ’s baptism, a heart design to remind you of God’s love, and a multi-colored weave to match Joseph’s coat of many colors, among others.
Bible Bands doesn’t come with the looms or bands, but you can find these at most craft shops. This will make a lovely gift for any child, especially those who are into crafts. It is also a good book for those long summer and Christmas holidays, as it will keep children entertained for hours. Recommended!
5 stars Bible Detective: A Puzzle Search Book Peter Martin Lion Children's Books 48 Pages Ages: 4+ .............. ……………………. Are you a super sleuth? Have you got an eagle eye? Back Cover: This book is a treasure trove of fabulously detailed pictures from the world of the Bible. You’ll have hours of fun trying to [...]
Hickem, Catherine. (2012). Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What It Means for You. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-4002-0036-8.
What do we know of Mary?
What we know of Mary’s family is that she is of the house of David; it is from her lineage Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. Given the archeological ruins of the various places thought to have been living quarters for their family, it is likely the home was a room out from which sleeping quarters (cells) branched. As Mary and her mother Anne would be busy maintaining the household, with young Mary working at her mother’s command, it is likely Anne would be nearby or in the same room during the Annunciation. Thus Mary would not have had a scandalous secret to later share with her parents but, rather, a miraculous supernatural experience, the salvific meaning of which her Holy parents would understand and possibly even witnessed.
Mary and Joseph were betrothed, not engaged. They were already married, likely in the form of a marriage contract, but the marriage had not yet been “consummated”. This is why he was going to divorce her when he learned of the pregnancy. If it were a mere engagement, he would have broken it off without too much scandal.
Married but not yet joined with her husband, her mother would prepare her by teaching her all that she needed to know. This is further reason to assume that Mary would be working diligently under her mother’s eye when the Annunciation took place.
We know that her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy was kept in secret for five months, and not made known until the sixth month when the Angel Gabriel proclaimed it to Mary. We know Mary then rushed to be at her elderly cousin’s side for three months (the remaining duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy), and that this rushing appeared to be in response to Elizabeth’s pregnancy (to congratulate her), not an attempt to hide Mary’s pregnancy. Note how all of this is connected to Elizabeth’s pregnancy rather than Mary’s circumstances. As Mary was married to Joseph, he likely would have been informed of the trip. Had the intent been to hide Mary, she would have remained with Elizabeth until Jesus was born, not returned to her family after the first trimester, which is just about the time that her pregnancy was visible and obvious.
So we these misconceptions clarified, we can put Mary’s example within an even deeper context and more fully relate to her experience. We can imagine living in a faith-filled family who raises their child in strict accordance of God’s word. The extended family members may not understand, and certainly their community will not, so Mary, Anne and Joachim, and Joseph face extreme scandal as well as possible action from Jewish authorities. But they faced this together steep in conversation with God, providing a model for today’s family.
Although sometimes scriptural interpretations are flavored with modern-day eye, overall this book will be more than just a quick read for a young mother (or new bride, or teen aspiring to overcome the challenges of American culture, or single parent losing her mind). It is a heartwarming reflection with many examples that open up conversation with God. As an experienced psychotherapist, the author’s examples are spot on and easy to relate to. We do not need to have had the same experiences to empathize, reflect, and pursue meaning; we see it around us in everyday life. As such, a reflective look upon these examples can help one overcome an impasse in their own relationship with God and also open the reader up to self-knowledge as Hi
0 Comments on So what do we think? Heaven in her Arms as of 1/1/1900
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Deluxe Edition. Sally Lloyd-Jones. 2009. Zonderkidz. 352 pages.
God wrote, "I love you" -- he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror -- to show us what he is like, to help us to know him, to make our hearts sing.
The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way a dolphin swims.
And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called "the Bible."
Now some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what he has done.
It had me at hello from the very first story or chapter--appropriately titled The Story and The Song--in which readers get introduced to God, to the Bible, to the Gospel.
The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne -- everything -- to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!
You see, the best thing about this Story is -- it's true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.
It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle -- the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.
And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the Child who would one day -- but wait. Our story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning...
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. I've seen other Bible story books. I've read other Bible story books. Some I remember from my childhood. Others I've come across as an adult. So what makes this one special? I think what makes this one work--really work--is how Sally Lloyd-Jones has every story whisper His name. Her ability to connect each story with the Big Story, keeps everything in perspective, keeps everything connected and relevant. It also helps that she's a good storyteller! She has a definite way with words! She keeps the stories on a child's level, but yet, the stories are beautifully and compellingly told.
From "God to the Rescue!"
So Moses went to Pharaoh.
"Pharaoh," Moses began, "God says -- "
"God?" said Pharaoh. "Never heard of him."
Moses kept g
0 Comments on The Jesus Storybook Bible as of 1/1/1900
Lloyd-Jones, Sally. 2008. Old MacNoah Had An Ark. Illustrated by Jill Newton. Harper Blessings.
Old MacNoah Had An Ark is an interesting twist on the classic song, Old MacDonald Had A Farm. It is always intriguing--to me--to see how various artists--both authors and illustrators--choose to tackle the Bible Story of Noah and the Flood. This is an important story in the Bible--a foundational one. But it is often--if not always--cutesified for children, sometimes in verse. And there's nothing wrong with that particularly--focusing on the "oh, look, here are all the animals. See how cute they are!" rather than the doom and gloom of destruction. I liked the premise of this one. It begins simply (and predictably) with
Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o. And for that ark he got some wood, Ee-i-ee-i-o. With a bang! bang! here And a bang! bang! there, Here a bang! There a bang! Everywhere a bang! bang!
Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o.
Readers meet a few of the traditional MacDonald characters: cows, ducks, pigs. Then the rain starts and Noah and the animals are ready for the adventure. Lest you think that those three animals are all that made it aboard, the illustrations show other animals as well throughout the books.
Some of the verses include the Splish Splash of the rain, the Burp! Slurp! of the eating, the Poo Poo of the you know what. (Yes, it goes "with a poo poo here, and a poo poo there...here a poo...there a poo...everywhere a poo poo.) I didn't care for all the verses of the book. But most of them were fine with me. (I didn't care for the Oopsie-Daisy and Yahoo verses.)
One small thing irked me about this one. It's all well and good for Noah to become MacNoah. And the song itself wouldn't have needed to include mentioning Noah's family--his wife, his three sons, his three daughters-in-law--but the illustrations could have shown that Noah wasn't all on his ownsie. I mean, maybe a three year old or a six year old wouldn't have wondered about how Noah all on his own could have repopulated the earth...but one man can't "go forth and multiply the earth." And for Noah's redemption to have meant anything--anything other than a delay of the inevitable, his own death--he'd have needed other humans with him--men and women.
As I said, I don't think this one little thing would keep me from recommending this one. And it doesn't make it a bad retelling by any means. It just isn't quite as complete as it perhaps should be.
This board book story-bible is great for young readers--babies, toddlers, preschoolers. The book presents a nice variety of stories centered on Jesus--from his birth to his ascension.
Each story is two pages. One of text. One of illustration. The text consists of title, scripture reference, narrative (with interaction prompts), and a concluding prayer.
For example,
Jesus At the Temple Taken from Luke 2:41-50
Jesus and His family went on a long trip to the temple in Jerusalem. They walked and walked.
Tap your hands on your knees.
They liked to be with all their friends and pray and learn about God.
Fold your hands to pray.
In the temple lived teachers who read lots of books. Jesus asked them many questions. They were surprised that He knew so much.
Show me a surprised face.
You can learn about Jesus by reading the Bible--God's Word.
Thank you, God, for books to learn about Jesus. Amen.
I won't mention the illustrations because with one edition being out-of-print now and the newer edition being a different illustrator--one I haven't even seen--it wouldn't be all that helpful unless you happen to want to seek out this older edition and buy it used.
James, Bethan & Yorgos Sgouros. 2008. My Toddler Bible. Published by Tyndale.
This is a Bible story collection board-book featuring sixteen stories from both the Old and New Testaments. What stories do we have? Creation (But no Adam and Eve), Noah's Ark (Noah gets two of the sixteen actually), Joseph (coat, no slavery), Moses (as a babe with great promise), David (just David and Goliath, no being King), Jonah (but without the temper tantrum at the end), Daniel (lion's den), the rest of the stories are devoted to Jesus--from birth through resurrection. The stories are presented simply and matter-of-factly. Here's an example of Moses:
This is baby Moses. His mother hid him from the mean king in Egypt. God made sure he was kept safe. When the princess found Moses, she looked after him. God had a job for Moses. When he was grown up, he led God's people out of slavery in Egypt to a land where could love and worship God.
See? Short and sweet. There are plenty of missing stories--I'm curious as to why there isn't an Adam and Eve story, or an Abraham story for that matter. (Though now that I think about it, Abraham is most famous for being willing to sacrifice Isaac, so that wouldn't be age-appropriate.) But the stories we do have are good ones belonging in any Bible story collection. They're safe and a bit cleaned up. But I think that has more to do with being age-appropriate--do concepts of slavery, cruelty, war, etc. really belong??? There will be a time and place for the fuller stories to be shared.
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Engaging in critical thinking about one’s own belief system does not often include laughing so much you end up breathless and hiccuping but that’s just what happened one evening last week when our bedtime read was Meet at the Ark at Eight! by Ulrich Hub, illustrated by Jörg Mühle, translated by Helena Ragg-Kirkby. 
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My favorite is Why Dogs Have Wet Noses: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592701736/braipick-20
Thank you – new to me but it sounds great. Interesting to see a Norwegian author, Scottish illustrator, but published by an US publishing house (and not available through any UK imprint I can see). I’ve added to my wish list!