To Every Thing There is a Season

Illustrator: Jude Daly

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, London

Year: 2006

ISBN: 978-1-84507-363-3

This book was timely with our little children, when we had to explain to them the loss of a dear friend.

The book is packed with highly detailed and clever illustrations that merit a deep look to help one understand the story behind each verse. As a source of wisdom and comfort in times of need, this book deserves a place in your library.

The text is essentially from the Bible, Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 1-8 (King James Version).    

Excerpt

A time to weep, and a time to laugh,

A time to mourn and a time to dance,

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together…

Whistle a Happy Tune and other stories

Author: C. Schmid

For Ages: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 16

Publisher: Sterling Publishers, India

Year: 2006

Lately, I've been hearing this phrase quite often - ‘intentional parenting’ which means just what it says. Sometimes, we get so overwhelmed by our everyday lives that we rarely have any quality time left to give our children much less to pass on essential life lessons to them.

This gem of a book might help with that. The book isn’t great to look at nor do the illustrations grab our attention but this book is a true treasure trove of wisdom.

There are seven short stories, each of which conveys an essential lesson that, if imbibed by our children, will set them on the path of true success.

Here are the stories:

• Whistle a happy tune: On patience
• Kindness always pays
• The Sun and the Rain: On appreciating good times and bad
• The Three Lovely Flowers: Lily for innocence, Violet for modesty and the rose as a symbol of charity
• The Rain Was a Blessing: On not grumbling and complaining
• The Miracle Field: On the merits of hard work
• The Echo of Love: On being kind, caring and helpful to others

Brown Bread and Honey

By Pamela Allan

For Ages: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Puffin Books, Australia 

Year: 2001

ISBN: 978-0-14056-825-7

It’s rare to see a children’s book tackle gluttony and here’s one of those.  The story features a king who has a lot of time on his hands, and the means to live lazily. His over-riding passion is to get his chefs to cook delicacies and sample them. Until, one day, things take a turn for the worse.

In comes a stable boy, who shares his humble lunch of brown bread and honey and soon, all’s right with the king’s world.

In a world, where greed is promoted on a large scale, it might just help if parents introduce their children to this danger before they come face to face with it. This book certainly shows the way.

Excerpt

He groaned and he moaned.

‘OOOOOH! AAAAAH! OOOOOOH!’

Now that he was SO miserable and SO tired that he didn’t want to see another pie, pudding or pavlova, ever again.

He blamed the food. He blamed the cooks.

‘It’s all your fault,’ he shouted. ‘You’re sacked!’

So the sacked cooks packed their bags and went away.

Hans Christian Andersen Illustrated Fairytales – The Buckwheat

Translator: Hans Breitenstein

Illustrator: Tiziana Gironi

For Ages: 8 and above

No. of Pages: 24

Publisher: Scandinavia Publishing House, Denmark

Year: 2005

This exceptionally illustrated storybook tells the humbling tale of the buckwheat – proud and arrogant until its downfall. 

I did wonder, though, if little ones would understand the story. They did, even if pride and arrogance were words or traits they did not yet comprehend.

Excerpt

Now a violent thunderstorm was coming near. All the flowers of the field folded up their crowns or bowed their fine heads while the storm raged overhead. But the buckwheat remained stiff with pride.

“Close your flowers and bow your leaves,” said the old willow tree. “Do not look towards the lightning when the heavens open. Even men dare not do so because in the lightning you can see into God’s heaven, but this sight blinds even men. What might happen to us lowly growths of the earth if we dared do that, we who are far inferior.”

“Far inferior?” said the buckwheat. “Now, that is exactly what I want, to look right into God’s heaven.”

And so it did, in arrogance and pride. It seemed as though the whole world was on fire, there were so many lightning bolts.

The Strong Little Tree

Text: Helen Peacock

Illustrator: Neil Reed

Year: 2001

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 85430 739 8

This is a beautiful tale of the circle of life captured in poignant text and vibrant colors. The book depicts the life of a strong little oak tree from an acorn seed into a tree that withstands harsh autumn winds.

I loved the book for its portrayal of difficulties as an opportunity to grow stronger and more resilient. 

When sheep nibble on its growing tip, ‘two new shoots grew out from the damaged tip.’ I found that extraordinarily impressive. There are several gems like this tucked away in the, dare I say it, leaves of the book.  :-)

Excerpt

All around the little shoot the grass grew long and tall. Sheep grazed in the field and nibbled at the grass, then moved on.

Cows pulled at the grass with their thick tongues and their heavy feet trampled the ground, then they, too, moved on. 

Wilbie and Harry

By Sally Chambers

Year: 2005

Publisher: Piccadilly Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978-1-85340-881-6

Wilbie and Harry are the best of friends. They do everything together. And then, the arrival of a football into their lives drives a wedge between their friendship.

However, their friendship is true and they realize the key to lasting friendship and happiness – sharing and caring.

It doesn't say anywhere on the book what animals Wilbie and Harry are but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Harry is a porcupine or hedgehog and Wilbie is a duck?

Excerpt

As soon as it was morning, Wilbie rushed round to Harry’s house. Harry was playing football on his own in the garden.

“I’m very sorry, Harry,” said Wilbie, creeping through the gate.

“I don’t want the ball, I just want to be friends. Please – I want you to have it.”

Milly, Molly and Henry

Author: Gill Pittar

Illustrator: Cris Morrell

Year: 2003

Publisher: Milly Molly Books, New Zealand

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978-1-87733-657-2

The more Milly and Molly books I read, I am impressed.

This book is about Milly and Molly’s true-to-self friend and classmate, Henry.

He’s just an ideal child – polite, unafraid, confident and not shy to express himself.

In a world that increasingly seeks to conform our children into a mold, this book breaks free of the traditional mindset and celebrates a child for who he is. Kudos Gill Pittar, for this path-breaking book.

I would like to read this book to my kids a few more times.

Excerpt

He laughs loudly at the funny parts and cries openly through the sad bits.

Reading to the class is a breeze and making mistakes not a problem.

Henry takes math in his stride and plays patter ball one handed. 

Gathering Sparks

Author: Howard Schwartz 

Illustrator: Kristina Swarner

Year: 2010

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, New York

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-1-59643-280-2

This tender story of a grandfather imparting wisdom of the ages to his grandson makes for moving reading. It also doubles up as a dreamy bedtime tale with illustrations that speak volumes.

The grandfather introduces his little one to the Jewish tradition of “tikkun olam, a centuries-old concept which proposes that everyone must do their part in order to improve the world.”  

This is one for the library.

Excerpt

“When you help your baby sister, a spark can be seen in her eyes.

And when you are kind to animals, a spark of kindness enters the world.”

“For every good deed you do, one of those hidden sparks rises up and a little bit of the world is repaired, And one day, when enough of those sparks have been gathered, the broken vessels will be restored, and there will be peace in the world.”