The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Children's books?

Studies Books
#1

Hi all,

So I was reading a picture book to my son last night (he’s 6) and as I progressed through it I found myself thinking “but I don’t believe this” and having to edit things - and then of course the pictures didn’t make sense! :unamused: The book is called The Good Artist and it’s basically a retelling of the Gospel. Except…now I’m coming round to UR, it isn’t. sigh The ending says something along the lines of “at the end of the picture, the Good Artist took all his people out of the picture to live with him and his family forever” (and the illustration shows someone being left behind).

Setting aside the fact that I don’t believe in the Rapture, and that I don’t think we go to heaven forever (what of the resurrection?!), there was no space for UR in the end, although of course it gave me a chance to talk about how my beliefs differ from that. So this led me to wonder, do any of you who have children have book recommendations for teaching about God (not just UR-related)? My kids are 3 and 6 but I love children/teenage books for myself so don’t hold back! :smiley:

I can start: one of our favourite picture books is called The Conquerors (amazon.com/The-Conquerors-David-McKee/dp/1593540787) and although it isn’t overtly Christian, it parallels Jesus’ teaching on turning the other cheek/loving your enemy beautifully. It also can be read as a pacifist story, although it doesn’t have to be.

Looking forward to hearing about your favourites!

Michaela/Susan

#2

I highly recommend The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo. :smiley:

From which I derive my screenname. :wink: It is a story that is very dear to my heart and spoke deeply to me. :slight_smile:

It doesn’t point to UR specifically, but it certainly leaves the door open for it, as it’s a story about a china doll rabbit who starts out self-absorbed and hard-hearted, and through his journey learns what it is to be loved and to love, and is changed, and after being lost for many years finds the way back home, so it would be really good for discussing God’s power to change any and every heart, and to lead us home. :slight_smile:

I can really relate to the story, and to the character of Edward, which is why I chose this screenname and avatar. :wink:

I may actually try to do a post sometime about the book. :slight_smile:

Anyways, check it out. Great, moving story, and wonderful artwork too. :slight_smile:

Here’s a link to it on Amazon:

amazon.com/The-Miraculous-Jo … 752&sr=8-1

Blessings to you :slight_smile:

Matt

#3

For any age:
I love Nick Butterworth & Mick Inkpen’s books:
amazon.co.uk/Stories-Jesus-T … 1859855881 - contains 8 wonderful stories in one: The Lost Sheep, The Precious Pearl, The House on the Rock (my favourite as the man who builds his house on the sand ends up going to live with the man who builds his house on the rock :mrgreen: ), The Two Sons, The Rich Farmer, The Little Gate, The Good Stranger and Ten Silver Coins.

amazon.co.uk/Animal-Tales-Ni … 1859856373 - contains *The Fox’s Tale* is the story of Jesus’s birth; The Cat’s Tale is the story of Jesus changing water into wine at a wedding; The Mouse’s Tale is the story of Jesus calming a storm; and The Magpie’ Tale is the story of Jesus and Zaccheus, the tax-collector.

For ages 1-4:
authenticmedia.co.uk/search/ … 7272.jhtml - based on 1 Cor 13

#4

George MacDonald’s children’s books and stories.

Books:
The Princess and the Goblins
The Princess and Curdie
At the Back of the North Wind

Shorter stories:
The Light Princess
The Golden Key
The Gifts of the Christ Child

Sonia

#5

Possibly for the older kids, but Madeleine L’Engle wrote some children’s books, and she is/ was a universalist. Apparently, her books are sometimes banned for their universalist message.

#6

No wonder I loved amazon.com/A-Wrinkle-Time-Ma … 0440498058 as a kid :mrgreen:

#7

Sounds like The House on the Rock sneaks in a bit of another less famous and notoriously confusing parable, too: the Parable of the Praised Embezzler from Luke 16!

#8

George MacDonald, the famous Christian universalist preacher and theologian of whom C. S. Lewis was a student a generation later, wrote several children/teenage books and short stories. You can often find the shorter works collected together in one place, although not every collection manages to get everything so there could be some overlap. (Kindle has a poorly formatted total collection available, last I checked, but it also includes all his rather boring “picaresque” novels and those can be hard to sort through although they feature some theological gems woven in. Mark Twain used to lampoon his friend MacD’s novels. :wink: )

His two main children’s “theological” novels (aside from At The Back Of The North Wind, which sort of bridges his children’s theological novels with his picaresque novel style) are The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess And Curdie.