Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat

Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat
Andrew Wilson, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia
Crossway, 2019

First off, this is a brilliant title for a book. I was motivated to pick it up after reading Andrew and Rachel Wilson’s tremendous book about their early years with autistic children: The Life We Never Expected. This one is very different: a children’s book, aimed at those aged 3 and up. Sophie, sad about being bad, meets a talking cat belonging to the Heidelbergs, who live next door.

Sophie and the cat go for a rooftop walk (perhaps a bit distracting as it led to our kids debating whether this was the right thing to do!) and the cat asks her what she thinks the Bible’s about.

“Easy,” says Sophie. “It’s trying to tell us how we can please God, and be kind and obey”.
The implication is that that’s the wrong answer.
And that she’s wrong as she goes on to say: “Be bold like King David, be brave like Queen Esther, and do what God tells you, no matter how scary”.

One problem with that is that kids may not get that it’s the wrong answer – our six year old said it was her favourite part of the book! The other problem is that Sophie’s words are all true. Yes, they’re not the main message of the Bible – but do we really want to belittle a child’s desire to “please God, and be kind and obey”, and “do what God tells you, no matter how scary”.

I know that nuance isn’t easy in a kids’ book – but as much as I advocate a redemptive historical view of Scripture, I was left wondering if the book could have been a bit more balanced.

The cat then goes on to tell Sophie that everyone she knows is ‘surprisingly bad’ when no-one can see. In a way the message is important, but believers and unbelievers are lumped together – with no optimism about the transforming power of the gospel.

Even as I write this, part of me is saying that the balance I’m looking for is unrealistic in a kids’ book. And it’s not like I feel particularly worried that the book will do harm. If our natural inclination is to look to our own efforts and read the Bible in a moralistic way, an overcorrection is probably not the worst thing in the world.

And the book does end strongly:

“The best and most comforting news in the world”, says the cat,
“is that I am not mine, and you are not yours”.

And with that we can all agree.
(And look forward to the day our kids hear about the Heidelberg Catechism, and the penny drops!)

Meeting with Jesus

Meeting with Jesus: A Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids
David Murray
Crossway, 2020

I hadn’t really got to the stage of asking what people used when their kids got to the stage of being able to have a (parent-assisted) “Quiet Time” – when this book came into my hands. I gave it to my 6-year-old and she’s wanted to do it every night since.

It’s really simple – which is one of its strengths – and attractively presented (it’s a proper book). Over the course of a year, it takes you through Luke’s gospel (there are a few other readings to stretch it out) at the rate of about 5 verses a day. So you read the verses (we switched to the NLT after the ESV’s opening ‘Inasmuch’ panicked the child in question), answer one question, or alternatively fill in a couple of blanks, or occasionally write out a key verse – and that’s it.

There is one memory verse per week that the child has to write out. There is also space at the start of each week to write 2-3 prayer points. It’s a pity that there’s no connection between reading and prayer – I’d have loved to see a line each day that said ‘Praise God…’ and suggested something for praise based on the verses read. I appreciate that space is at a premium, and a parent can try and make that connection for the child – but it would be nice if it was done for you.

Instead of the usual reading, Sundays have space to write sermon title/verse/notes and include the question: “What did you learn about Jesus today in church?” (an incentive to the preacher to make sure that’s made clear!). There is also a ‘Talking about Jesus’ question that the child is encouraged to talk with their parent/pastor/Sunday School teacher about.

Murray has a similar book for kids called “Exploring the Bible” and a family worship version called “Exploring the Bible together”, both of which I’m already looking forward to checking out.

The King and the Dragon

The King and the Dragon
James W. Shrimpton; illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia
Crossway, 2022

This is a Bible overview for kids, sortof like a shorter version of The Biggest Story – expect it’s told through the lens of a tale about a King, a Knight, and a Dragon. And it’s all in rhyme. It was great to see the wheels begin to turn for our 6 and 4-year olds as I read it to them for the first time, and they realised what it was really about. It’s also not hard to imagine the opposite being true; an unchurched child falling in love with the fairy tale, only to find out that it’s actually true.

The book is beautifully and vividly illustrated, in a pretty Narnia-esque way. I absolutely love it!

The Lord of Psalm 23

The Lord of Psalm 23
David Gibson
Crossway, 2023

There aren’t many books that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, no matter what stage of the Christian life they’re at, but this is one of them. It’s effectively three sermons on Psalm 23, presumably souped up a bit to make into a book. They are warm, clear, theologically rich, well-illustrated and don’t shy away from pointed application. There are books on Psalm 23 where anecdotes from shepherding are tenuously used to try to shed light on the psalm; Gibson’s book is much more biblically rooted. There’s plenty of references included – perhaps too many – with the highlight of the footnotes being to the website of Fahan Presbyterian Church! (It’s a reference to my favourite illustration about Psalm 23, and one I haven’t seen written down anywhere since I heard it as a boy). There’s also a particularly helpful section on why C. S. Lewis was wrong about Psalm 23 – and actually understood it better than he knew (summarised in this article).

Probably the highest praise I can give the book is that, having preached two sermons on Psalm 23 a few years ago, it makes me want to go back and preach 3 more, heavily based on this book! Highly recommended. It has been lovely as a daily ‘pump primer’.

(In terms of similar books, I’ve just noticed that Ian Hamilton published one with Reformation Heritage last year – Our Heavenly Shepherd. Some might say that makes this an IPC v. EPCEW showdown!).

God hears/cares for/speaks to me

God Hears Me
God Cares for Me
God Speaks to Me

Author: Kristen Wetherell
Illustrator: Grace Habib

Crossway, 2023

These are the first three in a series of board books by Crossway aimed at ages 0-4. Another two are currently scheduled for March (God Came Near to Me and God Rescues Me). The series aims to be “an introduction to the key facets of the gospel and a glimpse at the joy found when children embrace Christ as their Lord and Saviour”.

The stories are told through rhyme. For example, the first one begins:

“With a big smile
or even through tears,
I talk to my God,
and I know that he hears.”

Each book has one flap – on the final page – which reveals a mirror, and which seeks to bring the message home to the child. The books are well and brightly illustrated – not like some of the more abstract (or even freaky) illustrations that some recent children’s books have had.

The books do a good job at getting to Jesus as the prime example of God’s care, the word of God, etc. Some may be uncomfortable, however, that when they get to this point, they all introduce images of Jesus.

Overall these books are well done. With a one and two-year old, the board book format is definitely appreciated!

Systematic Expository Challenges

Interesting from Geoff Thomas, looking back and questioning his own approach. He famously began his ministry preaching on Genesis 1:1 in the morning and Matthew 1:1 in the evening.

(Though on that he says: “Looking back, I think I should have given them a taste. “Do you like this?” Then another taste, for example, of some New Testament preaching for those who came only on Sunday mornings. I would preach on the Beatitudes and on the life of Elijah or the life of Joseph. Give them more variety. I have twice preached through the book of Genesis, and the second series thirty years later was far more balanced and lucid than the first time when I began my ministry”)

“I do want to challenge my own singular commitment to systematic expository preaching. It can make us lazy in our wrestling with God for His will on which text we should take on a given Lord’s Day. It can dull the appetite of God’s people for the Word by simply continuing the next Sunday where we left off the Sunday before. Doesn’t preaching from different texts demonstrate well that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God? We must never give the impression that we have “done” a gospel, or an epistle, or a prophetic book so that we will never preach on it again. Have you “done” London if you have thoroughly seen some of its biggest attractions? Finally, by preaching through a book of the Bible, we may well end up giving an extended commentary on Bible passages.”

“…I am challenging my own approach, questioning whether I became a slave to a certain methodology. I took up a style that was prevailing in the evangelical circles in which I moved. I did not have sufficient role models in what I have called the Spurgeonic tradition. Great profit can be reaped from systematic expository evangelistic preaching, but the danger to be avoided in that approach is making a sermon a plain Bible study lacking pathos, passion, and pleading. Even Lloyd-Jones himself did not avoid that in some of his Friday night sermons on Romans. One can significantly benefit from preaching on isolated texts and be touched, in one’s daily devotions, by a passage that speaks to your condition and convinces you that preaching on this particular text will help the people.”

But on the other hand:

“Isolated texts need to be found week after week. Isolated texts do not capture the flow of redemptive history. They also can become hobby-horse texts for preachers who are obsessed with certain themes.”