Ready to create an enriching experience for your family? Terrie Hellard Brown’s new devotional book, “Building Character through Picture Books: 25 Family Devotions Based on Favorite Picture Books,” unveils the hidden potential of picture books and unlocks a world of meaningful family devotion time. Sharing stories at bedtime is something we do to bond with our children, make them feel safe, and help them calm down before going to sleep. With Terrie Hellard Brown’s new devotional book, “Building Character through Picture Books: 25 Family Devotions Based on Favorite Picture Books,” we can now turn story time into devotional time!

Meet Terrie Hellard Brown

First, let me introduce you to Terrie. I met Terrie last year as a guest on her Podcast, Books That Spark. She has a beautiful ministry helping parents become more effective in helping their children grow in Christ. I am now a huge fan and listen in on her podcast often.

Picture Books as Lessons

As a former elementary school teacher and principal, I know how important reading books to children can be. Every teacher in my school needed to read aloud several books to their students daily, presenting good examples of literature. For instance, if the only books your child sees are early readers with few simple words, their love for story elements can be lacking. Stories with a well-developed plot and beautiful images are vital in developing a strong vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

I also worked for a Christian publishing company that offered an alternative book fair to Christian schools. As I traveled from school to school, I encountered institutions that would only allow a few secular picture books in their classrooms. The reasoning was that the characters in the books were teaching their students bad habits and behaviors. Sometimes, they ban a book simply because of the author’s beliefs. I benefitted from their ideas because it made it easy for me to sell them the Christian book fair my publishers offered. However, in my mind, I felt sorry for the students in the school who were missing out on some biblical truths and essential life lessons that many secular picture books taught.

For example, Corduroy by Don Freeman was one book that one school said they would not carry. They told me that Don Freeman was an atheist and removed his book from their library. But I’ve written a blog about how the story of Corduroy is a perfect way to explain the plan of salvation to our kids. You can find that post here. I firmly believe that God will use any story and means to tell us of His love and help us grow in Him. That is why I was so excited to learn about Terrie’s newest devotional book that uses favorite picture story books as a springboard for character lessons and biblical truths.

A Wonderful Devotion Book

This devotional book includes twenty-five family devotions, each centered around a secular picture book. It has many of my children’s favorite stories. Here is the list from the table of contents.

1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
2. Because by Mo Willems
3. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
4. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
5. Corduroy by Don Freeman
6. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
7. Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
8. Fly! by Mark Teague
9. Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, The by Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein
10. Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
11. I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared! by Seth Meyers
12. Invisible Boy, The by Trudy Ludwig
13. Little House, The by Virginia Lee Burton
14. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
15. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
16. Olivia by Ian Falconer
17. Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds
18. Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges
19. Runaway Bunny, The by Margaret Wise Brown
20. Shhh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
21. Thank You Book, The by Mo Willems
22. Very Impatient Caterpillar, The by Ross Burach
23. Waiting Is Not Easy by Mo Willems
24. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
25. You Should, You Should by Ginny Tilby

Each devotion will follow the reading of the book. It begins with a quote from the story, a Bible verse, and a short synopsis. Then there are “Think About It” and “For Further Thought” sections that include compelling questions, challenging the reader to think and analyze situations in the story from a biblical perspective. The following section provides a prayer you can say together as the children prepare to sleep. Finally, there are a couple of paragraphs for parents to go further in the discussion with their children as needed.

Any Picture Book can Be a Christian Children’s Book.

We regularly blog about Christian children’s books. After all, we are Christian children’s authors. We know how important it is to have Christian resources in your home for children to grow in God’s Word. Additionally, as Terrie does, I believe Christian books are not the only books we should share with our children. That is why I am so excited to share this devotional with you. It will give you the resources to make many secular picture books become Christian books in your children’s minds. You may also like to have a similar resource: Lessons in Literature – Learning to Bear Fruit through Children’s Books. Available from Teachers Pay Teachers.

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By Dawn Stephens

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