Tag Archives: children’s books

Once Upon a Time is Today

August 18, 2021Book Review, Books Worth Reading, Faith & Culture, Parentingchildren's books, COVID-19, Jennifer Grant, pandemicSharon Ely Pearson

One of my favorite moments when my 6-year-old granddaughter comes to visit is bedtime. Besides being tired myself after a long day of active and imaginative play with her, it provides us a moment to settle down into our nighttime routine of choosing some books to read before we snuggle up on “her” bed in our guest room. Praise be, she loves reading and being read to. And she has become quite the critic of children’s books.

Recently I received an advance review copy of Jennifer Grant’s new children’s book Once Upon a Time Not So Long Ago. Reading it ahead of time, I knew what its subject matter was and decided it was an opportunity for Miss M to share her thoughts with me. We began it like we do with all the books before opening the pages; looking at the cover we try to figure out what the book is about. “It’s a boy talking to his grandfather.” “I wonder what they are talking about?”

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Collecting Tears

October 12, 2020Book Review, Parenting, Resourceschildren's books, children's ministries, COVID-19, death, grief, Jennifer Grant, parenting, psalm 56Sharon Ely Pearson

You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?
Psalm 56:8

I never noticed those words in the Psalter. But how fitting they are during this time of isolation, grief, and sorrow as we continue to live (and die) during this “2020 Pandemic.” Years from now, how will be look back at this time? Will there be a name for this era in the history books?

One thing is for sure. We are each grieving in our own ways. For many, the loss has been visceral – a loved one no longer with us. For others, the grieving is not related to the pandemic as death always makes an appearance whether it is expected or unexpected. At the moment, gone are the times to hug family and friends, gather to share stories and remembrances, be present to hold hands in silence with unspoken words passing between us.

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Writing & Evaluating Curriculum & Books for All God’s People

June 15, 2020Adult Formation, Children's Ministries, Curriculum, From the Archives, Youth Ministryantiracism, children's books, evaluating curriculum, JED AwareSharon Ely Pearson

Over the past few months I have been cleaning out files from forty years of pack-ratting my Christian Education resources. Many are very dated and not pertinent any longer, many are dated but have stood the test of time, and many have a combination of “this is so wrong” combined with “this is still valid.” This post will be sharing some documents from this third category, so please take it for what it is and recognize where it falls very short (and harmful). But I feel there is enough in the two documents that you can download (understanding they were written thirty years ago) to glean from.

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Reading is Fundamental*

March 30, 2019Books Worth Reading, Children's Ministries, Parentingchildren's books, readingSharon Ely Pearson

Did you know that March is National Reading Month? For me, just about every month of my life has been a reading month. I was fortunate that my parents read to me a lot and we made weekly trips to the public library. I recall the cool and dusty smell of the old children’s department in the basement of the Norwalk Public Library.

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New Books!

February 21, 2019Books Worth Reading, Children's Ministries, Parenting, ResourcesBaptism, children's books, children's ministries, Christian formation, Church Publishing Incorporated, intergenerational, LEGOs, resourcesSharon Ely Pearson

Fall 2018 saw the launch of a bunch of great books I have edited and Spring 2019 is looking just as exciting.

One new area I have helped grow for Church Publishing is children’s books. I loved to read as a child which translated into weekly trips to the library with my children and helping to fill my almost 4-year-old granddaughter’s bedroom shelves with picture books that are multi-cultural, funny, environmental, justice-oriented, inclusive, and empowering (especially to girls). So I am always on the lookout for beautiful religious books too. So I am proud of two titles that I hope fill the shelves of church school classrooms, Godly Play rooms, and of course, the homes of children. Anna V. Ostenso Moore’s wonderfully inclusive Today is a Baptism Day is beautifully illustrated by Peter Krueger. And this month is the launch of Candle Walk: A Bedtime Prayer to God by Karin Holsinger Sherman that just appeared on my doorstep. Both are appropriate for children ages 3-10, but I believe parents and teachers will love them also.