Brian Sears
(2 stars)
When I first heard about this book I was excited that finally there was a resource for parents and godparents to read with and to children about baptism. When I finally saw the book I was disappointed. It looks quite dated, dull and something you’d keep on the shelf. Once I opened the book the inside looked just as bad as its cover! Where are the pictures?
Rather than space at the end of the book to journal, it may have been better to leave space at the end of every chapter for children to write or draw. If this is a gift for families why not supply the box and even Timothy Bear? Some of the families I know won’t even make it to the story of Timothy Bear due to the lengthy preamble, which could be put at the end to enhance the story rather than at the start.
This is an easy book to read although not to follow and I wouldn’t buy this book for anyone or recommend this book to families but the content is great if children’s workers wanted to do something creative with it.
Emma Pettifer is the children’s officer for the Diocese of Worcester and a children’s and youth worker at her local church
Doug Horley
(4 stars)
Fans of Noah: a musical adventure, which toured the UK earlier this year, will snap up this album featuring songs from the show. Created by Doug ‘Duggie Dug Dug’ Horley and Mark Read (from 90s boyband A1), and featuring the multi-talented Ruthie Henshall alongside international opera singer Jonathan Veira, the album is full of lively Disney-style songs that will have listeners singing and swaying along in no time.
From the opening track ‘Come on board’, we’re treated to an entertaining journey through the highs and lows of the story of Noah’s Ark. The show delivers through a wide variety of musical styles, such as the pensive ‘I believe’ and great gospel praise track ‘It rained’, all produced with West End flair, and ending with the brilliant ‘There’s a rainbow in the sky’, which could well end up as an action song in my church very soon. As a resource for anyone teaching the story of Noah this would be a useful addition, although it probably would be better to see the show first and then enjoy this album even more.
Caroline Horn is community development pastor at St Andrew’s Church, Whitehall Park, London
Tales from Fiddley Wood
Tracey Williams and Steve Clarke
(4 stars)
I gave the book to my 12 year-old daughter and half expected to see it several days later on the coffee table still untouched. She’s a good reader but hates to read. So imagine my surprise when an hour later I popped my head in to find her reading Tales from Fiddley Wood.
Tales from Fiddley Wood are short stories based on different parables from the Bible. Children will learn the principles that Jesus taught for us to live our lives by, via the medium of animals! The great thing about this book is that each tale is preceded by the biblical version to help parents or older children understand the context; this was valuable to my daughter’s understanding of the tales. Her particular ‘like’ for the book was that ‘the truths aren’t muddied!’
As a primary school teacher I would be able to use this book in the classroom to engage with older and younger pupils and to encourage children to look at how they can better respond to people around them or situations. This is a great book.
Sarah Dewhirst is a mum of five children, a church leader and a primary school teacher
