It’s Day 5 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.
I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, The Garden Wall. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.
The Garden Wall: A Story of Love Based on 1 Corinthians 13 (Warner Press Kids, 2006)
By Jennie Bishop
Illustrated by Jeff Stoddard
Today’s picture book isn’t adoption-related, but it’s a lovely tale of friendship and commitment, beautifully illustrated with watercolors that invite the reader to ponder the meaning behind the author’s words.
In the shade of a great snow-topped mountain lived a stonecutter who formed stones from the mountain rock and repaired the walls in all the farmers’ pastures. The stonecutter had a son named Seth. Seth’s friend Petra, a farmer’s daughter, had an idea to make a flower garden as a present to her future husband.
Unsure of whether a husband would like a garden that was just for looking at, Seth agrees to build a wall around Petra’s garden to protect it.
The two friends plant the garden and build the wall, learning life-lessons about kindness, humbleness, encouragement, selflessness, self-control, contentment, truthfulness, protectiveness, forgivensss, hopefulness, and perseverance as they grow up together.
It is a bit difficult to determine the appropriate age of readers who would enjoy this book. My guess is that children from ages 7-12 would benefit from it most. However, children ages 8 on up generally read chapter books, not illustrated picture books. But the themes in this book seem most appropriate for older children. Thus my confusion.
Because this book gently teaches children to develop qualities we should all strive for (based on 1 Corinthians 13, the great “love” chapter in the Bible), The Garden Wall would be a great book for families with children of all ages to share during a family devotion time.
Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.
This book is available for purchase from Laura’s Exploring Adoption bookstore.
For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.
Other Reviews in this Series:
My daughter and I were just talking today, about how parents are proud of their childrens' accomplishments, but that even more important to a parent, is that their child is "a good person." A person of good character and growing to posess all of the traits you list above. I think that because the story is intended to be thought provoking, that she would me more likely to internalize the message from a picture book, than to read a longer text in chapters. I would like to share the message of this book also, with my daughter.
Posted by: Kathi S. | Friday, April 27, 2007 at 08:58 PM