Cynthia Rylant is a very
popular and much-loved author of more than 100 picture books and novels for young
readers. You might know the popular Henry
& Mudge series or the Newbery Award Winner, Missing May. Even in her simplest stories, there is often an
underlying spirituality that has much potential for mining The Holy in the
ordinary moments of our lives. Here’s a selection
of her books and some ideas for how to use these books in ministry, private/homeschool
settings, bibliotherapy in a counseling session or in a family conversation.
God God a Dog is a one of a kind series of poems about God
that are both hilarious and thought provoking. God changes form in surprising
ways with each poem and engages with creation by making spaghetti, going to a
beauty school and the doctor, working at a desk, drinking coffee, traveling to
India, etc. Marla Frazee’s illustrations are delightful! I suggest this book
for older children or adults for it offers views of God that might be confusing
for the young. Expanding our view of God seems to be the author’s motivation
and she does this with such fun and cleverness. I recently read it aloud to my
teenage daughter. We laughed and laughed! This is not the book for you if you
are not comfortable with playing with your concept of God or if you would be
offended by the possibility of God having a relationship with Buddha.
Picture Book: God Got
a Dog
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Marla Frazee
Original Publisher & Date: Beach Lane Books, 2013
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 10
and up, 5th and up
Formats other than Book: Tablet
Give Me Grace
is a book comprised of a series of short prayers for each day of the week.
There are prayers for kindness, comfort, safety, guidance, gratitude and holy
ways. I like the simplicity of these prayers. They get to the heart of children’s
spiritual concerns and in simple, non-masculine language. Reading these 7 daily
prayers will encourage consistency and may be starting points for further thoughts
about God and prayers to God.
Picture Book: Give Me
Grace
Author & Illustrator: Cynthia
Rylant
Original Publisher & Date: Little
Simon, 2005
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 2
and up, Toddler and up
Formats other than Book: Board
Book
The Old Woman Who Named Things is a poignant story about a funky-looking elderly
lady who is alone. With no more friends alive, she begins naming objects in her
life such as her car (Betsy) and her chair (Fred). Because she doesn’t want to
face anymore death, she names only those things she is convinced will outlast
her. This plan keeps her content until a puppy begins coming to her home. She
refuses to name it for fear it will die. After many visits, the dog no longer comes,
so she worries. Eventually she claims it at the dogcatcher’s kennel and names
it Lucky because she wants the dog to remind her how lucky she is to have known
and loved so many friends. This story about vulnerability, the fear of loss, and
the power of friendships will be especially valuable if you are trying to build
relationships across generations in your family of faith. With adults, this
books gives you the opportunity to talk about healthy responses to grief. With
children or adults, you could connect this book to those scriptures where key
characters’ names are given or changed.
Picture Book: The Old Woman Who Named Things
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Kathryn Brown
Original Publisher & Date: HMH,
2000
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4
and up, Pre and up
Formats other than Book: Tablet
All in a Day is a celebration of the possibilities of one
day. Rylant offers spiritual concepts such as the hope of planting and kindness
that will likely come, the loving promises that each new day brings, and faith
that eventually you will return home to loving arms. You could easily build a
lesson for children around this book and the scripture that begins “This is the
day that the Lord has made…” (Psalm 118:24).
Picture Book: All in a
Day
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Nikki McClure
Original Publisher & Date: Henry
N. Abrams, 2009
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 3
and up, Pre and up
Formats other than Book: None
at present
An Angel for Solomon Singer is a beautiful and somewhat mature
picture book. The stunning paintings and compassionate story offer a New York
City setting and a lonely man who is being housed but is essentially homeless
and longing for the comforts of home and family. He walks the streets at night
remembering his boyhood home in Indiana. When he enters The Westway Café –
where all your dreams come true, he is intrigued and delighted by the hospitality
of the server who he later discovers is named Angel. Each night, the walker
offers up his dreams and slowly find comfort and a sense of place and
belonging. There is ambiguity here in both the story and illustrations, but
this opens up possibilities for some serious and personal discussion about what
all human beings long for and how faith communities can help meet some of those
needs. You might think of the café as a metaphor for a spiritual family and
Angel as a spiritual mentor, friend, or one of the Holy Trinity.
Picture Book: An Angel
for Solomon Singer
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Peter Catalanotto
Original Publisher & Date: Scholastic,
1996
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 7
and up, 2nd and up
Formats other than Book: None
at present
Apparently, Rylant wrote The Stars Will Still Shine in response
to troubled times. Here she rejoices in the promise of a new year and the joys
of daily living, even in uncertainty. She lists many comforting constants such
as stars, birds, church bells, ice cream, and cozy homes with companions to
curl up with. She declares that love
will grow strong and there will be goodness, grace, and light because “the
stars will still shine.” This book is like a prayer of praise for God’s
creation that, despite our disillusion, offers faith and hope. Read this beautiful
book after a difficult year or a terrible loss in your faith community. Picture
books are especially comforting at these times because they are non-threatening
and nostalgic for many.
Picture Book: The
Stars Will Still Shine
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Tiphanie Beeke
Original Publisher & Date: Harper
Collins, 2005
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4
and up, Pre and up
Formats other than Book: None
at present
A Caldecott Honor book, When I Was Young in the Mountains was
Rylant’s first book. It celebrates her summer visits at her grandparents’ home
in West Virginia. Memories include the ritual of a kiss on the top of her head
from her grandfather as he returns each day from the coal mines, Sunday worship
in a small schoolhouse, and the baptism in a nearby creek of a cousin. Perfect
for a group of children that is approaching baptism or confirmation and/or learning
about the concept of ritual. Older adults who want to remember the sacred in
the ordinary of their own childhoods can be spurred into conversation with this
lovely book. There is a 20th-Anniverary
edition that you might want to seek.
Picture Book: When I
Was Young in the Mountains
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Diane Goode
Original Publisher & Date: Puffin,
1993
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5
and up, K and up
Formats other than Book: Audio
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