PBT Blog Series: Theological Statements for Young Children #8

Illustration from Be Gentle by Virginia Miller

Finding stories that are appropriate for toddlers & preschoolers becomes challenging when considering the topics of the next PBT statement for young children: God/Jesus doesn’t want you to lie, steal, or hurt others.

Illustration from Be Gentle by Virginia Miller

Generally, these darker subjects are not addressed in stories for the very young except perhaps for the last prohibition, hurting others. Parents and teachers of young children often have to teach children to “be gentle” or “don’t hurt.” I did find a few excellent series that are specifically published to address social-emotional skills which are crucial for children's success in school and later in adult life. 

I featured 2 books in the Best Behavior Series on February 16, 2015. These 2 books had the same title, Words are Not for Hurting, but one was much simpler and offered Spanish text as well. The rest in the series are also perfect for very young children and many connect with this theological statement. Some are board books, and some come with Spanish text. Their contents are obvious, given the titles, so I’m just going to list those below. 

The illustrator for all is Marieka Heinlen. The author of all is Elizabeth Verdick, except for the first which is by Martine Agassi. Elizabeth Verdick also has a series called Toddler Tools which describes in simple terms typical moments in a young child’s day. Here are some titles from that series: Calm Down Time, Naptime, Sharing Time, Listening Time.

Best Behavior Series:

Hands are Not for Hitting

Feet are Not for Kicking

Teeth are Not for Biting

Tails are Not for Pulling

Germs are Not for Sharing

The Getting Along Series is for children a little older. The recommended age is 4 and up rather than 2 and up for the series above. This series focuses on more complex interpersonal interactions. They are all written by Cheri J. Meiners who also writes the Being the Best Me Series, which I would highly recommend. It covers topics like forgiveness, integrity, and resilience.

 Getting Along Series:

Talk and Work It Out

Cool Down and Work Through Anger

Know and Follow Rules

Share and Take Turns

Be Polite and Kind

Be Honest and Tell the Truth

Respect and Take Care of Things

Other PBT books that connect with links to posts:

The Empty Pot - 7/27/14     

Peace, Baby - 7/8/14

Unlovable - 6/27/14

Do Unto Otters - 10/25/14

Be Gentle - 2/10/15

Too Tall Houses – 3/21/16

Words are Not for Hurting - 2/16/15