Universal Children's Week on October, 2024: Was there a children's book that taught you a spiritual truth?

Universal Children's Week 2024. Universal Children's Day Home · About Children's Week™

Glee...I teach at my synagogue's religious school and I read Old Turtle to the children two weeks ago!!

It has a universal message that is wonderful.

However, for my own childhood, books connecting me to nature often spoke to my spiritual nature..

the Disney versions of these stories nearly ruined it for me but please read the originals..

Bambi by Felix Salten

The Fox and the Hound ( Disneys' version of this made me sick )

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell..about human nature in relation to the elements and other species

Elsa, The Story of a Lioness

Born Free

Living Free..all by Joy Adamson

And while these aren't all children's books I read them when quite young

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

and in my senior year of high school..a book that is now out of print by Dr. Michael Fox stands out..Between Animal and Man

As a small child..Hans Christian Anderson was one of my favorites, too

And KIPLING! OH I loved the Jungle Books...1 and 2..( and again the Disney versions I did NOT like so much )

And again..I agree with Glee

Horton Hears a Who was a GREAT favorite.

I loved Dr. Seuss stories..the Lorax is still a great favorite, too!

Notice a common spiritual theme to my favorites? They have to do with the relationship between humans and all other life.

Shalom :)

EDIT I can't believe that I forgot one that really did speak to my concept of God and man..and it was a very old book ( that I cannot remember the title ) that contained a children's version of the Midrash of Abraham and the idols. It told the story of Abraham in charge of his Father's "store" of idols while he was out. While away..Abraham would play with the idols..the largest one would be the Father, the largest female idol the Mother and the smaller idols the children. He played "house" with them and would have the Father idol scold the children idols. Well, during the course of his play he knocked one over and it shattered. Thinking quickly, he took a long stick and placed it in the arms of the "Father" idol. As his own father returned and saw the idol broken he scolded Abraham because he was supposed to have been watching over his father's shop..Abraham said he didn't do it..that the Father Idol was scolding the other idol and he broke it. He pointed to the stick.

I can still recall in my mind's eye the illustration of a child Abraham standing in front of broken idols and a large one holding a stick while his father points accusingly and Abraham looks up at his father.

Abraham's father scolded again and told him that an idol cannot punish anyone.

Abraham said to him..then why do you bow down to idols?

Abraham's father looked at the idol and back at his son and told him there was great wisdom in what the boy said.

Abraham then declared to his father that idols were not gods but that there was a great Creator God who we cannot see but who can speak to us if we listen.

Out of the mouth of babes, eh?

When I read that as a child and realized that human beings.."grown ups" as well as children..believed in idols for millenia...it just boggled my mind.

How have you been using your child's benefit allowance?

I get $100/month as a Universal child care benefit from the government. That money I put into my son's Registered Education Savings Plan(RESP) It's a tax break for me, since the government taxes me on the money they give.

I also get $67/month as a child tax rebate...it'll be going up soon though. That money I use for groceries.

I also have a change bottle next to the washer and any change DH leaves in his pants goes in there. Once a year I count and roll it, to put in DS's bank account.

Disney/Universal Studios Summer Vacation Tips?

Not to break you down, but Universal is terrible and a waste of money. you will never be able to get on any of the rides and you will be very disappointed with the service. they are not people friendly and all they care about is your money. disney, on the other hand, is the best place ever. they are very friendly, give you the best value, and actually let you on the rides. i have been to disney over 25 times and universal once and there is a reason for that. Universal,the worst place on earth.