When this adorable hardcover picture book arrived at my front door, I was thrilled! Pups of the Spirit by Jill Gorey and Nancy Haller, (illustrated by Deborah Melmon) is an adorable, quality book geared toward children ages 4-8. I have personally tried to teach preschoolers the fruits of the spirit and let me tell you, it can be overwhelming! I prepared a series of lessons for the preschoolers in our church complete with cute poems, games and hands-on lessons to try to get it into their little hearts. Even in our own homeschool, at one point, we had two baskets on top of the fridge. A "fruit of the spirit" basket and a "works of the flesh" basket. If my kids, (at the time, five and younger) would demonstrate a fruit of the spirit such as kindness, then they would receive a penny in the basket. If they would demonstrate a work of the flesh a penny would go into the other basket. It worked for a while, but became overwhelming on my part after a while trying to keep track! This book certainly simplifies the task at hand. The task being, trying to teach little ones ALL nine fruits of the spirit! In a simple, cute and memorable fashion, the author is able to communicate this lesson in a way little minds can relate to!
The story is written in rhyme to make it easier for little ones to stay engaged and follow along. I love that. It begins by introducing nine pups who have received a special gift of their own from God, the fruits of the spirit.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Gentleness
Faithfulness
Self-Control
The story goes through and describes each pup and how they live out their own special gift. It is cute and memorable. It certainly teaches children what these gifts look like in everyday life. It doesn't simply list the gifts but it actually explains how someone can exhibit each one. And the fact that the "someone" is a puppy makes it all the more relatable to children!
This is an excellent resource for any homeschool with lower elementary aged children or for a Sunday School classroom setting. A neat aspect of this book is that the book sleeve actually doubles as a poster! When you take it off the book, the underside reveals a cute poster displaying each puppy and their gift! What a creative use for a book sleeve! I usually take them off of my picture books since they get ripped and torn so easily, what an excellent idea!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through the Book Look blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.
