Talking With God [ PB ] - Johnson Sarah

Thank you that you are my Father in heaven that I never have to say ‘Goodbye’. Thank you that you are always with me.” In an age of absentee fathers, or worse, this book makes praying the ‘Our Father’ accessible to all children. Good foundations are laid for a child’s understanding of the character of God. It’s fun too - hunt the prayer replaces hunt the thimble as just the thing for the family to do instead of watching Neighbours. There are good ideas of making a banner which even dads might join in with.

Though the artwork is good, the pages leave me wondering who is supposed to read the book - parent, leader, or child? The teaching itself is sometimes uneasily mingled with instructions about using it. And if only we had a version of the Lord’s Prayer everyone used.

However, the book will prove a treasure trove of ideas either for family prayers or for Sunday groups. I am looking forward to playing Get it right, the board game inside the back cover. This game helps us think through the choices we make in our behaviour each day and especially what ‘Your will be done’ might mean in the school playground.