Clever Cub Forgives a Friend, and Clever Cub Invites Someone New,   by Bob Hartman  

Latest titles in series which takes the world of the child seriously and then tries to choose appropriate stories from the Bible to address their experiences - relevant and readable 

Clever Cub Forgives a Friend                                            
By Bob Hartman
David C Cook
ISBN No: 9780830784707
Reviewed by Moira Kleissner

There are now quite a number of “Clever Cub” books in this attractive series from David C Cook publishers. The Bible is not a children’s book and most of it is inappropriate in subject matter, concept and story-line for the young child. So telling relevant Bible stories that are meaningful is difficult, especially for the pre-schooler and Key Stage 1.

Bob Hartman, who is a master story-teller, has been telling Bible stories to children for many years. In general this is one of the best series of children’s Bible story books I have worked with. So many children’s Bible story books just tell a straight story that can be taken like any fictional/fairy story or worse still addresses concepts that are adult and beyond a child’s experience and understanding. But this series takes the world of the child seriously and then tries to choose appropriate stories from the Bible to address their experiences. 

Falling out with friends is something every young child experiences. The question is how to deal with it? Here, the story of Joseph is used by Father Bear when Clever Cub falls out with his friends.

Joseph is not my most favourite Bible character. He is often made out to be a hero while the brothers are the “baddies.” Difficult for a child to understand when Joseph gets a special gift from his father that the brothers don’t and then he flaunts it like a spoiled child. A tricky story for children.

But Bob Hartman uses certain elements of this story to give plenty of talking points at the child’s level and to emphasise that forgiveness is needed by all – Joseph and the brothers. There is a short section at the back for the adult and older child to use. In this book the thinking questions are relevant and important in a child’s life.

I will use this book with young children as it lends itself to relevant discussion at their level.

 

Clever Cub Invites Someone New                                    
By Bob Hartman
David C Cook
ISBN No: 9780830784714
Reviewed by Moira Kleissner

This is another offering from the story-teller par excellence, Bob Hartman, with clear and colourful illustrations by Steve Brown. The market aimed at is pre-schoolers but those children who have some grasp of language and basic concepts.

In this small, attractive book Clever Cub doesn’t want to invite some animals to his birthday party. Mama Bear suggests that he should invite the “Stinky Family.” However Clever Cub turns up his nose, based on preconceptions of  what the Stinky family are like. Sounds familiar to many parents, doesn’t it?

Mama Bear then tells the Bible story of Zaccheus to illustrate that Jesus accepts anyone and therefore so should we. The re-telling is simple and accurate. My only qualm is that the reader will have to explain to the young child what a tax-collector is, as no explanation is given other than that he is greedy and takes more money than he should.

The section for “Clever Readers” at the back of the book has some difficult vocabulary such as “God’s Kingdom,” which is a concept that needs unpacking and is really beyond the development stage for under 7s. We need to communicate with young children using words and concepts that they can relate to. This is unfortunate in this great little book. But it can be easily ignored as it doesn’t impinge on the story itself.

This is an attractive book that links a young child’s experience with an appropriate, well told Bible story. It is good to see a writer thinking about how the Bible, a book for adults, can meaningfully relate to the world of the young child. A joy to read and to read to children.

Yet another attractive and readable “Clever Cub” book to add to our church’s “Children’s Corner.”
 

Moira Kleissner is a retired Primary Deputy Head, storyteller, trainer and minister’s wife