Name of Book: Because of You

Author: B. G. Hennessy

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publisher’s Intended Audience: 3 – 7 years of age

Summary: Because of You is the delightful story expressing the whole world’s celebration each time a child is born, making it ideal for a newborn baby or baptism gift.

Literary Elements at Work: Because of You is B. G. Hennessy’s realistic-fictional account of the impact a helping, caring, sharing, listening, and being kind child can have on creation in her home, at school, in the community and on into world; as well as the impact on a child from a helping, caring, sharing, listening, and kind family, school, community and world.  The story is narrated from an adult perspective to children concerning the get and give of life in community.  The setting and illustrations further develop this theme by moving the child from receiving help, care, and kindness to giving help, care, and kindness in his or her home, at school, out in the community, and on into the world.

Scripture:  Isaiah 9:6, Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis 2:1-24

Theology: For unto us children are born, gifts of God for the children of God.  Therefore, their Christian care and nurture rest upon our shoulders.  For unto us children are born, gifts of God for the people of God.  Therefore, our Christian care and nurture rest upon their shoulders.

The Genesis creation stories give the account of creation in two different orderings.  One begins with the creation of heaven and nature and culminates with humankind; the other begins with the creation of man and culminates with the creation of nature and woman.  I think the first account says that God so loved the world that God gave to the world us to care for it (call); and the second account says that God so loved us that God gave to us the world with all of its beauty and bounty (gift).  Children are born into this gift and call.

Faith Talk Questions (Intended for use with preschool/early elementary):

1. Who gave us moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets?
2. How do moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets care for us? love us? teach us? share with us? help us? listen to us?
3. How can we care for mom and dad? teachers and friends? flowers and dogs? stars and planets?
4. How can we teach mom and dad? teachers and friends?  How can we share with mom and dad? teachers and friends? flowers and dogs?  stars and planets?
5. How can we listen to mom and dad?  teachers and friends? flowers and dogs? stars and planets?
6. (If in a classroom, write on a wipe board.) Let’s make a list of all the ways we can say thank you to God for moms and dads, teachers and friends, flowers and dogs, stars and planets?

Because of You by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.