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Why do books resonate with us?
‘Books aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.’ – Matt Haig
When we read a book, we want to relate it to ourselves. We’d like it to resonate with us. When we’re shy, it’s nice to see a shy character in a story. If we like to make people laugh, we might enjoy characters who are more boisterous and outgoing. Our upcoming children’s titles all feature characters we can relate to.
We’re Hungry Too by Sylvia Green
In We’re Hungry Too, Ellie thinks mostly of herself. She eats and feeds the birds outside, but doesn’t consider that the other animals around her are hungry too. When she goes to a cake shop, she wants to buy cake for herself. When she realizes that other children are hungry too, and they may not have the access to food that she has, she gives her money to a charity. She thinks less of herself and has more concern for others.
Everyone can be selfish at times. We all have moments when we think of our own needs without considering the needs of the people around us. When a neighbor or friend shows us that they’re struggling or that we can help them, it can make us more compassionate. We realize that we’re not the only people in the world. Paying attention to what other people need can make us less selfish.
The Shepherd Who Couldn’t Sing by Alan Barker
Jake is a very shy shepherd. When the other shepherds take turns singing, he doesn’t join in. He’s afraid he’ll be laughed at, forget the words, or sound unpleasant. When a choir of angels visits him to tell him of the birth of Christ, they sing a beautiful song. This gives Jake the courage to sing too.
We all have fears. They can stop us from doing things we’d really like to do. Fear can make us talk ourselves out of things, especially when we’re worried about what other people think of us. We have all found strength within ourselves to face what we’re afraid of when other people give us support and believe in us.
The Sleepy Shepherd by Stephen Cottrell
Silas sleeps wherever and whenever he can. He chooses naps over responsibilities. He doesn’t consider how his behavior affects the other shepherds. Even when they tell him to pull his weight and they ask for his help, he decides to nap instead.
His actions have consequences. He sleeps through the arrival of the angels and misses the opportunity to visit Jesus when he is born. When he is older, it takes meeting Jesus again for him to reconsider his ways and look at how his actions affect other people.
We can all pinpoint moments in our lives where we knew we had to change. We had to be less selfish, more considerate, more respectful, and more aware of what was going on around us. We don’t change unless we feel we should or we begin to consider how we’ve hurt the people in our lives. When we take steps to make necessary changes, we can see the positive outcomes.
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