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SOMEONE'S COME TO OUR HOUSE
By Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
(Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999)
CLASSROOM OR SUNDAY SCHOOL IDEAS
The birth of a new baby is always cause for celebration! Shortly after
my two sons were born, all our relatives and neighbors began to arrive,
bearing food and gifts and lots of hugs and kisses. Both occasions were
true times of togetherness.
I wrote this book because most of the books that I could find that dealt
with the arrival of a new baby were either very "quiet" or they
centered upon sibling rivalry. I couldn't find the book that reminded
me of the arrival of my own sons--full of energy and celebration.
At the same time, I wanted to include the awesome connection that a new
baby brings to the family of God. My own spiritual background included
the singing of many southern gospel songs, thus I borrowed heavily from
those old hymns to establish the refrain that used in the text. My hope
is that the book "sings" with life and love and the deep roots
of our common family.
The Following Ideas are from a discussion guide published by Wm. B. Eerdmans,
(used by permission).
DISCUSSION TOPICS
- Celebrations:
Ask the child to describe the different ways his or her family celebrates.
What occasions--birthdays, Christmas, Kwanzaa, straight A report cards,
etc.--call for a gathering? Who is included in these celebrations? What
kinds of foods are prepared? What rituals, songs, dances, or prayers
are included? In this story, what things are part of the celebration
of the new baby?
- Neighborhoods:
Talk about the idea of a "whole village." Discuss different
kinds of communities--these can be as simple as apartment complexes,
Sunday School classes, schools, actual villages, suburban neighborhoods,
etc. Who or what makes up a community? What communities are you a part
of? What do you like about being part of a community?
- Families:
Ask the child who makes up his or her family. What role does each person
play in the child's life? What does it mean to be part of a family?
In this story, how does each person respond to the arrival of the new
baby?
- New Babies:
A whole array of subjects can be centered around the arrival of a new
baby--siblings, baby gifts, naming, christening, arrival of relatives,
needs such as diapers and formula. Have the child talk about his or
her birth. How did this change the family? What things did he or she
need as a baby that aren't needed now? What events took place to celebrate
his or her birth?
- God's Presence:
Discuss God's constant presence (perhaps even as a "present")
beginning even before we are born. How does someone become part of God's
family? What ceremonies are used to welcome us into God's family?
IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES
- Use this book as the beginning of a family tree project. Talk with
the child about his or her relatives. Write down stories or interesting
facts about each person. Look through old photo albums. Using the stories,
facts, and pictures, help the child create a family tree.
- Tell your child the story behind his or her birth. Using a blank scrapbook,
help the child create a memoir of his or her childhood. You could include
photographs, drawings, pictures from magazines of things the child used/needed
at a particular age, handwriting samples, hand prints, facts of growing
up, etc.
- Use the book as a starting point for a "celebration." Have
the child decide what kind of celebration to hold, what foods to prepare,
who to invite, what decorations to have, etc. Center everything around
a particular theme. Create new recipes by adding extra ingredients--toppings,
food coloring, etc. Help the child make decorations.
- The rhythms and refrain in the book stem from the author's Southern
Gospel background. Find and listen to some music from this tradition.
Try to develop a chant or tune to go along with the words in this story.
Encourage the child to create a song based on his or her favorite type
of music.
If you have other good ideas for using this book, contact the author
at Wm. B. Eerdmans, 255 Jefferson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
or email
.
Kathi Appelt
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