Story in Worship

The Other Side
Woodson, Jacqueline.
New York: Putnam, 2001.

This classic picture book tells the tale of two little girls, one African American, one European American, who live on either side of a long fence. The fence does more than divide their yards; it divides their whole town.  It is the kind of fence that grown-ups build, but doesn’t make sense to kids.  So they are told, “Don’t climb over that fence.  It isn’t safe.” But, no one tells them they can’t sit on that fence.  As they do, a friendship begins.

This book is beautiful, both visually and textually.  The language is spare, straightforward and leaves the reader a sense of having experienced the world through a child’s eyes.  The water color illustrations are gorgeous and compelling.  This book is one worth keeping in your personal library.  You will use it again and again.  It would fit easily with a sermon exploring the present day fences we encounter in our world and the ways in which we might venture to and beyond those fences.

Themes: Friendship, Difference, Racism, Anti-oppression, Segregation, Freedom, Acceptance, Courage,

Motifs: Fence, Friend, Jump Rope, Rain, Summer,

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale
Carmen Agra Deedy (author), Michael Austin (illustrator)
Peachtree, 2007

Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha has reached the age when  a cockroach looks for a spouse. Martina’s grandmother gives her some very surprising advice for meeting her suitors – spill coffee on their shoes. Young and old  alike will be terribly curious about happens when she follows her grandmothers advice.

While some might look at you askance for bringing cucarachas into a sanctuary, even cute ones in story form, this Cuban folktale holds some powerful truths worthy of entering a worship space. The story affirms that the most important thing in a relationship is being understanding and kind even when someone spills coffee on our shoes.

Every religious tradition worth its salt calls us to treat other human beings with compassion and kindness – and this story encourages our children (perhaps especially our girls) to expect kind treatment even when they might spill a little coffee. When recent study tells us that 1 in 10 adolescents report experiencing violence in a dating relationship, its time to make sure this lesson is taught in our worship communities.

Fortunately, the lesson is wrapped in a folk tale with a strong narrative structure that lends itself particularly well to telling. There is a nice pattern of repetition that will make learning the tale easier, and distinct characters that the teller can have fun with. If the story is being read rather than told, the illustrations are bright and lively. They tend to be a little over-caricaturized, and my preference is for telling rather than reading, but it is a good picture book to share as well.

Themes: Kindness, Forgiveness, Respect, Mistakes, Difference, Dating, Anti-Violence,

Motifs: Animals, Cockroaches, Rooster, Pig, Mouse, Grandmother, Coffee, Spill, Spanish, Cuba