Children’s books have the option (usually not available to adult or YA novels) of leaning in on visuals and mood, rather than linear plot. This is what happens in Pippa and the Singing Tree by Kristyn Getty and illustrated by P.J. Lynch. This approach obviously has to be done well, as it doesn’t have any action to lean on. Fortunately, Pippa and the Singing Tree lands this nicely.
Because there’s no plot there’s not much to spoil–this is an extended (for a children’s book) reflection on how God calls us to worship Him through his good work in creation. I have to assume this book is at least partly inspired by the classic The Giving Tree, but since I don’t particularly care for that book (unlike most of Mr. Silverstein’s other stuff) I’ll pass over the possible parallels.
Instead, I’ll just not that this is a sweet little text that’s worth going through with your kids as a place to begin explaining how the natural world relates to the faith. It is not, of course, the place to end–that is always going to be in worship.
Dr. Coyle Neal is co-host of the City of Man Podcast an Amazon Associate (which is linked in this blog), and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO
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