INTRODUCTION
Some picture books make you laugh, others pull at your heart strings. Although there are aspects of Jeanine DeHoney‘s debut picture book, This Sunday My Daddy Came to Church, that are playful, the overwhelming message is a young child’s joy when his father joins him and his mother in church. Published by Sleeping Bear Press, the book was their 2022 Own Stories Own Voices Honor Award winner. (FYI, Sleeping Bear Press has a number of wonderful picture books that have been reviewed on my blog.)
REVIEW
The story opens with a problem:
They leave Omar’s father comfortable reading the newspaper in his newspaper. He has lots of reasons not to go to church and Oscar’s mother smiles and tells him that his blue suit is ready if he changes his mind. His father smiles and compliments Oscar on looking dapper in his Sunday best.
As they walk to the neighborhood church, Oscar meets other friends going to their churches, including his best friend, Imani.
In church, Oscar and Imani wave at each other over the pews. His mother shushes him and he looks around for his father. Not seeing him, he prays that his father will join them and is disappointed when he doesn’t.
At home, he asks his father,
“Daddy, how come you don’t come to church with me and Mommy?”
“Well, today I was tired, son. Maybe next Sunday,” he says.
The week goes by fast and the following Sunday, Oscar feels tired and feels like having a do-nothing day like his father. Instead, he gets ready as usual. When his father doesn’t show up in church again, his mother encourages him to hold onto a mustard seed of faith that one day his father will join them. She says,
I love going to church and so do you, but sometimes worship isn’t in a building, Omar. It’s
in your heart and how you serve others.
Oscar accepts this explanation, but the following week he takes out a tie for his father to wear to church. As they leave he tells him,
“I picked out your blue striped tie for you to wear with your blue suit,
Daddy, just in case you decide to come to church,” I say.
My daddy looks surprised. He smiles and nods.
At church, after Imani and Oscar make silly faces at each other, he hears a deep voice say, “Shush!” He turns around and,
THOUGHTS
There can be lots of reasons why one parent attends church and the other doesn’t. This book is for every child who longs for his family to worship together–and perhaps for those who’ve never thought of families who don’t.
The Illustrations by Robert Paul, Jr. are dynamic and will bring every reader into the church pew along with Oscar.
GIVEAWAY
I have a copy of This Sunday My Daddy Came To Church for one fortunate blog winner. Leave a comment by May 28 to enter. If you share it on social media, I’ll enter your name twice. Make sure you let me know what you did.
I have not read the whole story, but the feeling I get is that it tells kids it’s okay to not come to church because you can worship God anywhere. Which is true!
However, we don’t go to church JUST to worship God. We go for fellowship. We go to remember what Jesus did for us when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We go to love and support our church family. We go because we’re told in Scripture to not give up gathering together. When we isolate ourselves, we’re an easy target for the enemy.
I’m interested to know if this book explains any of that. If it doesn’t (and I’m saying this at the risk of sounding legalistic) it’s a dangerous story that tells kids it’s okay to be lukewarm.
Does that make sense?
I hope I don’t sound all “holier than thou,” but kids are so very literal. When we write for them, we have to remember that. Especially the picture book crowd. Kids believe what they read in stories at this age. It’s hard to shake off a wrong first impression. What do we want them to learn from us?
Thanks, Pam, for your thoughtful response. I agree that there are lots of reasons to be in church on Sunday. I’ll encourage the author to respond to you directly. And no, you don’t sound holier than thou. Just concerned for truth!
I haven’t read the book, so maybe my impression is wrong?
Thanks for your comment. I hope my comment below answers your question Pam.
Thank you, it did!
Dear Carol,
How cool to have your Daddy in church with you.
Good work by the author and the illustrator.
Don’t put my name in the pot, please.
Do something fun for you!
Never Give UP
Joan
Thank you Joan.
You are welcome, Jeanine.
So refreshing to see a book that talks about the faith of a little child!
Thank you Linda.
What a great idea and touching ending.
Thanks so much Robin.
Thanks Robin, LInda, and Joan. I’m sure the author will appreciate your comments!
Thank you Carol for this review and thank you everyone for all of your thoughtful comments. This picture book is not a testament to how one should or should not worship. It was born from childhood memories with my late father that I felt led to share. It is a story that I hope showcases family love most of all and the love between a father and child, and also jazz music, and food, and the sweet molasses moments of a family like the one I grew up in along with how we experienced faith. We all experience faith differently and this is just one story, my story, for children and families, not a blueprint for anyone else’s faith journey. I hope you all fall in love with Omar and his family.
Thank you, Jeanine. I think your answer well help Pam understand your intent. Carol
Reading this blog post, I am moved by the book’s premise. Many kids experience going to church with only one parent. It’s great that there’s a book about it–and that it is a personal story written from a place of love. Well done, Jeanine.
Thank you Marci.
Thank you, Marci!
I love the fact that Omar is happy his daddy comes to church. I also appreciate that Mom tells him to exercise his faith while waiting for his daddy to join them. I wish she had mentioned praying for Daddy’s desire to change. Perhaps a different title would make it clearer that this is not a book about faith or church really. It’s a book about family. Maybe that’s where the confusion comes in. And, Jeanine is correct — Americans practice many different kinds of faith traditions and religious gatherings.
Thank you, Jean. This is a great comment.