Book Description

Miss Danielson's work for little children is well known. This volume has an opening chapter on the lessons and how to use them, and a sketch of the three-year-old child which sets forth his characteristics and his attainments, and quotes Kirkpatrick in describing his possible acquisition of religious ideas. Topics familiar to the little child are dealt with in the lessons which follow-food, clothing, and houses; members of the family, helpers, and household pets; the world of outdoors (in three lessons only), ourselves (as fingers, feet, eyes, and ears), little duties, and lessons for the special holidays. Here is much suggestive material, which it is hoped may be used by parents in the home rather than by teachers in the school. One who uses it most wisely will take its suggestions as mother-play, and not as set lessons to be given at any special hour in the day. The presentation of the material in this volume, arranged in "lessons" with "blackboard illustrations," and directions to "hold up article of clothing," "show slice of bread," seems to be offering a way of putting a three-year-old child to school, which Heaven forbid! The religious instruction consists chiefly in telling the child that God has made everything in the world expressly for him, and offering prayers of thanks for these gifts. The book meets the child on his own self-centred level, but it might do more than it does to give him the beginnings of that understanding of others' share in the good things of life which is an essential part of religious education. The prayers would be more satisfactory if they were less easily familiar, and if a shorter form were frequently repeated. Lessons of helpfulness, of kindness, of good cheer, obedience, and cleanliness are well suggested in simple story form. The book is the first attempt to provide something in the Sunday school course expressly for the Cradle Roll department. - The Unitarian Register, Volume 94