The Garden Wall: A Story of Love Based on I Corinthians 13

by Jennie Bishop, Jeff Stoddard (Illustrator), Karen Rhodes (Editor)

The warm sun falls on Petra's smiling face as she breathes in the delicious smells of roses, daisies, pansies and forget-me-nots. What could be more beautiful than a flower? When she announces to her friend Seth that she wants to grow her own garden, he agrees to help her by building a wall to protect the delicate flowers from harm. But it's not as easy as they think. Sometimes they don't get along, and the work is even harder then they imagined. Should they just give up? Will the flowers ever bloom? Can their friendship last when disaster strikes the garden? The answers lie within Petra and Seth and within The Garden Wall. In this engaging children's story, healthy friendship grows into committed love as Seth and Petra build a beautiful garden and the wall that protects it. The words of 1 Corinthians 13 carved into the expanding wall are practical in all relationships - with friends, in school, in families. Anyone who chooses to mirror these 14 qualities can expect good results as they grow relationships into deep, trusting, lasting friendships. Use this book to open doors of communication with your children as you teach them the very important lessons regarding healthy, loving relationships.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Christian

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jlnpeacock Peacock · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the book was excellent but the execution fell short. The idea of portraying two children playing and growing up together as they create a garden and build a wall to protect it is a beautiful picture. That they would grow to learn love from each other and for each other is an endearing idea; however, the story didn't hold together well in that the children seem to be about 12 at the beginning of the book. The construction of the protective wall and the cultivation of the garden seemed to be accomplished in about two years times. The young man and woman at the end of the story who were being married in the garden they created surrounded by the wall they had built gave the appearance of being in their 20's. Each page of the book reflected one verse of I Corinthians 13, but the message on each page did not adequately support the virtue being highlighted unless the reader provided additional information. The book could be used by a teacher as a springboard for lessons, but a child reading the book alone would miss the lessons and be confused as to how children could be getting married so quickly.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fable about all the traits it takes to make a relationship succeed--a friendship, a romantic partnership, etc. and all written in a way kids can understand. A bit lengthy for little ones.

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Abigail on her 9th birthday.