The next word in my character development series is “obedience.” Today, I bring you a bunch of books on obedience. If you want to find the entire character development series please hover over my character development tab. If you want to find all of the lessons on obedience, just click on this link.
Following Rules (First Step Nonfiction)
Library Lion – This book is really sweet. It is about a lion who decides to hang out in the library. The librarian isn’t as concerned about the fact that he is a lion, but she is more concerned that he knows how to follow the rules. He becomes a beloved fixture of the library. They all learn about the fact that it is sometimes OK to not follow the rules. Reading this book with my daughter led to a good discussion about times in life where it might be OK to not follow the rules.
Minifred Goes to School – Minifred is a cat, but no one seems to take notice. They treat her like a little girl and send her off to school. The only problem is that Minifred beats to her own drummer and has no desire to follow the rules. This story is fun and has a cute twist. I wouldn’t necessarily say this teaches kids that they should follow the rules as Minifred never really learns to do that. Rather, it can lead to a discussion of how things run smoother when people (and cats) decide to obey.
Bible Thoughts on Obedience: Children, obey your parents
Sir Maggie the Mighty: A Book About Obedience (Building Christian Character) – This book was definitely my favorite out of the bunch. I absolutely love, love this “Building Christian Character” series by Michael Waite. I had never read this particular book, but I have loved the series so much that I purchased it on Amazon. I am so glad we did. It is as delightful and full of teaching as his other books I have read. This is a story about an imaginative bug named Maggie. Her mom decides to trust Maggie to run to the store by herself. The only problem is that Maggie decides to sneak behind her mother’s back and not follow her instructions. These decisions lead to negative consequences. This book series reminds me of Dr. Seuss books in the whimsical and rhyming approach. My children have asked for it to be read over and over again since it first landed on our doorstep last week.
A Children’s Book About Disobeying (Help Me Be Good Series) – Joy Berry has a wonderful “Help Me Be Good Series” that I always recommend. This book comes in that series. You can purchase this book individually or buy the whole set to teach a variety of character traits. You will hear me mention it over and over again in these book reviews. These books identify and define clearly the negative behavior. It shows consequences of behaving poorly and then gives practical advice and solutions for learning to do the right thing.
Superheroes Don’t Have Bedtimes…Or Do They? by Zack Bush and Laurie Friedman – Here’s a cute little book about two kids that didn’t believe superheroes should have been times. Since they were superheroes, after all, they didn’t adhere to their mom’s instructions to go to bed. The next day the learned the consequences of not obeying.
Obeying God at Jericho (Happy Day)
Tales of The Wailing Cowpuncher: Obeying your Parents
Parrots, Pirates and Walking the Plank – A Book About Obeying by Mary Hollingsworth
Following the Rules (Character Education Readers)
Oink, Oink Benny – This is a story about a a pig who decides he wants to go down to the mud hole with his little brother, despite his mom asking him to stay away from there. There are consequences when the little pig disobeyed. We found this book at the library, and I really found it just OK. It does foster a conversation about obedience, but it wasn’t my favorite. If you check it out at the library, it does fit the theme,but I wouldn’t necessarily buy it.