Sunday, July 20, 2014

Fun and Fruitful Faith-Based Read Aloud

For your convenience, in this post, we have provided affiliate links to Dragon Slayers: The Essential Training Guide for Young Dragon Fighters in this post.  If you choose to click through them to make any purchase, we may be blessed with a small percentage of your sale at no extra cost to you.  Thank you.


Today, I just had to share about a fabulous book that has become our breakfast read aloud over the past month:




We had ordered this book, sight unseen, as one of Luke's First Holy Communion gifts based on its reviews and the fact that all of our children have been into arms, armor, knights and medieval times this year.

Now that we've begun reading Dragon Slayers: The Essential Training Guide for Young Dragon Fighters together, I can attest that ordering the book was a fruitful decision.  

The book is written in an expressive, conversational style in the voice of an accomplished Dragon Slayer named Sir Wyrvern Pugilist.  The way Pugilist teaches about "dragons" and what spiritual armor will be necessary to slay them makes reading the book aloud just plain old fun.
 



Likewise, the way the author Joyce Denham weaves in Scriptural passages from "the Ancient Manual" (the Bible), encourages prayer to the "Mighty One" and teaches about spiritual warfare is masterful.  Difficult concepts become accessible, even entertaining.

Challenging language does, too.  For Dragon Slayers happens to be peppered with excellent vocabulary words (oft defined in parenthetical phrases).

The book also has a well-designed cover, eye-capturing (not scary!) illustrations by Roger Snure throughout and a multi-color layout.  

Plus, I discovered, there is a well-developed website dedicated to the book with extra free materials for young dragon fighters to dig into.  (And a Facebook page, too!)  So, when we finish the book, we can still enjoy more from Sir Wyrvern Pugilist on the related blog.  FUN!

But fruitful?  Really?  

Yes!

Since beginning to read Dragon Slayers: The Essential Training Guide for Young Dragon Fighters with the children, I have found us referring back to the dragons and armor necessary for fighting them throughout our days.  There's just something about likening sins and obstacles to dragons that makes suggestions for fighting them stick.

There's also something about it all that inspires Luke!


I have been finding drawings of Luke's own interpretations od dragon fighting armor around the house.  (I love it!)

Truly, Dragon Slayers: The Essential Training Guide for Young Dragon Fighters was one of our favorite faith-based gift discoveries.  Engaging, fun and fruitful, we've been thoroughly enjoying it and growing in faith together, too.


What are some of your favorite faith-based gifts and read alouds?

Please feel free to share about them in comment here or on our Training Happy Hearts Facebook page.  If you leave a link to an idea, I will pin it on the Training Happy Hearts: A Call to Faith Formation in Young Children Pinterest board
 

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