Here is another great children’s book from illustrator, Natasha Kennedy and a collaborator. This is a book to read together with your children aged four to eight, though it can also be read to younger children, and read by their older siblings. On each new double page in these Lexham Press books, there is a fat cat hidden somewhere. This is done to remind us that the CATechism is big, but approachable. As your children look for the cat, they will also be drawn into each new picture illustrating the words of The Lord’s Prayer. Clever!
As with all FatCat books, Jesus and the characters portrayed are of different nationalities and are definitely not all white Anglo Saxons!
The version of The Lord’s Prayer, used by author, Harold L. Senkbeil, is the familiar old text that many folk learnt as children. It is very similar to the King James Version, but eagle eyes may notice a couple of differences. Don’t be put off by this, because the explanatory text uses the ESV, which may sound more familiar to you. What version do you use in your church? If it’s a modern version, without thees and thous, you will find this at the very beginning of each page of explanation.
By including old and contemporary versions, you have been given the best of both worlds, so that you can choose to use one or both of them.
The book has been produced to help us to pray with our children. Each explanation repeats the words of the disciples: “Lord, teach us to pray,” and continues by giving a simple unpacking of what each petition means.
As with the other books in this series (I’ve also reviewed The King of Christmas, The King of Easter and The Apostles’ Creed for all God’s children), there is an introduction for parents, and a liturgy to use in your family, further helping you to pray together.
I highly recommend this book and the rest of the series, and am sure that many families will enjoy reading and re-reading it together.