Review: Excellent Story to Teach Your Chidren About Love
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 6, 2014
“Henry Goes to the Big City: A Lesson in Unconditional Love” by CJ and Shelley Hitz is a great contemporary rendition of the Bible parable about the Prodigal Son. Young Max has finished his homework, and asks his Mother if he can watch a movie on TV. She suggests he watch a favorite of his, a cartoon called “Henry Goes to the Big City” about a mouse named Henry.Henry Rodentson and his nine siblings share a daily routine of working around the Rodentson residence. Henry, however, has grown restless with the humdrum tedium, so he decides to head to the Big City he has overheard his Father talking about. While the rest of the family was taking an afternoon nap, Henry packed some clothes and food, and left home for his big adventure.Henry soon learns the Big City isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and grows homesick. He was a bit worried about returning home, and perhaps thought he might be in trouble for leaving. To his surprise, his Father saw him returning from a long way off, and ran out to greet and welcome him.The parallels to the parable about the Prodigal Son are obvious. Following the story, the authors have appended some very thought-provoking questions for the children to consider. While children ponder the questions, you are given an opportunity to open the Bible and read that parable to the child. This is really quite a good way to get children interested in Bible stories, in my opinion. I do not know if the Hitz’ plan to write more stories based on Bible parables, but I think they may have hit on a great idea for introducing children to the Bible.This story is really about unconditional love. Henry’s Father showed him unconditional love, as did the Prodigal Son’s Father. In the same way, God loves His children with an unconditional love. No matter what we may do that displeases Him, He will never stop loving us. You really won’t find a better lesson to teach a child, than the fact that God loves them… unconditionally.