Review: Story With a Real Moral
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 28, 2014
“Come Back Home” by Mary Rice Hopkins is a children’s storybook offering a rendition of the biblical story about the Prodigal Son. Also included are suggested activities to help children better understand the lesson taught by this parable.In this story we meet a man with two sons. One son wants to “see the world” and party hearty, so he asks his father to give him his inheritance early. His father reluctantly agrees, and soon watches his son drive away from home with a couple of his “friends” along for the ride.The prodigal quickly spends all his money on profligate living and is soon destitute. He finds himself alone as all his so-called friends abandon him for deeper pockets. When he finally considers how much easier life was under his father’s roof, the son decides to return home to at least become a servant to his father.Returning home, the boy is welcomed with open arms. His father is so delighted to have him back that he throws a big barbecue and invites all the town folks to join in the celebration.Following this story, Hopkins includes the biblical account of the Prodigal Son parable found in Luke 15:11-24. Immediately thereafter, she lists the lyrics to a children’s song about the Prodigal Son, along with several fun activities for children that will help teach them moral principles no longer taught in America’s public schools.“Come Back Home” is much more than a simple story. The interaction between child and adult that this book encourages is of paramount importance to the development of their moral compass, which seems to be largely missing from the lives of the vast majority of today’s youth. If for no other reason than that, this is a storybook your children need you to share with them.