Children's Book Review: A Little Wisdom for Growing Up: From Father to Son by John C. Morgan

Children's Book Review: "A Little Wisdom for Growing Up: From Father to Son" by John C. Morgan
Paperback: 52 pages
Target Reader: Children Of All Ages
Publisher:Resource Publications, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published:July 20, 2007
ISBN 13 :978-1-55635-308-6
Available: wipfandstock.com/store/A_Little_Wisdom_for_Growing_Up_From_Father_to_Son/
Web price: $5.60
Available in 4-6 weeks on all major bookstore websites and can be ordered through retail bookstores.

Reviewed by: Elena H. Associated Content Producer and Author

Book Description:

"A Little Wisdom for Growing Up: From Father to Son" by author John C. Morgan is a collection of fables written in the style of Aesop's Fables.
John C. Morgan has written the book, dedicated to his son Jonathan, in a way that honors the ancient form of story-telling and passes on wisdom from generation to generation. There are 39 brief fables in the book and each one has an interpretation of the meaning of the fable at the end. The characters are taken from the natural world children live in and are intended to help children learn to observe the world and glean their own lessons from it. Below is an example of one of the stories.

Big Fish, Small Fowl

One day a great whale was sunning herself not far off shore. Along came a seagull, flying lowly overhead. "My, my," said the seagull, what a great creature this whale is. How marvelous to be so large and command such respect, while I, small and weak, seem but a speck against the sky."

The whale looked up and spotted the seagull. "Oh, oh, how wonderful it must be to be free to fly wherever you want and not be imprisoned by water. I would give
anything to be a seagull."

The seagull flew off into the clouds. The whale turned and headed back out to sea.

Moral : Never compare yourself to others; you'll either feel inferior or superior, and neither attitude will win you friends.

In the front of the book are suggestions for teachers, parents, grandparents and other care-takers. One suggestion is to read the fable to the child and then let them tell you their interpretation of what the tale means. After the child shares his feelings, the author suggests the reader read the moral he has included and discuss it with the child.

REVIEW:

Reading has been a long-held passion for me and I am always looking for really good books for myself and also for my family. The family members who benefit the most from my love for reading are my grandchildren. I have three wonderful granddaughters; ages ten, six, and four. The six year old and the four year old live close by and spend quite a bit of time with their Mimi. One of our favorite activities is when we all squeeze into the recliner together and settle down with a few good books. John C. Morgan, the author of "A Little Wisdom for Growing Up: From Father to Son" has done an excellent job of writing these enchanting fables in a way that is easily understood by children of all ages, yet still interesting to the adult reading the stories. The moral at the end of the story is always one that once learned will benefit the child throughout life.

Recommendation:

"A Little Wisdom for Growing Up: From Father to Son" by John C. Morgan is a book that I enthusiastically recommend. I read the book to my grandchildren and they also have given it their whole-hearted endorsement. This is a book that will aid parents, grandparents, teachers and care-givers in their endeavor to teach children to be caring, thoughful and responsible.

.