Being Thankful by Mercer Mayer ~ A Juvenile Fiction Review and Giveaway

Being Thankful

Mercer Mayer

Juvenile Fiction

Recommended Ages: 4-7

About The Book:

Join Little Critter as he learns that 

thankfulness makes every day brighter.

Little Critter isn't getting anything he wants. Gator gets cool brand-new sneakers, while Little Critter is stuck with his boring blue ones. Tiger's dad has a boat--but not Little Critter's dad. And even at the ice cream shop, Little Critter can't enjoy his ice cream cone because he would rather have a huge ice cream sundae instead. But on a trip to the farm, Grandma and Grandpa show Little Critter why thankfulness is so important.

My Thoughts:
Teaching a child to be thankful is a hard job. Our very nature seems to lean towards selfishness. Everything around us just inspires us to want bigger, better and more, more, more. So what's a parent to do? Send them to their grandparents of course! Come along as Little Critter makes a trip to his grandparents' farm. While he is there his very clever grandparents begin to teach them lessons on being thankful. Grandma and Grandpa gently point out that sometimes we need to do something just because it makes someone else happy.  One of the objects that Grandma uses to drive home the idea of thankfulness for Little Critter is a blue thankful rock. Grandma has a green thankful rock and Grandpa has a purple thankful rock. One of the best lines from the story is spoken by Grandma and Grandpa to Little Critter.

"Remember how happy the farm animals were with what they had? And how happy we can be when we decide to appreciate what we have?" {Grandmother}

I nodded. {Little Critter}

Then Grandpa pulled his thankful rock from his pocket. "That's what it means to have gratitude--to be thankful for everything in your life," said Grandpa. "Sometimes when I forget, I look at my thankful rock and I praise God for His goodness and for all the things I'm thankful for--like you Little Critter!"

When Little Critter arrives back home it seems that the ungrateful bug has bitten Little Sister. But Little Critter has taken his grandparents' lesson to heart and gives his little sister a red thankful rock. Don't you love it when your children learn a valuable lesson and pass it on to their younger siblings? Peer pressure can sometimes be a good thing, especially when it is coming from an older sibling.

I think you and your children will love this wonderful book on thankfulness by the talented Mercer Mayer. It is a delightful way to address the topic of being content with what God has given us. Psalm 107:1 tell us to "Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever." What a powerful statement on being thankful!

Connect With The Author:

www.LittleCritter.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @MercerMayer

Pinterest

Goodreads

YouTube

The Giveaway:

We have partnered with Tommy Nelson to offer one of our readers a copy of the Being Thankful and We All Need Forgiveness by Mercer Mayer. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

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