Susannah Spurgeon, Doodling, and the Gospel: Recommended Resources for Children

By Elizabeth Barrett

As a mother I am always on the lookout for children’s resources that are both Biblical and fun, a combination not always easy to come by. I am very encouraged by the abundance of children’s books being published today that are deep, gospel-centered, and creative. Today I have two such resources that I am very excited to make you aware of. 

I cannot say enough about the first one. The ladies over at Noble Rose Press have really struck gold with their “Historical Women in Christ’s Kingdom” paper doll series. The series contains 12 paper dolls of Christian women from church history. I assume that my daughter isn’t the only girl out there obsessed with dolls, and I know that this will be a great resource for not only helping her get acquainted with Godly women in history, but also with the activities of Godly women. She can pretend to be Katy Luther bringing in the swine, or Susannah Spurgeon tending her garden. The women included in the series are: Katharina von Bora (a.k.a. ‘Katy Luther’), Idelette Calvin, Pocahontas, Priscilla Mullins, Elisabeth Prentiss, Anne Bradstreet, Abigail Adams, Sarah Edwards, Martha Washington, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Mary Anna Jackson, and Susannah Spurgeon. Each doll contains a short biography and three outfits. It is just so exciting to see children’s material centered on the women I consider to be my own heroes in the faith. Not to mention, I LOVED paper dolls as a child, so this is truly right up my alley!

Also by Nobel Rose Press is the very cute Family Tree Coloring Book. What is unique and precious about this coloring book are the scenes that are portrayed. The colorings are all of families doing fun and routine activities together including: reading books, sitting around a campfire, playing dress-up, and holding a new baby. This sweet coloring book highlights the value of everyday family life.

The materials by Nobel Rose Press can be found at their website. Additional information can also be found on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. **Also** Credo readers can enjoy 20% off any purchase until September 30th with the coupon code Credo20.

The second children’s resource that I want to highlight is The Bible Doodle Book. This book has incomplete drawings of Biblical scenes that children can finish. Accompanying scripture text, as well as a prompt for what to color, is on each page. For example, one page is on King Solomon. A simple picture of Solomon is drawn with the prompt “How did a king dress in King Solomon’s day?” and the accompanying texts of 2 Samuel 12:30 and 2 Kings 11:12. The child is to draw the clothes on the body that is provided. The reason I find this book particularly helpful is that parents trying to incorporate their children in the church worship service can use this book as a form of “note taking” for their kids. Children can interact with pages that are related to the sermon and participate in the learning. Additionally, I like that it is more than a coloring book. The prompts require synthesis and comprehension of the text which is helpful for retaining more information.

I love to see that so much time and energy is being spent on providing excellent resources for children. I look forward to highlighting more of these resources as we all seek to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Elizabeth Barrett is the wife of Matthew Barrett. They have two beautiful daughters, Cassandra and Georgia. Elizabeth is a member of Clifton Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.