Sunday Is For God

Sunday Is For God. By Michael McGowan. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. 2010. January 2010. Random House. 40 pages.

Weekdays are for school. Saturday's for having fun. But Sunday is the Lord's day. Sunday is for God. That's what Momma says.

I really enjoyed this one. A sweet story focused on faith and family. A story about making God and family a priority in our lives. Our narrator is a young boy with a big heart. He may not love getting dressed up, wearing clothes that make him uncomfortable, but he does love God. This is a picture book that is rich in detail. I was surprised actually to see just how much detail is incorporated into this one. From the choir singing

Yes, we'll gather at the river

The beautiful, the beautiful river

to the congregational singing of

Praise God from whom all blessing flow,

Praise Him, all creatures here below...

and

We're marching upward to Zion,

The beautiful city of God

There are also readings from the Bible. Snippets of verses here and there. Things that feel right, feel natural.

I loved how these details involve all the senses. The way things are described, you can almost hear, see, touch, taste and smell everything.

Before we know it, Momma has Baby fed and dinner on the table. It's fried chicken and gravy and mashed potatoes and greens and corn bread, and it's all ready at the same time and it's all hot. The grown-ups drink iced tea. Brother asks for tea too, but Momma says no, so all the kids get ice water, like always. Papaw says grace, and he makes sure to get everybody in.

There's just something right about this one. Though Mom was a *bit* skeptical that "Momma has Baby fed and dinner on the table. It's fried chicken and gravy... it's all ready at the same time and it's all hot."

Loved the illustrations of this one. They complement the text well. And they help create the right tone, atmosphere for this family-friendly, faith-friendly picture book.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers