Picture Book UU Values and World Religions 2

Building on the foundation of Picture Book UU Values and World Religions 1, this class continues exploring world religions, cultures, and Unitarian Universalist values through engaging picture books, discussions, games, crafts, and interactive activities designed for older elementary children. Participants deepen their understanding of both the diversity of religious traditions and the shared values that connect us, while strengthening friendships, curiosity, and respect for others. Sessions include:

Sacred Places— The concept of sacred places is shared among world religions. We journey through 26 sacred sites from the major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. 

How: A Day in the Life of a Young Humanist (Humanism)— A young Humanist and his mom go on a hike. He asks how he should live his life, and they use the scientific method to explore ethics.

Adam and Eve’s First Sunset: God’s New Day (Origin Story from Judaism, Islam, and Christianity)— The first man and woman experience the fear and wonder of the first night on earth.

Born with a Bang (Scientific Origin Story)— The universe writes a letter to the reader, telling the story of its own birth — from the Big Bang to the first stars, galaxies, and the beginnings of everything.

The Fire Children: A West African Folk Tale (Indigenous Origin Story)— The first man and woman are lonely, so they fashion children out of clay and bake them in their fire. Sky god Nyame interrupts over and over, making the children have different skin tones based on how long they cooked.

From Lava to Life (Scientific Origin Story)— We explore the ebb and flow of the universe, earth, and life from an evolutionary perspective.

Zen Shorts (Buddhism)— We learn about Buddhist meditation exercises through Panda Stillwater, who shares three Zen stories with three children in a row and reflects with them on generosity, transformation and letting go.

Lights for Gita (Hinduism)— Recently immigrated from India, Gita is feeling conflicted about celebrating her favorite holiday. We learn about Diwali, which teaches us to fill the darkness with light.

The Brave Little Parrot (Buddhism)— A retelling of a traditional “jataka” tale from India, one of the stories about the Buddha’s past lives. Even the smallest act of courage and compassion can make a big difference!

Rama and Sita (Hinduism)— This Hindu epic story taken from the Ramayana tells how Rama was banished to the forest, rescued his wife from a Demon King, and returned home as king.

Josie Dances (Indigenous)— We learn about the vibrant communities and religious lives of the Ojibwe people through the story of Josie preparing for her first powwow.

Jonah and the Great Fish (Judaism and Christianity)— A prophet named Jonah learns an important lesson about listening to God and second chances when he gets swallowed by a very big fish.

Jesus (Christianity)— Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. We learn the whole story of Jesus from his birth in Bethlehem, his growing up in Nazareth, and his death.

David and Goliath (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)— We read the story of young David, who wins the war by defeating the giant Goliath, showing that anyone can make a difference. We also explore the common roots of the three Abrahamic Religions.

Noah’s Ark (Judaism, Christianity)— We read how God saves Noah, his family, and a pair of every animal by having them build a great ark to survive a flood— and how God promises never to flood the earth again, with the rainbow as a sign of that promise. We also learn about Queerness and Black and Brown people in the Bible.

Maria’s Comet (UU Figures)— Maria learns to love the sky from her father and ends up deciding to explore the world through astronomy. This story imagines the childhood of Unitarian Maria Mitchell, who grew up to become America’s first woman astronomer.

Love is Powerful— Mari makes a sign for a protest that says, “Love Is Powerful,” leading others to take up the chant. Everyone can make the world more just and loving!

Until Someone Listens— A girl’s family is torn apart when the government deports her mother, but she persists in her hope that they can be together again. We can all speak up about what is wrong and make a more just world!

All the Way to the Top— We read the true story of 8-year-old Jennifer getting out of her wheelchair to climb the Capitol steps to make the government pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We explore what equal rights for people with disabilities really means.

Something Happened in Our Town— Two families process after a black man is shot by the police. We explore how some groups of people are not treated fairly in the US.

The Hundredth Name (Islam)— Salah prays for his sad camel Qadiim to learn the hundredth name of Allah. Humans only know ninety-nine names for God and not the final hundredth one— there is more in this universe than we can understand.

The Moses Basket (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)— We read about Miriam and her mother, who save baby Moses from the Pharaoh’s order to kill all Hebrew baby boys by hiding him in a basket on the river and having the princess find and care for him. We also talk about the larger context of women’s stories in the Bible.

The Mountains of Tibet (Buddhism)— A man longs to see the world, but dies without having done so. When he has the chance to come back as any creature anywhere in the universe, he finds himself choosing the same place and people from his previous life.

These Olive Trees— We read about Oraib, who cherishes the olive trees as she prepares to flee war once again. We talk about working toward everyone having a safe home and peace.

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth— An incomplete truth lands on earth and humans cling to it, leading to wars and environmental harm, until a girl reconnects with wonder and nature by speaking to the Old Turtle. We talk about staying curious and honoring the wonder of the earth.

Henry Works (UU Figures)— Henry walks to work, caring for people, creatures, and plants along the way. In the end, he ends up back at his cottage where he begins his work of writing his book with the sentence, “I took a walk in the woods today.” This story is based on the real writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau.

The Keeping Quilt— We read the story of a quilt that transforms into different things throughout the lives of one family. This story illustrates how we can use creativity to transform ourselves and what’s around us to find value, joy, and connection.

Henry Climbs a Mountain (UU Figures)—Henry’s mountain climbing plans are interrupted by the tax collector. When Henry refuses to pay a system that enslaves people, they put him in jail, where he climbs a mountain in his mind. Like Henry David Thoreau, we can all act to make the world more just.

Owen and Mzee— We read the true story of the unlikely bond between a hippo and a tortoise. We talk about how love needs to be at the center of everything we do.

For Every Child— All children have rights. We explore the universal rights of children as laid out by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.