Frog's Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables: New Expanded Edition

by Michael James Dowling, Sarah Buell Dowling (Illustrator)

Overview

NEW EXPANDED EDITION!

Mom’s Choice GOLD Award Winner!

Designated by WORLD Magazine as one of the top six Christian-themed picture books published in the 21st century.

Nine imaginative, entertaining, and colorfully illustrated fables teach children sound values and practical life lessons. An ideal way for parents, grandparents, and Christian educators to instruct the next generation in a biblical worldview.

Enriched by more than 60 whimsical illustrations, this award-winning, 80-page hardcover book by husband-and-wife team Michael and Sarah Dowling is a keepsake the whole family will enjoy reading again and again. Its timely tales of timeless truths will help readers young and old live according to Scriptural principles in our increasingly confusing world. A glossary will help younger children learn more difficult words.

Discussion questions for each fable make the book an ideal learning resource for family devotions, home school studies, church and Christian school classes, and small group discussions. Two “Burrowing Deeper” study guides—one for children and one for adults & teens—are available as free downloads from the book’s website, https://FrogsRainyDayStory.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954437692
Publisher:	Clovercroft Publishing
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Edition description:	Updated and Expanded Edition
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	569,531
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael J. Dowling provides award-winning professional writing and publishing-assistance services to thought leaders. In addition to ghostwriting and editing dozens of books over the past twenty years, he is the author of Boosting Your Pet’s Self-Esteem, a humorous satire of the self-esteem craze published by MacMillan, and Flip Along Fun, an interactive, educational children’s flip book that received the internationally respected Mom’s Choice Award. From 1987 to 1999. Michael served on the staff of Trinity Presbyterian Church, a 1000-member PCA church in Charlottesville, VA. Prior to 1986, he held leadership positions in a variety of business corporations in the Boston area. Michael earned an MBA degree from Columbia Business School in New York City, where he was a Harriman Scholar, and an engineering degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Sarah Buell Dowling is an award-winning artist and illustrator. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, she continued her post-graduate studies at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts, and in private workshops with numerous nationally recognized artists. Recognition for Sarah’s art includes First Prize in Watermedia at the Biennale National Exhibition 2015 in Hilton Head, South Carolina, as well as various awards from the Georgia Watercolor Society, the Southern Watercolor Society, the Watercolor Society of Alabama, and other organizations. Sarah has illustrated three books and several children’s toys. One set of stacking blocks received the Toys of the Year award from Parenting Magazine; another was chosen as a Children’s Book of the Month Club Main Selection.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Crystal clear lessons…core gospel truths.”
– JIM DALY, president, Focus on the Family

“A charming, creative, timely, and timeless children’s book. May we parents and grandparents be intentional in modeling and passing down its truths to the next generation.”
– JOHN COULOMBE, pastor/leader, Legacy Coalition

“Engaging stories, godly content, and extremely beautiful illustrations! I’m confident it will become a modern-day classic.”
– ALEX MCFARLAND, author & evangelist, Truth for a New Generation Ministries

“Written with the whimsy of Aesop, these engaging fables in this marvelously illustrated book will challenge your family toward deeper thought. It will delight children and adults alike.”
– MARTY MACHOWSKI, Family Life Pastor, author of gospel-focused resources for church and home

“If there were ever a picture book for all ages—this is it!”
– CRYSTAL BOWMAN, best-selling, award-winning Christian author of 100+ books for children

Editorial Reviews

2019-08-13
Michael James Dowling steps out in the tradition of Aesop, using anthropomorphized animal characters to teach moral lessons within a Christian framework.

He opens with the titular tale, in which Frog begins to write a story only to find his letters leaping off the page in revolt. The letters must learn that their greatest success comes in doing what they were created to do. From the start the author shows himself wary of nonbiblical truth. After the moral of each tale is revealed he pointedly attacks self-help and Eastern philosophy and religion by quoting various writers, philosophers, and religious leaders of non-Christian traditions under the heading "Wisdom of the World," which is then contrasted with quotes from Scripture in a "Wisdom of the Word" rebuttal. Confusingly, some quotes used to represent "wordly" wisdom would seem to support the Scriptures referenced. Though the fables are generally well told, a few nonbiblical messages might be mistakenly communicated to those seeking the moral to be clear from the start. For instance, in the story of "Rabbit's Foxy Guest," early dialogue could easily lead readers to believe that the tale is a warning against being hospitable toward others rather than a warning against deception. Overall, the book is actively hostile to readers not already aligned with the creators' worldview.

A mixed bag of morality tales. (Fables. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews