We are so excited to have Maria Oka join us today to share information about Religious Picture Books!
Maria Oka earned her MFA in writing for children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She’s studied picture books through SCBWI, VCFA, a lifetime of reading them, and ten years writing them. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and four daughters.
Most children have deep questions about life, death, and a higher power. Religious picture books can be a powerful, yet gentle way for children to explore these questions. Parents can share their faith or beliefs with children through spiritual or religious books, and children can peer into belief systems beyond their own, gaining further knowledge and empathy.
*Some religious picture books are wildly imaginative, but still touch on deep and abiding spiritual concepts. Examples:
DOG HEAVEN by Cynthia Rylant, where we see dogs in Dog Heaven running through fields,playing with angel children, and eating biscuits baked by God.
MR. AND MRS. GOD IN THE CREATION KITCHEN by Nancy Wood and Timothy Basil Ering, which shares a creative but accessible version of the creation of the earth, ending with Mr. and Mrs. God wondering how the creation of man will turn out.
*Other religious books are meant to share specific elements of a belief system in bite-sized ways that kids can really chew on. Examples:
WHERE’S BUDDHA? By Marisa Aragon Ware, a lyrical book that shows us that Buddha can be everywhere, in everything and all of us.
GOD GAVE US LOVE by Lisa Tawn Bergren and Laura J. Bryant, where Little Cub and Grandpa talk about love, where it comes from, the different ways we feel it, and that God’s love is always there.
*Others weave a beautiful story to share cultural elements or specific teachings of a religion. Examples:
DEEP IN THE SAHARA by Kelly Cunnane and Ho. Lalla wants a malafa, and goes on a journey of discovering what a malafa truly represents before she is ready for her own.
WHERE IS POPPY? by Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Dana Wulfekotte, which follows a girl on Passover night as she looks for signs of her beloved and deceased Poppy, ultimately learning that he is still there in all of them.
*Some share traditional folktales from a belief system in creative ways. Examples:
ZEN SHORTS by Jon J. Muth, which shows a kind panda teaching three siblings through Buddhist and Taoist stories, or short meditations.
THE TALE OF THE THREE TREES by Angela Elwell Hunt and Tim Jonke is a traditional folktale which shares the story of Jesus’s birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection through the perspective of three trees who, in the forms of an animal feedbox, a boat, and a cross, witness events of Jesus’ life firsthand.
Many children are deeply spiritual, and religious picture books should respect where they’re at by honoring their depth, and approaching these deep topics in kid-centric, simple ways. Good religious picture books invite a child in. They share beliefs, stories, concepts, or faith traditions in accessible ways. They can provide answers, encourage questions, and often leave the reader with a sense of peace or wonder.
There are many ways to write religious picture books, but a good way to start is to focus on a central question, theme, teaching, tale, or religious event…and build a story around it! Happy writing.