Rated "G" - Resources for Toddlers through age 8

Angel in the Waters

by Regina Doman

• Principle: Life begins at conception.

• Format: Picture book story in which baby talks to his guardian angel (46 pages)

• Recommended use: Read aloud to child in one sitting, and independent reading; give hard copy to toddler when his mom is expecting again.

• Order book from Sophia Institute Press: https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/angel-in-the-waters 

Horton Hears a Who

by Dr. Seuss

• Principle: A person’s a person no matter how small.

• Format 1: Picture book of an elephant defending the existence of hidden life to skeptical and antagonistic peers (60 pages)

• Format 2: Animated film rendition of the story from 1970, found on YouTube (25 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie-zLW_OGyk

• Recommended use: Read aloud to children 3 years old and up. Enjoy the film with your child or have them watch it independently.

• Order book from Amazon or other book-selling service:  Amazon.com:Horton-Hears-Who-Dr-Seuss

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

by Eric Carle

• Principle: Be who you are; living in accord with your biology is vital

• Format: Whimsical picture book exploring, “What if a chameleon could change more than its color?”

• Recommended use: Read aloud to toddlers.

• Order book from Amazon or other book-selling service: https://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Up-Chameleon-Board-Book/dp/0694011479/

Glory Stories: Volume IV The Gospel on Five Fingers

by Catholic World Mission

• Principle: God cares about every single human life.

• Format: Audio dramatization of the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (35 mintues)

• Recommended Use: Listen in the car with your children of all ages.

• Order CD from Holy Heroes:

https://holyheroes.com/products/glory-stories-cd-vol-4-st-teresa-of-calcutta-st-faustina-kowalska

Beloved Daughter

by Carrie Daunt

• Principle: You are a Child of God, chosen, loved, accepted, delightful etc.

• Format: Picture book featuring 1 attribute and scripture verse per double page with accompanying illustrations.

• Recommended use: Read aloud with toddlers. Give as gift to girls of all ages.

• Order book from Heart of the Holy Family Publishing: https://heartoftheholyfamilypublishing.com/books

The Emperor’s New Clothes

by Hans Christian Anderson

illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton

• Principle: Truth exists.

• Format: Picture book of a lad stating the obvious after deceivers fool his emperor

• Recommended use: Read aloud to 4-year olds and up.

• Order book from Amazon or other book-selling service:  https://www.amazon.com/Emperors-Clothes-Folk-Tale-Classics/dp/0544159527/ 

The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story

Illustrated by Sergio Cariello

• Principle: God creates, man falls, God redeems.

• Format: Hardback 832 pages. Comic-strip style text and illustrations.

• Recommended use: Read all the stories over time with children. To emphasize God’s love of newborns, read episodes “Baby in the Basket” about baby Moses based on Ex. 1:1 – 2:10 and “Flight in the Night” about baby Jesus based on Matthew 2:12-18. Give it as a First Communion gift and let children take their time looking through and reading it.

• Order book from Amazon or other book selling service:  https://www.amazon.com/The-Action-Bible/dp/083077744X

The Mitchells: Five for Victory

by Hilda Van Stockum

• Principle: Joy of childhood; the difference love can make in a person’s life; the children are selfless

• Format: Chapter book story, based on author’s life in DC, 1940s (236 pages)

• Recommended use: Read aloud to child chapter by chapter, and independent reading.

• Order book and sequels from Bethlehem Books:  https://bethlehembooks.com/series/mitchells-series

When You Became You

by Brooke Stanton and Christiane West

• Principle: You are a human being at every stage of life

• Format: Instructive children's picture book with whimsical and accurate illustrations

• Recommended use: Read aloud to children 5 and up, or once they have been introduced to science as an academic subject. Enjoy pointing to the illustrations and adding age-appropriate explanations. Give hard copy as a gift to young children or parents.

• Order book from Mascot Books via Contend Projects home page or under “The Science” tab: http://contendprojects.org

Philo and Sophie: Philosophy for Children by Healing the Culture

Principle: Some choices lead to happiness, some choices lead to unhappiness (Ethics); everyone has value (Justice); Truth exists, contradictions don’t make sense (Logic).

Format: 9 multimedia lessons: Video (10-14 min), Guided Conversation (10 min), Activity (12 min) ~ 40 min per lesson.

Recommended Use: Parent, grandparent or teacher read and follow prepping instructions (review words to know and print up activity pages). Enjoy the video, conversation, and follow-up activity with children 3-7 years old (Pre-K-2nd grade).

Register for free materials: www.philoandsophie.org 

The Wonders of God’s Creation - Human Life: Crown of Creation

By Moody Publishers

• Principle: All of nature is wonderful but human life is the pinnacle.

• Format: Narrated documentary with high quality footage (60 minutes)

• Recommended Use: View with child when child is ready for tastefully filmed hospital delivery room scene and purchase DVD for independent viewing.

• Watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBGZatl7GKk

• Order DVD from Moody Institute Website:  https://www.moodypublishers.com/the-wonders-of-gods-creation/

Precious One

By Heritage House

• Principle: Pregnancy = tiny baby in the womb of the mother

• Format: Pink rubber model of fetus aged 11 to 14 weeks

• Recommended Use: Offer to children during Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and when explaining pregnancy. Offer to older teens to hold for comfort.

• Order from Heritage House: 

https://www.pro.life/cat/FetalModels/814WeekModels/66

• Warning:  Shipping costs more than the item so a group purchase might be the wise choice. 

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: PornProofing Today’s Young Kids

By Kristen Jenson and Gail Poyner

Illustrated by Debbie Fox

• Principle: Recognition and rejection of pornography

• Format: A comfortable, read-aloud story about a mom and dad who teach their child what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it. Using easy-to-understand science and simple analogies, this ground-breaking book engages young kids to porn-proof their own brains (40 pages)

• Recommended Use: Read aloud before your child might be exposed to pornography.

• Buy book at www.defendyoungminds.org

The Birds and the Bees Online Course

by Mary Flo Ridley & Megan Michelson

• Principle: Parental privilege and duty to train one’s children in sexual beauty and boundaries

• Format: ten 3-13 minute videos plus a 40-page Discussion Guide. Topics include: Creating a family message about sex, using respectful vocabulary, the story of birth, protecting our kids from pornography, reproduction - seeds & eggs, explaining conception, practical ways to continue the conversation, and FAQ

• Recommended Use: Parents watch videos, read the Discussion Qs, and initiate and seize teachable moments.

• Purchase from https://birds-bees.com/

Beyond the Birds and the Bees

Chapter 8: Some Common Questions and Concerns

By Greg and Lisa Popcak

• Principle: Raising sexually pure children begins early and is possible and worth the effort; God’s plan for marriage; parental responsibility for gradual and prudent sex-ed

• Format: Catholic psychologists offer guidance and vocabulary to help parents communicate sexual morality in a perverse culture without scarring childhood innocence (275 pages)

• Recommended Use: Parents read together while children are pre-school age, but it’s never too late.

• Order book from Ascension Press: https://shop.ascensionpress.com/products/beyond-the-birds-and-the-bees-raising-sexually-whole-and-holy-kids

Helping Our children Navigate Gender Ideology: The Elementary Years

by Cana Vox

• Principle: All children have a mother and a father. Fathers and mothers love children differently

• Pedagogy: 1. Speak of moral issues in natural law terms, 2. Establish the habit of having private talks with children, and 3. Speak age appropriately.

• Format: 25-minute video by Dr. Samuel presenting principles, scenarios, and sample conversations

• Recommended Use: “Better a year too early than 5 minutes too late” (CanaVox) All parents watch video and seize teachable moments.

• View video at https://canavox.com/videos/helping-our-children-navigate-gender-ideology-the-elementary-yearsmature/

Walking with Jesus: The Rosary Prayers in Song

By “Brother Francis”

• Principle: The rosary-inspired songs allow children to praise God even before they know how to pray the Rosary.

• Format: Audio with prayers of the Rosary set to music and a meditation for each set of mysteries (40 minutes)

• Recommended Use: Not a CD for praying the Rosary per se, but for listening in the car or during “quiet” playtime at home

• Listen or Download on Amazon Music at https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Jesus-Rosary-Prayers-Song/dp/B00BI75UPO

• Listen on FORMED.org at https://watch.formed.org/walking-with-jesus-the-rosary-prayers-in-song

Brother Francis - The Rosary: A Special Way to Pray

By “Brother Francis”

• Principle: The Rosary is a captivating way to help children use their hearts and minds in prayer

• Format: Fun animated introduction to why and how we pray the Rosary (25 minutes)

• Recommended Use: Useful for teaching young children age 5 to 10 before expecting them to pray the whole rosary.

• Order DVD on Prime Video at bit.ly/BrotherFrancisRosary

• Watch on FORMED.org at https://watch.formed.org/videos/the-rosary-a-special-way-to-pray

The Joyful Mysteries: The Rosary for Little Children

By Vision Video

• Principle: Jesus grew from conception to age 12; Pregnancy is exciting and scary and it’s good to help pregnant moms

• Format: Interactive sing-a-long with simple filming techniques blending sacred art images with footage of children playing and praying

• Recommended Use: Play video while toddlers to preteens tidy rooms, fold laundry, etc.

• Order DVD or Watch on Prime Video at www.amazon.com/Rosary-for-Little-Children/dp/B000AXFST0

• Warning: The dated attire and low quality video might be a turn off for children accustomed to current trends in technology.

Rosary Coloring Pages

By TheCatholicKid.com

• Format: Individual coloring pages for each of the mysteries.

• Recommended Use: Download and print for children to color during family rosary time.

• Download the PDFs:

http://www.thecatholickid.com/category/catholic-coloring-pages/rosary-coloring-pages/