If Jesus Came to My House

by Joan G. Thomas

Overview

“Thomas’s rhyming reflection on the place Jesus has in a young boy’s life still provides inspiration and comfort to today’s readers.” —School Library Journal

A classic for over half a century, If Jesus Came to My House is a tender tale of how a young boy realizes that he can welcome Jesus into his life by helping all people both young and old. This rhymed reflection provides refreshing insight on how we all can learn to be respectful, courteous, giving, and loving toward others.

The original two-color illustrations by Henri Sorensen bring the simple inspirational message of this story to life. For generations to come, parents and children will find inspiration in Joan Gale Thomas’s classic book time and time again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635617511
Publisher:	Echo Point Books
Publication date:	12/15/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	315
Sales rank:	651,516
File size:	613 KB
Age Range:	1 - 11 Years

About the Author

Joan G. Thomas was an author and illustrator of several books, including The Christmas Angel and A Stands For Angel: A Book of the Alphabet in Picture and Rhyme. Lori McElrath-Eslick is the award-winning illustrator of such books as DA Wei's Treasure: A Chinese Tale by Margaret and Raymond Chang; Does God Know How to Tie Shoes? by Nancy White Carlstrom; and Read For Me, Mama by Vashanti Rahaman. Lori lives with her family in a small town in Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2

First published in 1951 and newly illustrated, Thomas's rhyming reflection on the place Jesus has in a young boy's life still provides inspiration and comfort to today's readers. The nameless narrator imagines greeting Jesus, a child "about the age that I am/and about the height of me," at his front door. He describes how he would make Jesus feel at home, giving him a "comfy seat," making him tea, and sharing his toys. The lad realizes that Jesus will never come to visit, but comforts himself with the prospect of going to church to pray, sing, and worship. He takes to heart the timeless mandate from the Gospel of Matthew to do for the least of Jesus's brothers what you would do for him. Painted in glowing jewel tones, McElrath-Eslick's luminous portraits mirror the old-fashioned charm of the text. She depicts Jesus as an appealing barefoot boy dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and in the latter half of the book portrays the young narrator offering a cup of tea to a friend, giving his toys to less fortunate children, and taking a bouquet to an elderly woman. The idyllic landscapes further emphasize the gentle message of the lilting text. Pair this fine addition to religion collections with August Gold's Where Does God Live? (Sky Light Paths, 2001).-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA

School Library Journal