When I think of the Book of Ecclesiastes I often think of seasons; to everything, there is a season. I also think of Solomon, wisely telling, that “all is vanity.” There is nothing new under the sun. We need only to fear the Lord and keep His commands. For sharing this book with our children though, we need something different. In Sir Lived Alot and The Times of Sir Lived Alot, Zoe Carter seeks to share with our children the value found within the pages of this book.

Author Zoe Carter lives in Edinburgh Scotland; her website is a resource of crafts and instructional aids for teaching the Bible to young children. She is both writer and illustrator of the books that compose the Wise Owl’s Library. Through the books and crafts on her website, she hopes to help children learn in a way that is both creative and engaging, all that the Bible teaches.

Sir Lived Alot has everything anyone could ever want. Yet he is terribly unhappy. How could this be? In a simple story, with the most adorable illustrations, we learn about the life of Sir Lived Alot. He went all over the world; he bought and ate and danced and slept. Yet no matter what he did, he was unable to be happy. His name became Sir Lived Alot because he had seen it all. He was old now. When he was invited to have tea with the King, he was given a book, and he saw inside how joy comes from being close to the King. What a powerful little lesson to learn; the joy of the Lord is our strength. Our satisfaction is in the King alone.

In the Times of Sir Lived Alot, we read about the seasons in our life. We will not always be happy; with great analogies, we see how things in life will always be changing. From planting and harvesting to birth and death, there is a time for all things. We will laugh and we will cry; if we trust in the King, we can know that he makes all things beautiful in his time. We are reminded of how the King wants to share whatever we are going through. The joy comes when we are in the company of the King.

I read both stories aloud to my children who are three, seven and nine. My oldest, who is thirteen, aspires to write and illustrate stories to teach the Bible so he was inspired and encouraged to see both the simplicity of the story and the colorful and simple illustrations on every page.

These books are a fun and simple way to encourage our young ones early on to begin to see the things that matter most. The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it also reminds us that when we find knowledge and understanding, we have found true joy. What a good lesson, and reminder, for our children to learn early on.

-Product review by Jennifer King, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May 2019