Could a blue-eyed, 10-legged caterpillar — whose voice sounds like Tim Conway and whose hobbies are long talks with God and meeting new bugs — be the answer to a prayer?
If you’re looking for a gift for a 3–8 year old that reinforces Christian values, then Hermie could be just that.
Through its adventures, the cast of characters known as Hermie & Friends, created by inspirational author Max Lucado, “strives to bring children closer to God and to teach them valuable life lessons through humor and honesty.” Many parents face the challenge of providing their children with entertainment in tune with their Christian values. Don’t despair — Hermie and other fun and educational options are available in books, interactive games, DVDs and music.
“Because children are growing up as digital natives, [technology] is not merely cool but is also a primary avenue of socialization and communication,” said Mary Manz Simon, a children’s Christian market analyst, speaker and award-winning author.
Intertwining books, Web
Despite the portability and increasing affordability of tech toys like the iPhone and iPod, Simon said “there’s nothing like settling in with a good book.”
When the choice is a book, she said general market publishers like Scholastic and Random House have “theologically accurate and very attractive Christian books.” And these are generally available at both Christian and general market bookstores.
The Association for Christian Retail puts The Beginner’s Bible, edited by Catherine DeVries, at the top of its September 2007 children’s books best-seller list. Rounding out the top 10 are The Jesus Storybook Bible; God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible; 100 Favorite Bible Stories, 100 Favorite Bible Songs; The Picture Bible;
Baby’s First Bible; VeggieTales Bible Storybook; “Sophie’s World;” “School’s Out” and Read With Me Bible.
A newcomer to the Christian book market is manga, a black-and-white-comic-style form of book.
“This format appeals because it fits into the tween and teen lifestyle — graphics tell the story,” Simon said.
Books and Web sites are often intertwined, as publishers know children are tech-savvy and often launch an accompanying Web site when a book is released, Simon said.
For example, Mission City Press, which just released a series of customizable dolls and corresponding books, offers a Web site, www.faithandfriends.com, designed for girls who have its dolls and books.
With a growing market of more than $4.6 billion in 2006 sales of Christian products, according to Religion News Service, savvy retailers don’t limit their shelves to books.
Zach Hudson, manager of LifeWay Christian Store at the Village at Lee Branch in Birmingham, has a long list of biblically based items for children, including daily devotionals; DVDs; Bible story books; computer, board or PlayStation2 games; and the new activities collection from Kid Concoctions.
According to Hudson, multimedia combinations are quite popular. VeggieTales offers its “LarryBoy and the Bad Apple” DVD with a LarryMobile toy car.
BOZ, the green bear next door, also offers products in a number of mediums.
“[BOZ the Bear] shares the message of God’s love for both child and family,” Hudson said. “My 2-year-old daughter loves it.”
Digital Praise’s and VeggieTales’ dance pads provide interactive family fun.
The Digital Praise dance pad features all genres of Christian music. “(It is) a form of exergaming, which has been embraced by physical education teachers as a popular way to integrate exercise into the lives of children,” Simon said.
With its motto, “Glorifying God Through Interactive Media,” Digital Praise has earned frequent recognition for its family friendly entertainment software with Parents’ Choice Awards and Editor’s Choice Awards from Children’s Technology Review.
Teaching them to filter
Ratings and reviews can be helpful, said Simon, who suggested two sites parents may find useful: www.pluggedinonline.com and www.mediawise.org.
But she cautioned, “Use them as a guide, not a bible. Although many parents purchase a variety of filters to prevent content from reaching their children, the most important filter is the internal, moral compass your child develops. As parents, we aren’t with our children when they play video games at a friend’s house or even when they watch a movie in school. However, we can give a child a clear sense of what’s right and wrong.”
Whichever the choice — DVD, book or software — nothing tops parental involvement.
“Watch and listen to media alongside your children,” Simon noted.
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