Twelve Stories You and Your Children Need to Know: Finding Hope for a New Generation in the Biblical Story

A.J. Pell is the rector of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Diocese of New
Westminster, British Columbia.

In the first short paragraph of the preface, William Hockin makes clear
that Twelve Stories is for parents, not children, to help the adults
learn how to convey the important stories of the Bible, so that the core
truths within them can be made understandable to today’s youngsters.
So, he identifies 12 key stories from both Old and New Testaments and
draws out the meanings and values communicated by them.

As a book for adults, this is a good work. Hockin writes in a
meditative style that provides contemporary images to illuminate
meanings. The reflections on each story conclude with a prayer. Many
adults, with or without children, would find these gentle chapters
useful for personal reflection.

But as a book to help adults learn to convey key spiritual truths to
children, this volume is of far less value. The ideas, images, and style
are far removed from the world of contemporary children. In this, Hockin
is little different from most adults today. Thus, it is doubtful that
many of his readers will have the patience and the imagination to
effectively translate Hockin’s adult concepts into ideas that children
can grasp.