His Treasure Seekers

When I was offered the chance to review a literature guide from Progeny Press, I didn’t know much about the company.  The list of available titles included many of my favorite children’s books, however, so I figured they were a company with which I should get acquainted.  I decided that Ian would probably enjoy Frog and Toad Together by Arthur Lobel (a Newbery Honor book), so we printed out the downloadable e- guide and got started.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the experience ended up being an absolute delight.

Progeny Press puts out study guides to go along with children’s literature for students ranging from lower elementary though high school.  In addition to exposing children to wonderful books, what makes these studies particularly worthwhile is their uniquely Christian perspective.  I remember enjoying the Frog and Toad books as a child, so I looked forward to sharing them with Ian.  When we first read through some of the books in the series, it didn’t occur to me to go any deeper than the simple meaning of each story.  However, this study guide turned a classic children’s storybook into a chance for Ian and I to spend time digging in the Bible together for God’s eternal truths regarding things we face in everyday life.  As we read through the simple stories in Frog and Toad Together, we experienced them on a deeper level as we looked at what the Bible has to say about the theme of each story.

What’s in the Study Guide

The first few pages of the guide include a note to the instructor about how to use it, followed by a brief synopsis and a page about the author.  Then the study begins with a section of “Before-you-read Activities,” which consists of a discussion about friendship and what the Bible says about it.  Then it goes through the book chapter by chapter.

We went through a story at a time, first reading the chapter and then spending a day or two going through the study guide for that story.

I won’t go through the entire book, but each chapter had some valuable lessons.  I loved the way we were pointed back to the Bible with each one.  We spent time looking at Scriptures on things like letting God direct our steps, how He cares for us, how to handle temptation, trusting God when we are afraid, and considering others above ourselves.

In addition to Bible study and thought-provoking questions, there were also suggestions for fun projects like planting seeds, baking cookies, and singing songs to memorize related Bible verses.

At the end of the study there were pages to extend the lessons more with extras like creating a Venn diagram comparing the characters Frog and Toad with real frogs and toads and a word search.  There were also suggestions of other books to read, either by the same author or about similar subjects.

The Frog and Toad Together Study Guide is intended for children in grades K-2 and is available as a printed workbook, or digitally as a download or on CD.  (All formats are sold for $11.99.)  Much of the guide consists of questions with space to write down the answers, but I didn’t want Ian to be limited by his fine motor skills, so I let him tell me his answers and then I would write them down.

Both Ian and I really enjoyed going through this study together. He liked it so much he kept telling me to get the study guide for some of his friends in our homeschool group so they could do it too.  I definitely plan to purchase more of the study guides to use with other books we will be reading in the future.

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