Must a story have happened to be true? It’s a question faced by adults and children alike, says Dr. Laura Alary, who made it the subject of a newly-published children’s book aptly entitled, Is That Story True?
“I believe it’s good to begin conversations about truth and meaning with children, because they are still so open to the power of stories to affect them in deep and real ways,” said the theologically-educated mother of three.
As a student and teacher of the Bible, Alary found herself mediating heated discussions about whether or not something in scripture – such as the creation story in Genesis – happened historically. The experience formed the basis for her book’s simple narrative, in which a girl named Maggie reads stories with her mother and asks if each is true. But she discovers that stories can be true in more than a literal sense.
Alary is a member of Guildwood Community in Scarborough, Ont., where her husband, Rev. Hugh Donnelly serves as minister.
Is That Story True? is available through the WMS Book Room or the website of Wood Lake Publishing, woodlakebooks.com. – C.Purvis
