Would life for a spunky meerkat pup be better with polar bear hair? Porcupine spines? A crocodile smile? As Jack the meerkat covets all the things his zoo friends have, he creates calamity and discovers contentment in this humorous tale celebrating God's perfect, purposeful design. Written by critically acclaimed author Denette Fretz and illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Jackie Urbanovic, this comical story of self-acceptance will have readers giggling through the pages.
PURPOSE: To recognize that each one of us is a miracle of God, wonderfully made and created with a special purpose and that our Heavenly Father delights in lavishing His love upon us! Praise God!
OPENING PRAYER AND GATHERING GAME: Zoo Charade
Open in prayer, then explain that in today’s story, we will be taking a trip to the zoo. First, have the children write down (on little scraps of paper) several animals you might find at the zoo. Put the slips of paper in a cup, then let each child pick a slip and then use pantomime to act out which animal they have. No speaking or sounds aloud. The children will have fun guessing and can cheer each other on.
INTRODUCE THE STORY: Introduce Denette Fretz’s I WANT YOUR SMILE, CROCODILE, by showing the book cover. Can they guess what is happening? Explain that Meerkat has a problem. He’s got a bad case of “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence” syndrome! Can they guess what that is? It means he thinks he would be happier if he had what others had, instead of what God gave him. Have they ever wished they had what someone else had? Did they think it would make them happier? What do they think God would say in this situation? Share and ponder together, then read the story.
FAITH-SPARKING CHAT TIME: After enjoying the story, use these questions to spark meaningful conversation.
1. Who does Jack remind us of? US!!
2. Who does the zookeeper remind us of? GOD!
3. Do we need reminders from our zookeeper, GOD, that we too are wonderfully made and created for a special purpose? YES!
4. And where can we find those reminders? IN THE BIBLE!
