Making Heart-Bread

by Matthew Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, Dennis Linn

Heart-bread is made from memories of love. It never gets used up, and the more you let heart-bread feed you, the more you have. Children can make heart-bread every night by asking themselves two "What was my favorite time today?" "What was my least favorite time today?" This process, so simple that even two-year-olds enjoy it, encourages children to take in nourishment from the day's grateful memories and heal painful memories. In a world where our children are bombarded with messages telling them what they must have in order to be happy, here is a way we can help them know from within what will bring them genuine and lasting happiness. Includes a section for parents and caregivers who want to help children make heart-bread every night by taking in love from nourishing moments and healing the moments that took life away. Second in a series for children by the Linns, this is an adaptation of their best-selling book for adults, Sleeping with Holding What Gives You Life. †

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Laura Kisthardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with children at church. This would be a very good book to read with children who are hearing the news about the war in Ukraine and feeling anxious. The book is from the perspective of a young child talking with her grandma. And the grandma tells the child about her experience living through war when she was young. I did a bit of adlibbing for some of the lines because I was reading to very young children. Also the ending was VERY ABRUPT. I thought I was missing a page or something.

[D.J. Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of the Linns' books that I read back in 2018 but did not review. This one IS a children's book, and while one reader thought it too choppy to read to children, I didn't get that feeling at all. But, I might have been thinking that an adult would be reading it to a child and could give any clarifications that would be needed. I re-read the book again today (it's that short), and I love it. I can see me using it with parents to help them with their children, but I also think it will help with some adult interactions as well.

[Terra · Rating 2 out of 5]

A grandmother teaches her granddaughter to be pay attention to tummy bread (physical provision) and heart bread (love and kind and affection). This form of the examen envisions caregivers adding the practice to bedtime and describes the process of settling physically and then reflecting on all the their favorite times from the day and then least favorite times, caring for each.

The story is helpful for adults but seems it would be confusing to read it to a child as the text is a bit choppy and the ending abrupt. However, the illustrations are diverse and the initial story is engaging. It might work to read that part and then skim the rest, focusing on practicing what is illustrated.

[Monica]

St. Ignatius examen for children.

[JOANNE MACPEEK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story for children and adults...taking in gratitude...for all that is and all that isn't.