One Little Match by Thomas S. Monson
Illustrated by Dan Burr
Book Description:
Thomas S. Monson loved spending summers at his family's cabin in Utah's Vivian Park. One summer day, he and his best friend, Danny, decided to clear a field so they could gather with their friends and have a campfire that night. The tall, stubborn weeds would not pull out easily. So Tommy had the idea to burn them up instead.
He knew he shouldn't use matches without permission from his parents. But he ignored the feeling that warned him of the danger and raided the matchbox in the cabin. Back in the field, he lit one little match and prepared to set the parched June grass abaze...
Readers of all ages will resonate with this wonderful true story that demonstrates the blessings of obedience and "the dangers that can come from something as small as one little match."
Review:
I was serving in the Primary (the children's organization in my church) in April of 2013. After General Conference that Spring I asked the children what they liked about the talks they heard. One of the older boys said he really liked the story President Monson told about how he lit a field on fire when he was a young boy. I love how the children were able to better relate to our prophet through this example. President Monson is an excellent story teller, and his story about obedience hit home with many conference listeners of all ages.
This story hasn't been far from my mind since then, and I was excited when I heard it was being released as a children's book.
When
One Little Match arrived in the mail, my first thought was that Dan Burr's illustrations were incredible! I loved all of the details he included. Younger children might not appreciate this as much as I did, but the old car and the clothing styles shown really added to the overall feel of the book.
The story is excellent for children. While I prefer the wording used in President Monson's conference message for myself,
One Little Match gives a little more insight about what "Tommy" enjoyed doing when he was young. It has a great message about the importance of obedience. His point that rules keep us safe, combined with his personal example of the danger that came when he didn't follow the rules is definitely one that kids can understand and will hopefully take to heart.
About the Author:
PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON has served as the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2008. He was called as an Apostle in 1963 at the age of thirty-six. After serving as second counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson and then President Howard W. Hunter, he served as first counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley from 1995 to 2008.
Thomas Spencer Monson was born to G. Spencer and Gladys Condie Monson on August 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City. Following his service in the U.S. Navy near the close of World War II, he graduated cum laude from the University of Utah and earned an MBA from Brigham Young University. He had a distinguished career in the publishing industry.
He served as president of the Canadian Mission from 1959 to 1962 and was a member of several general Church committees before becoming an Apostle.
He married Frances Beverly Johnson in the Salt Lake Temple in 1948. They are the parents of two sons and one daughter. They have eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
About the Illustrator:
DAN BURR earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from Utah State University and a master’s degree in illustration from Syracuse University. He and his wife, Patti, are raising their two children and numerous farm animals on twelve acres of river-bottom land in Tetonia, Idaho. Dan is a well-known Christian illustrator who also specializes in wildlife renderings. A few of the books Dan has illustrated are
The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes,
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and
The Mansion.
Title:
One Little Match
Author: Thomas S. Monson
Published: January 2014
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
ISBN: 978-1-60907-868-3
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review
Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book
