Mr. Pipes: And Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation

This story begins in the book "Mr. Pipes and the British Hymnmakers". In that book, Annie and Drew meet Mr. Pipes during a summer in England, and through him, they come to know about many hymn writers. They learn the hymns and discuss poetry, the meaning of the words, and the lives of the writers. Annie and Drew believe on the Lord Jesus, and then returned to the States with their mother at the end of the summer. In this book, it is the next summer. Mr. Pipes has invited the children to tour Europe with him, and they are delighted to go. There are more hymn stories, of course, and the hymns with music are included at the end of each chapter. As the title states, the hymns are from the Reformation era, and they contain signs of the spiritual upheaval of the time. Mr. Pipes also points out interesting facts about the places they visit, which adds the interest of culture and European landmarks. Their trip takes them to from England to France, Germany and Switzerland, although most of the book occurs in Germany. Annie and Drew were impressed with the character of the German hymns: martial with gentleness and tenderness. Mr. Pipes told them of some of the persecutions the people endured, and they could see it reflected in the hymns. From battling their tempers to outwitting a spy, the children learn character, history and doctrine from Mr. Pipes with plenty of apt humor thrown in. Annie and Drew return to the States knowing more history, and with a deeper love for and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I enjoyed this book so much. I think every Christian family should have this series, as the history of the hymns and hymn writers will draw the reader closer to Christ. Especially in this book, the hymns speak much of the preciousness of the person of the Lord. These books would also make great gifts for children from non-Christian families. Mr. Pipes is not preachy, and never pushes his strong beliefs on the children, although he never misses an opportunity to explain anything they ask about! Own this set of books!