Mr. Pipes Comes to America

by Douglas Bond
Available from Amazon
*****

The third in the Mr. Pipes series can only improve upon the first two. Mr. Pipes travels to New England with Dr. Dudley to see a few historic sites with Drew and Annie before heading to the west coast to spend Christmas with their parents. The humor that amused the readers in the first two books hasn’t disappeared, nor has Dr. Dudley’s disdain for things not British or his overbearing concern for Mr. Pipes’ health. The storyline is just as charming, and children will read it for the mere pleasure of it.

However, the main ideas that are constantly reinforced are Godly behavior, understanding and sharing the Bible, contrasting good hymnody and shallow songs, appropriate music, poetry, great men of faith, and doctrine. Mr. Pipes teaches an excellent course on great Church hymnody effortlessly and very enjoyably to all readers. Highly to be recommended!

Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation

by Douglas Bond
Available from Amazon
*****
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!

Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers

Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers by Douglas Bond
*****
Annie and Drew are “stuck” in Olney, England for the summer. Their mother brought them over, and leaves them pretty much to their selves except on the weekends. Everything in Olney is old, even most of the people, and the children are sure they are in for a boring summer. One of Drew’s consolations is his CD player, which is constantly playing. One day they meet Mr. Pipes, so called because he is the old church organist, and whom they find to be a great storyteller.

In each chapter, he tells a short and appealing biography of many of the hymn writers from Britain. As he teaches the children to fish or row his boat, the Toplady, he tells of the childhoods and interesting facts of the hymn writers. Mr. Pipes goes on to recite or sing some of their hymns, and tells why he appreciates them. In Olney, he shows them places in the lives of John Newton and William Cowper, and in the last chapter, they take a trip down the river Ouse to Bedford, and hear of John Bunyan.

The children become interested in Mr. Pipes stories, and an affection grows between them. On one of the excursions with Mr. Pipes, Drew leaves his CD player somewhere, while he was listening to Mr. Pipes deploring modern music and praising these hymns of old. As Annie and Drew hear of God and learn the hymns (which their mother terms dirges), they see their sins and their need for God. They begin to desire a relationship with the Lord, and to serve Him in their lives. When they fly back to America, they will miss Olney, Mr. Pipes, and their other new friends, but they take with them their new knowledge and understanding of God.

I enjoyed this book, in which I learned new things about many of the hymn writers. It was very interesting, with just enough story and plot blended into the biographies to keep the reader’s interest, even for young children who might be anxious to know what happened next to the children and Mr. Pipes. I think the book (the first in a series of four) would be excellent read aloud to a family, with young children along with more mature ones enjoying the whole journey. At the end of each chapter, the lyrics and music for several of the hymns mentioned are included. This was helpful to me, because I had memorized all the verses included in the hymnbook to several of the hymns, and I was delighted to find more wonderful verses to them.