Tree Rat and the Chautauqua is now available on Amazon in ebook and paperback. This funny, story-shaped resource gives families, churches, Sunday school teachers, and children’s ministry leaders a natural way to talk with elementary students about the foundations of the Rescue Gospel.
Get Tree Rat and the Chautauqua on Amazon
A story children can follow
Timmy, a black tuxedo cat, tells Teddy about the old days in the yard—including Tree Rat, a squirrel who improves every story he tells, and a bit of real Rockville, Indiana history. The Chautauqua becomes a doorway to ask what good news Billy Sunday preached.
Through humor, animal characters, and a gentle story about rescue, children encounter four simple movements:
- Created: God made the world and made people to know him.
- Broken: Sin separates us from God, and we cannot fix that by trying harder.
- Rescued: Jesus lived without sin, died for our sins, and rose from the dead.
- Respond: We receive God’s rescue by turning from sin and trusting Jesus.
A bridge to gospel conversation
Children already understand what it means to be lost, stuck, or unable to solve a problem alone. Tree Rat and the Chautauqua uses that familiar idea to help them see that salvation is not a prize for being good enough. Jesus rescues sinners by grace, and we respond by trusting him.
The book works well as a family read-aloud, a Sunday school or children’s church selection, a gift after a gospel lesson, or a conversation starter in a classroom or homeschool group. The closing questions help children talk about the story, Timmy’s rescue, and the difference between receiving a gift and earning a reward.
Pair the book with Rescue Gospel resources
For a fuller teaching plan, pair the story with MinistryPlace resources built to help adults share the gospel clearly and without pressure or false assurance.
Explore the Rescue Gospel resources at MinistryPlace
Children’s ministry leaders can also begin with the Rescue Gospel Framework for Children, then use the book’s questions to give elementary students room to listen, think, and ask honest questions.
Get the book
Purchase Tree Rat and the Chautauqua on Amazon in ebook or paperback. It is a story first—full of humor, memory, and a squirrel whose historical details should be checked—but it can also become a simple, memorable way to help elementary students hear the foundations of the Rescue Gospel.
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Learn more about the book: Tree Rat and the Chautauqua — how to use it in Sunday school, children’s church, and family read-alouds. Pair it with Rescue Gospel resources.