Behind LOOK UP!: How Going to Mass with My Grandchildren Inspired a Book

With 13 grandchildren, I’ve had many opportunities to sit beside a little one at Mass.

There’s an age when children aren’t quite ready to follow the Mass, but they’re certainly ready to explore. They want to turn pages, look at pictures, or have a little activity to do. Sitting beside my grandchildren, I began finding small ways to connect that curiosity to what was happening around us.

I would point to something and ask them to find it in our church.

“Can you count the candles?”

“Who is making the music?”

“Look up! What is Father doing now?”

Those simple invitations gave us something to discover together. They also became the beginning of LOOK UP! at Mass with Louis and Lily.

I wanted to create a book that brings together the familiar appeal of an activity book and the opportunity to participate in the Mass. Something children could explore with their hands and eyes, then use as a starting point for noticing their own church.

In the book, an interactive activity page is followed by a related LOOK UP! page. Children begin by finding, pointing, counting, or following something with a finger. Then they’re invited to look up and make a connection with what is around them.

The candles on the page become candles they can find in their church. An activity about music leads them to listen and discover who is singing or playing. A picture gives them something to recognize when they look toward the altar.

Their hands begin the activity, and their curiosity carries it beyond the book.

It was also important to me that children could use the book in their own time. Anyone who has brought a young child to Mass knows that attention comes and goes. A child may be interested in a picture for a while, look around, sit quietly, and then want to return to the book.

LOOK UP! makes room for that. Children can open to a page whenever they want, return to a favorite activity, or notice something different the next Sunday. They don’t have to follow the pages in order or complete a lesson during Mass.

My hope is that these small discoveries help children grow in faith and understanding in a way that suits their age and attention span. Recognizing something, wondering about it, and connecting it to their own experience are meaningful beginnings.

This book grew out of being a grandmother sitting beside a child, sharing a quiet moment of discovery.

Now I hope it helps other parents and grandparents share those moments, too.

Read more about LOOK UP! at Mass with Louis and Lily and see how the book works.

For more ways to share faith with little ones at home, read about my Catholic Advent Activity Book for Children Ages 4–7. Its five themed sections pair coloring and a little prayer with activities for preparing for Christmas.

If you prefer to choose and print individual pages, explore Catholic Advent Activities to Print and Share at Home or in the Classroom, including ideas for using the sets and the permission to print for your household or one class or group you personally lead.

With blessings,
Sandra
Sandra Rose Designs