"Tuffy Turtle and J.R. Rabbit, two endearing puppet characters originally created by Joni McNamara for her puppet ministry, take us on a delightful and meaningful romp through the Old Testament. They help to make the Bible accessible not just to young readers, but also to parents and Youth Church leaders who will find great teaching allies in Tuffy and J.R. With whom will the young reader identify? Will it be the sweet, trusting, wise, and faith-driven Tuffy, or will the more rascally, questioning J.R. be the one to draw-in and speak to the child? In a world as divided as ours today, Joni McNamara’s gentle handling of opposing ideas reminds us of the value and strength of seeing both sides. Drawing upon her theological training, her world travels, and her marvelously creative puppet ministry, Joni McNamara has designed a character-driven path for exploration of age-old Bible stories to be shared by and across the generations. This book should be an often requested treasured main-stay in Youth Church Libraries and in the homes of Faith based and religion skeptical parents and grandparents all over the world."
Rose-Marie Browning, MA, MFCC
Marriage, Family and Child Counselor
“Children love Bible stories. These stories, written by Joni Lundin McNamara, captivate children’s interest as they follow the life and adventures of Jesus as seen thorough the eyes of Tuffy Turtle.The stories are skillfully written for children to read on their own or as read aloud. Vocabulary and story-line meets the standard for young children’s comprehension.”
Mary Peraro
Dr. of Education
Connecticut
“Bible Stories according to Tuffy Turtle” by Joni Lundin McNamara is a brilliant, highly creative work. Tuffy and the characters he meets in his romp through the Old Testament are just magnificent and highly inspirational. While at first blush, this opportunity to meet the Spiriturtlelus Family might appear to be written for inquiring children of all ages, there is a lot that can be learned and enjoyed by adults as well. Keep up your great work, Joni.”
Eric Jeffrey
San Diego, CA
“I highly recommend Joni for any church organization that is interested in a Puppet Ministry. She has excellent personal skills and it is very easy to see how dedicated she is to her work. She takes seriously the philosophy and purpose of a Puppet Ministry and this is evident in her work with the persons involved as well as the scripts, puppets, stages, props, etc. I have found working with Joni to be very rewarding and empowering. Her approach to this ministry has greatly enhanced our understanding and the effectiveness of our Puppet Ministry.”
B. Shaffer
Director of Christian Education
Maple Grove United Methodist Church
