Some new children's books

New Growth Press has sent through some of their new releases - all fun offerings for families to enjoy. 

My First 123 Book of Bible Numbers, Jonathon Gibson 

This is a colourful, fun book for little ones to engage with numbers and Bible stories. It introduces numbers 1-12 and 100, linking them to bible facts and including extra items to search for while counting. Illustrations by Mike Mullan are bright and clear. While there might have been other ways to use the numbers (eg Jesus appearing to the 11 disciples, rather than 11 being the number of stars in Joseph’s dream), all are accurate examples of how numbers are used in the bible. A cute little book for those who are learning to count.

A Wonderful Surprise, Sally Michael

This is well-timed for those looking for an Easter book in the next few weeks. Anchored around Luke 19:38a (Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord), Michael tells the story of Jesus' final week, from his arrival in Jerusalem to his resurrection (and then ascension). It's a clever and engaging way of teaching children that Jesus is indeed the King who came and who will come again. Soft, colourful, and detailed illustrations by Sengsavane Chounramany will delight many. 

At the end, there are two double pages of instructions and recommendations for parents /guardians. I increasingly find these prompts in children's books rather condescending to parents. Yet, some may find them helpful. However, the story is a lovely addition to the series, three of which I reviewed previously. 

Coop Learns He Can, Sarah Reju

This is the third book in the Wheelies series about Coop, the youngest car in a family of seven. Sarah Reju has created a fun world of cars and trucks, all with different skills and personalities. Coop has been told he is fearfully and wonderfully made, but he's not quite sure how that can be when he feels unable to keep up with his sister. Yet, it turns out that his ability to zip around and fit through small spaces is exactly what she needs when she gets into trouble. Tania Rex's colourful illustrations show a fun world and expressive faces on the cars. 

Ecopies of all of these were received in exchange for an honest review.  

How Can I Feel Closer to God?

How Can I Feel Closer to God?, Chris Morphew (The Good Book Company, 2023)

This has always been the ache of the human heart, that God feels far away when we want him to be close:

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Ps 10:1)

O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me! (Ps 71:12)

The quick, snappy reply has often been, “If God feels far away, who moved?”, suggesting that any distance we feel from God is more about us, than him. While there is truth in this, it’s also a cognitive response that doesn’t fully address the heart issue. Thankfully, Sydney-based chaplain Chris Morphew has taken the time to provide tweens with a fuller answer. He addresses the longing many of us experience when we have chosen to follow Jesus: “believing he loves you is one thing. Actually feeling that love is something else” (7-8).

Apprentice to Jesus

In How Can I Feel Closer to God?, Morphew begins with a framework of faith—if you want to feel closer to God, you have to be friends with him first. Thankfully, Jesus has done everything we need to enable us to be friends with God: “Jesus invites us into deep, life-changing friendship with him, right here, right now, today” (18). We are to be an “apprentice”—someone who learns from Jesus how to live and be friends with God. This terminology is helpful for tweens, because disciple is no longer common vernacular, and being a follower is more associated with social media.

Morphew’s message is that the key to feeling close to God is to intentionally and diligently invest in our relationship with him though prayer, Bible reading, and meeting with God’s people. Many find this hard—it can feel awkward because we are out of practice, or we struggle with busyness and distraction. I’m not certain that busyness is one of the biggest struggles for tweens preventing them spending time with God. I wonder whether it could also be a lack of confidence, uncertainty of its value, and a general disinterest in things that take thoughtful time. However, whatever the reason, Morphew assures: “if feeling close to God doesn’t come easily to you, it’s important to realise that’s completely normal” (28).

Pray, Read, Meet

These struggles are indeed normal, yet we still want to feel closer to God. So, what does Morphew suggest it might look like for tweens to invest in their relationship with him?

1. Take 10 minutes a day to be still and thank God—for anything and everything. He encourages a daily habit of prayer, using the Lord’s prayer as a guide, and explains what it means to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). “God isn’t inviting us to pray instead of living the rest of our lives. He’s inviting us to pray as we live the rest of our lives.” (46). We can talk to him throughout the day, with a simple please, sorry or thank you. Writing prayers down also helps us to see God at work over time.

2. Regular Bible reading is essential: “As apprentices of Jesus, getting to know the Bible inside and out is one of the most important, most valuable ways we can grow closer to God.” (52). The advice is obvious, yet still important for shaping young believers: read a book not random verses, write about what you learn, and talk about it with others.

3. Be part of Christian community: “If you want to feel closer to God, you need to stay connected to his people” (63). I love his encouragement here for hesitant youth to “go all in”. Sing aloud, join in prayer, follow along in the Bible, get to know people, and generally be involved. When many young people prefer to hang back to see if others will go first and no-one wants to stick their neck out, this is excellent advice. (He notes he could also have written a whole chapter on how music can help us feel closer to God. Part of me wishes he had, but his brief comments still point readers in that direction.)

The whole book is written assuming hesitation and uncertainty—I want to feel close to God, but what can I do about it? I like the way Morphew addresses questions honestly (How much time will it take? But what if I find it boring?), but also with an element of challenge. Yes, it will take time and, in fact, God wants your whole life, not just bits of it. If you find it boring, perhaps you haven’t gone all in.

Feelings Aren’t Everything

But there’s one more key answer Morphew gives: it’s not all about how we feel.

Considering the title of the book, this is a crucial point to end on. Some days we will feel incredibly close to God—loved by him and connected to him. Yet, there will also be times that he feels distant, no matter how much time we might spend in his Word, in prayer, or with his people. Feelings absolutely matter—we want to pay attention to them and have language to express them. But at the same time, feelings aren’t always true.

Your feelings are your mind’s and your body’s responses to what’s happening in your life. Sometimes those feelings match up with how things really are, and sometimes they don’t. (83)

It’s critical for young people (and all of us) to grasp this—we need to balance a healthy awareness of our feelings, with a scepticism of their accuracy.


Morphew’s style is so winsome for this upper-primary age. Direct, age-appropriate, fun, and no condescension. Just like a normal conversation with a younger person. Emma Randall’s minimal illustrations add variety and interest, and there’s Bible references throughout (though I wonder how many young people are likely to look them up – perhaps including some more in full text would have been a good idea).

The whole series is one that many tweens (and their parents) will want on their bookshelves. The six books cover numerous topics, answering questions about faith, suffering, and our identity in Christ. If you have tweens in your life—these books address the questions they are asking. if they long to feel closer to God, share your own experiences, and give them this book to help guide them along the way.


This was first posted on TGCA.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

The Really Radical Book for Kids

 The Really Radical Book for Kids, Champ Thornton (New Growth Press, 2023)

This is a very welcome sequel to Thornton's first The Radical Book for Kids. Many of the comments I wrote for that review are relevant here, so I'll repeat some of them for those who didn't see it then, or have forgotten about it - or, now have kids in their life in this category and now it seems more relevant!

Let's say you want to give the child in your life a Christian book. But what? They’ve got all the good kids bibles, or have grown out of them. They’ve read (or aren’t interested in) biographies for their age group. They’ve exhausted the kids fiction section (or the ones you think are ok), dabbled in some church history, and tried some apologetics. What next?

This new offering by Champ Thornton, may just be what you are looking for. The Really Radical Book for Kids: More Truth, More Fun doesn’t fit any clear category – and as such, it hits a whole lot of them. Overall subject themes include:

• exploring parts of the bible (e.g., Proverbs & Romans)
• historical people of faith. (e.g., Eric Liddell, Hannah More) 
• faith questions (e.g., How does prayer work? Why go to church?)
• living faithfully (e.g., speech, how to become a Christian)
• life skills & info (e.g., how to deal with parents)
• fun jokes & silly stuff (e.g., how to make a secret code)

Thornton presents biblical material and matters of faith in a fun, different and digestible way for kids. The approach is based around topics and questions. It will be great for for children who know their bibles well, but may not have linked it together thematically; and it will also appeal to those who want more facts and details about the bible accounts, enabling further explanation and a different angle of understanding. 

The 41 chapters are all mixed up, keeping readers interested as to what might come next. It’s marketed at children aged 8-14, and I think many will enjoy it and return to re-read sections. The colourful illustrations, diagrams, maps and charts are engaging and assist the reader in their understanding. It’s also beautifully produced, with highly quality printing and a great embossed cover. Kids will be drawn in with language that is appropriate to their lives, but doesn’t dumb things down. The challenges of life are recognised. The questions that we all ask are openly acknowledged. Simplistic answers aren’t given, but the reader is given the truth from the words of God. 

Add The Really Radical Books for Kids to your gift list and the kids in your life will learn a lot about the bible, find explanations for questions they didn’t know they had, and they'll surprise you with some fun facts along the way too.

I was given an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

His Grace is Enough

His Grace is Enough, Melissa Kruger

I loved reading rhyming books to my children. We have fond memories of time spent curled up on the couch, or before bedtime, enjoying the clever ways that authors made words fit together.

Rhyming picture books were the first books my children could ‘read’ back to us, having memorised the lilt of the familiar sounds and how they fit together. Our shelves still groan under the weight of favourites, whose words are easily recalled years later. I think of Goodnight Moon, The Little Yellow Digger, My Friend Bear and There’s a House Inside My Mummy to name but a few.

If I had still young children, this charming new picture book by Melissa Kruger would also make it to the favourites section, especially because rather than teaching about animals or machinery, it teaches little ones about God’s generous gift of grace.

His Grace is Enough starts with children hiding because they know they have done something wrong, but the mum says:

I’ve got something important
To tell you today
It’s TRUE and it’s HOPEFUL
And helps guide your way

God’s grace is enough
It’s so BIG and so FREE
His grace is enough
Both for YOU and for ME.

Kruger explains the message of sin and grace in an accessible and engaging way for young children. So, whether you make mistakes, or tell lies, or are mean to people, God knows and he offers grace. If you try to make it all better and do everything right, God still knows your heart and that you need grace.

Here’s how it works:
Jesus died on the cross
WE gain new life
Because HE suffered loss

Though we don’t deserve it
Our God is SO KIND
That’s grace pure and simple
The BEST thing to find

The repetition of God’s grace being big and free is likely to stick in little minds and become something families say together. The message is spot on, helping little ones begin to grasp God’s grace which saves freely yet also calls for change.

Indeed these are the truths proclaimed by Paul to the Ephesians:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:4-9)

For parents and carers who are reading aloud, this fresh reminder of God’s grace might just be the balm we need as well. We also sin. We make mistakes, we hurt people, and we try to make it on our own. Just like the children around us, we need to be reminded God’s grace is freely given and his mercies are new every morning. Indeed, many of us already know the refreshment offered by God’s truths through well-crafted rhyme:

Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Isobel Lundie has shown her considerable illustrative skill, bringing to life fun, dynamic kids and adults of numerous cultures and various situations. For me, there were echoes of the wonderfully detailed Richard Scarry books I grew up on. The words are crucial to a picture book, but it’s the illustrations that sell it, and these certainly do that.

I’m excited to see that Kruger and Lundie they have another collaboration coming out later this year (Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know). It’s a treat to have wonderful Christian resources to share with the little ones in our lives.

This review was first published on TCGA last month. 

Who am I and why do I matter?

Who Am I and Why Do I Matter? Chris Morphew (Good Book Company, 2022)

If you spend time with nine-to-thirteen-year-olds, you know they are asking big questions. Sure, they may not actually verbalise them—but there is a lot they are thinking about: Am I loved? Do I matter? Who can I trust? Does the world make sense?

Although, let’s be honest, these are questions we all ask. That’s why Chris Morphew’s Who Am I and Why Do I Matter? is so helpful.

Morphew dives right in, acknowledging his readers have valid queries and important things to ponder. While aimed at tweens, this could also be appealing to older teenagers, and helpful for parents and youth group leaders. I certainly appreciated it.

He begins by considering the usual ways people try to answer these questions:

• Perhaps I matter because of what I have, or how I look, or what I do;
• Maybe I just need to be true to myself and do what makes me happy; or
• I should just listen to what others say about me.

Without being remotely condescending, he then clearly exposes the faults in each of these myths. The reader is led to wonder where they might go for answers:

[W]hat we really need is something bigger than ourselves, bigger than people, to lead us and guide us. Which brings us to God. (38)

From here, Morphew winsomely explains the gospel message—God loves us personally:

God doesn’t just say people matter.
He says you matter.

God doesn’t just love people.
He loves you.

God doesn’t just invite people into his incredible, glorious purpose and plan for the world.
He invites you.” (49)

Whether we think we’re pretty good, or we despair at the ways we mess up, Jesus came to die for us: “Without Jesus, everyone is lost. But with Jesus, anyone can be found.” (58)

Morphew explicitly names the challenges young people face today and provides the clear solution in Jesus:

The world is full of voices telling you who you are, and who you should be.
Voices telling you that you don’t measure up.
Voices telling you that you need to prove yourself.
Voices telling you that if you just buy this new thing, or have this new experience, or … maybe then it will all make sense, and you can finally be that happy, fulfilled self that the world keeps promising you.

And it’s exhausting, right?
And, more than that, it’s a lie.

But the incredible news is that Jesus offers you a better way. (65-66)

The remainder of the book considers what it looks like practically to believe in Jesus, to trust him, and to let him shape you. Morphew discusses forming good habits, reading God’s word, and resting. As he does so, Morphew manages to balance honesty with humour, and challenging words with comforting truths. Rather than talking down to his audience, he openly addresses questions, and is frank about some of the challenges of following Jesus. He has a clear desire for his reader to know Jesus—to grasp they have purpose and value because they are loved and precious to him. Readers will sense he actually cares.

Morphew is an Australian author and chaplain, and clearly understands tweens. Perhaps an extra drawcard for younger readers is Morphew authored some of the Zac Power books. It is probably pitched more at the upper end of the nine-to-thirteen-year-old age group, because of the vocabulary and comments about social media. Or maybe it’s just that I hold out hope that under 12s aren’t on social media platforms. Who Am I and Why Do I Matter? is one of four in a “Big Questions” series. I am now keen to read the others.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Review first published on TGCA. 

Darkest Night, Brightest Day

Darkest Night, Brightest Day, Marty Machowski (New Growth Press, 2022)

Families with primary age children are often on the lookout for resources that help them explore the Easter story, balancing both the passion week and the joy of Jesus’ resurrection.

Marty Machowski has created this great book, Darkest Night, Brightest Day that does exactly that, with seven days of readings that cover the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, and then seven days on Jesus’ resurrection appearances, finishing with Pentecost. The illustrations by Phil Schorr are simple, colourful and clear.

Machowski has collated all the gospel readings together to make one coherent account, so it reads simply and logically, as if straight from the bible. It’s sewn together with skill, with some aspects 

explained further to assist with understanding. Each chapter is two to three pages of text, and would probably take under 10 minutes to read aloud. There are a few questions at the end of each chapter, with answers provided in small font if needed. It’s designed to have the Darkest Night chapters as one half of the book, with its own cover. Then after seven days of readings, on Easter morning - you switch the book over and with a new cover for Brightest Day, read the next seven days. 

I really like its simplicity. There are no fancy crafts or activities, no extra things to do. God’s word is allowed to speak for itself. This also means it isn’t asking too much of busy or weary parents. While it may struggle to hold the attention of pre-schoolers, it would be great for primary age kids, and even younger high schoolers would still benefit from reading this with their family over Easter. The appeal for older kids might actually be its simplicity, my children definitely grew out of devotionals that required activities around the end of primary school. This doesn’t ask much of them, but still enables them to listen to and interact with the biblical accounts. I suspect many adult readers will also see afresh how the events around the resurrection fit together, and how through Jesus we really have moved from darkest night to brightest day.


I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Children's books

New Growth Press have released four new children's books in the last few months.

The first three are additions to their God Made Me series, and will have a similar appeal to readers around 4-8 years.

God Made Me in His Image by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb (authors of God Made All of Me) aims to help children appreciate their bodies, and accept them the way they are. The book anchors in Genesis and the creation of humankind in the image of God, and highlights that everyone has value and honour, even with their differences. The is done skilfully in a way little ones can grasp, by looking at various animals on a zoo trip and seeing the variety of traits God gave to animals.  

As body image issues continue to emerge in younger children, this is a timely reminder to kids and parents that we are all valuable and wonderful in God's sight. 

God Cares For Me by paediatrician Scott James, teaches children how to trust God when they are sick, as well as following wise health advice.  

Lucas wakes up with a fever and sore throat. While not keen to go to the doctor, his dad encourages him that God gives us doctors to help keep us safe.  Lucas, dad and the doctor all wear masks, and later in the day when his grandparents come to visit, they wave from the door but don't come in and Lucas can't hug them. 

It's clear this has been written for Covid times, even though that is never mentioned. Probably there are a whole new swathe of children's books on health now picturing people wearing masks, and having to distance from each other. Much of this is framed around the idea of loving others by caring for them when we are sick, which is a very different message from previous books where everyone gathered around to care for people in their illness* (although the parents do a great job of caring for Lucas here). As such, this book helps explain the realities for many children living with Covid restrictions and requirements. I also think considerable care needs to be given about implying young children are responsible for whether their grandparents get sick.*   

*[I suspect a larger discussion of whether these messages are actually that good could be worthwhile, although I realise that requires a much broader discussion that the scope of this review]. 

This transmissible disease focus also means this is not the book you would turn to if a young child is diagnosed with cancer, needs an appendectomy, or has a broken leg. It just does not cover the other options of illness and injury. That's fine, but parents should be aware its application is a little limited.

God Made Me for Heaven by Marty Machowski is a great addition to the series, dealing with an issue that parents often struggle to explain to their kids with clarity: what heaven is like and how we get there. 

Leo is celebrating the end of the school year with his friends, and enjoying being outside playing together. He and his grandmother start talking about his grandfather who died three years prior. She explains how his spirit went to be with Jesus in heaven and his body will be resurrected when Jesus returns. She talks about how good heaven will be and how it won’t be boring at all. When Leo asks how good you have to be to get into heaven, she explains that “No one is good enough” and that’s why we need Jesus. Kids are encouraged to see that heaven will be great, like a summer vacation that never ends, with no one ever getting tired, or sad and praising Jesus together. 

It’s suitable for 5-9 year olds, giving a clear gospel explanation and the joyful promises of heaven and eternal life using images and concepts familiar to children.

Like all the others in this series, all three books have been clearly and skilfully illustrated by Trish Mahoney. 

The third book is Jesus Saves: The Gospel for Toddlers by Sarah Reju and illustrated by Phil Schorr.  

This is a lovely addition to the many great Christian books for toddlers these days. Jesus Saves outlines the simple basics of the gospel in a repetitive cadence that will appeal to young ones, covering God as creator, our own sin, and Jesus as saviour:

"God made you.
Made who?
Made you!

God made you, little one."

Sometimes the simplest expressions of the gospel are the most powerful. 

I was given ebooks of these in exchange for a honest review. 

WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New

WonderFull, Marty Machowski 

 

Marty Machowski, author of numerous Christian children’s books, family devotionals, and parenting books has now written WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New with the aim of bringing the Psalms to life to children.

I’ve always been surprised how children’s storybook bibles cling to the narratives of Scripture, not even trying to include Psalms or wisdom literature. Thankfully, Machowski has tried to fill that gap. In WonderFull, he has logically included all 150 Psalms in order, simply yet profoundly displaying to children and parents alike the order of the five books within the Psalms, and the groupings within the actual Psalms themselves. Some Psalms are looked at it more detail, with a page or two of explanation. The majority are included within groups, with just a few sentences about each. 

The details may include the setting of the Psalm, further explanation, how the Psalm may point to Jesus, some encouragement and direction for response and prayer. Parents will definitely need to be reading this with their children (and possibly even young teens), to help them process the information. When only one point is summarised from a Psalm, there’s a fair chance a children will have questions about other parts of it. Yet, if parents (and their kids) were keen to make this book a priority, I could imagine there would be great benefit for both as they read the Psalms together. Many of the suggestions are responsive, such as writing a prayer, so the readers would want to have time without rushing. 

Woven through the reading of the Psalms is story of Oliver and his Grandpa. His Grandpa is sick and Oliver and his parents have come to visit, but Oliver has also had some problems at school. Grandpa and Oliver read the Psalms together, and over the course of the year Oliver is changed by God’s word and Grandpa goes home to be with Jesus. It’s a lovely overarching storyline that shows how God’s word in the Psalms can expose, sustain, encourage and comfort. 

Obviously as it includes every Psalm, and is designed for you to take your time, this is a large book and a long term undertaking. Even daily it would take almost 6 months. I think once or twice a week would be more manageable for many families, meaning it could take a few years to get through.

It is beautifully illustrated by Andy McGuire (like TheOlogy), and matches it in size and feel, making them feel like companion volumes. They are both hardcover, and wonderful to view. (Also adding to the price, in Australia it’s currently $40)

I am overall very positive about this book, but there were a few things that I wondered about:

• It's a massive undertaking to comment on every Psalm in a way children across multiple ages can comprehend. Sometimes I felt it was excellent, other times I wondered if Machowski has bitten off more than he could chew. Every Psalm could have had more explanation, and some parents may be left wondering how to explain all the bits that are left out. 
• Linked to this, as I have said, it’s lot of work for parents, and those who are not confident in reading the bible for themselves might be nervous. I’m always keen to encourage parents to read the bible with their kids, try to explain it and work it through together with them, but I wonder if some might find this a bit more than they can manage. 
• There are very minor questions about some exegesis at points. eg. Ps 3 claims David prayed this prayer, and the next day he won against Absalom, this is not evident in the Psalm. Not major, but I noticed a few. 
• I was surprised by the occasional switch from ESV to NIV. As this is a book that encourages you to read each Psalm yourself, I would have thought staying with one translation throughout would be better and reduce any confusion. 
• I do wonder if it would feel repetitive after a while. Many of the applications and suggestions are similar, which is natural response to the Psalms, but it might be noticeable. 

I am encouraged by Machowski’s desire to bring all the bible to life for children. WonderFull helps children to dwell in the Psalms, see God is ever present and caring in their lives, and how they point them to Jesus, their true Saviour and Lord.

I was given a ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Good News for Little Hearts - part 2

Last year I reviewed the first three releases the Good News for Little Hearts series by New Growth Press. Now there are three more to add to the collection.

Aimed at children aged 3-8, the story creation for all is attributed to Jocelyn Flenders, with David Powlison, Edward T. Welch or Jayne V. Clark named as an editor for each book. Just as with the first series, the illustrations are by Joe Hox, who brings animals engagingly to life in situations we all can identify. Children will enjoy spotting the captivating touches that Hox has woven in: stacks of books for chairs, textas for bedposts, and trees growing through homes.


Gus Loses His Grip (When you want something too much) tells the story of little Gus, the racoon, who loves sweets. He sneaks them up to his bedroom, he thinks about them when Papa is reading about the Easter story, and when his mum takes him to the post-easter sales, he stuffs his pockets with the candy samples from the shop. His dad spots them and he is taken back to apologise to the storeowner, who forgives him. After this though, dad’s eyes light up with the shopping sales himself and he buys things at the fishing store.

Papa realises he, like little Gus, also wants many things:

Papa agreed. “Yes! You’re not alone, Gus. Mama and I struggle too. I’m beginning to see all the areas where God might want me to lose my grip! You know that’s why we need Jesus. We can’t stop eating too many sweets, buying too many trinkets at the market, or buying too many fishing lures and poles without help from him. What we think we need grips us, but our sin is not too strong for Jesus!”

Together the two of them consider all the good things God has given them: the singing birds, the lovely breeze, the fish in the stream and tasty strawberries in the field.

And once we lose our grip on what we want, we can notice all the wonderful, sweet things God has given us to enjoy. The Great Book says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ Look around at all the things you can see that the Lord has given us.”

Like Jax’s Tail Twitches, a great thing about this book is that parents also acknowledge they struggle with wanting lots of things and have to be careful as well.


In Henry Says Good-bye (When you are sad), hedgehog Henry’s precious ladybug pet Lila has died and he is struggling without her.

That night, Henry didn’t want dinner. When Mama and Papa said goodnight and closed his bedroom door, he rolled into a prickly ball and cried. He didn’t understand why this had to happen—why to Lila, and why to him. He felt so alone. He couldn’t imagine facing tomorrow and telling his friends— let alone seeing them with their pets.

After a hard day at school, Papa tells him that God knows about his sorrows and that he counts his tears (Psalm 56:8). Together the decide to invite Henry’s friends over to remember Lila. After they all spend some time together sharing stories, Papa talks to them all about the day when they will go to heaven to be with Jesus and there will be no more tears.



It’s a genuine and honest book acknowledging the pain of grief, that people stand by us in our sorrows, and that God knows and cares about them. It would be suitable for any little one faces the sadness of losing a pet or maybe even a loved person in their life. (The Moon Is Always Round would also be a good choice for this)

In Tori Comes Out of Her Shell (When you are lonely), little turtle Tori’s family has moved and so Tori is starting a new school. Tori is shy and struggling, she doesn’t want to stick out, and so puts her head into her shell and stays out of the way. A lovely teacher tries to coax her out, sharing her own story of embarrassment when she was a young skunk at school and she got a fright and sprayed everywhere.

“What did you do?” asked Tori.
“I didn’t know what to do, so I just put my head down and jammed my hands into my pockets. But I found a card in one of them that my papa had given me. It was a verse from the Great Book that said, ‘There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ It reminded me that Jesus would always be my friend no matter what.”

“I thought I would never have any friends after that, but I’ll always remember how Sally Salamander came right up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry. Everyone is afraid of being embarrassed. I’m afraid of sliming my chair.’

When they go to their new church on the weekend, the preacher says the same thing, that Jesus is with us always. Tori begins to believe it and ends up befriending little Gertie Gecko, who also admits to being lonely. When she shares what she has learnt about Jesus, Gertie seems interested and so Tori invites her to church. It’s lovely to see the modelling of sharing Christ with friends in this book.


Just like the first three in this series, each book contains notes and biblical guidance to help parents as they teach children about loneliness, grief and wanting more, which many parents will appreciate and hopefully realise to apply to themselves as well. There are also tear out bible verses for kids to keep in their pocket to remember God’s truths.

And as before, a great feature of these books is the strong parental figures. They guide their children in the truth, acknowledge their own faults and listen well. They bring their children back to God’s word as they guide and instruct, and are corrected by it themselves.

I was given ecopies of these books in exchange for an honest review. 

Good News for Little Hearts

The faculty of CCEF have teamed up with New Growth Press to produce a series of children’s books which deal with the heart issues that affect us all: anger, pride and fear. Aimed at children aged 5-10, each is edited by David Powlison or Edward Welch, both authors of excellent books for adults. The story creation for each is attributed to Jocelyn Flenders as her first published work for children.

All three books are beautifully illustrated by Joe Hox, who brings animals engagingly to life in situations we all can understand. Children will love to see the captivating touches that Hox has woven in: families live in houses with buttons and stamps for wall hangings, rulers for skirting boards, tables with clothes pegs for legs, and mini pot plants or corks for chairs.

In Buster’s Ears Trip Him Up (When you fail), Buster is super excited about camp and the big running race. Last year he won and he’s keeps telling everyone he will be the fastest again this year. As the family get ready for camp, Mama bunny leads the family in prayer, asking that all the family will come to know God better in the week ahead. On race day, to his great embarrassment, Buster’s ears cover his eyes and he falls flat on his face (literally discovering how pride comes before a fall!). Big sister Ivy takes him to one side and tells him a story about her own failure in a school project, showing that even when we fail, God’s love never fails. She explains pride got in her way, just like it did with Buster, and that sometimes we have to fail before we can understand how much we need God’s help.

“Before you did anything right, God loved you. God doesn’t love you because you win a race. He loves you because you belong to him.”

They pray together before they go back to camp and Buster learns to laugh at his failure.




In Zoe’s Hiding Place (When you are anxious), little Zoe mouse always has her head in a book failing to hear what is going on around her. Upon hearing of a school excursion where she got lost last time, Zoe is filled with fear and worry. Mama brings these words of wisdom: “Worry wants you to believe that you are all alone and God isn’t with you protect you. But that’s not true. Jesus is with you. He cares for you.” She advises Zoe to turn each fear into a prayer. When Zoe ends up getting lost again on the excursion, she remembers Mama’s words, pulls out a note from Papa which says “The Lord is near” and prays for help know what to do.



In Jax’s Tail Twitches (When you are angry), it’s acorn gathering day for the squirrel families. Jax gets angry at his brother for always being first, Papa gets angry at the neighbours who gather their acorns, and Mama gets angry when the dinner burns. The whole family makes mistakes in this one, as Papa says:

"'When I am angry, I need God to help me. I need Jesus to forgive me and show me where I am wrong too. The Great Book says that God is always there to help in times of trouble. Let’s ask God to help us now." And right then and there, the whole Squirrel family bowed their heads, folded their paws and asked God to forgive and help them.'

They go on to apologise to each other, and also to their neighbours for how they behaved.

Each book contains notes and guidance to help parents as they teach children about managing fear, failure and anger, which many parents will appreciate and hopefully realise to apply to themselves as well. There are also tear out bible verses for kids to keep in their pocket to remember God’s truths (families may have to figure out how to share these as well!)

One great feature of these books is the strong parental figures. They guide their children in the truth, acknowledge their own faults and listen well (Zoe’s mama “had good listening ears”). They bring their children back to God’s word as they guide and instruct, and are corrected by it themselves.

This is an excellent new series for children helping them to see that anger, fear and failure are things we all struggle with, yet we can trust God for his help as we do so, by his grace.


I received an e-copy of these books from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review.

Girl Wise

Girl Wise, Sharon Witt

I find myself on the lookout for resources for my kids addressing the various stages they are up to, and so discovered the Girl Wise series by Sharon Witt. She’s an Australian author and speaker who regularly addresses the issues of childhood and adolescence. She has four books for girls aged about 7-12:

• A girl’s guide to friends
• A guide to being YOU!
• A girl’s guide to life
• A guide to taking care of your body

With pretty fonts, illustrations and graphics, they are likely to appeal to numerous girls as they give advice on various topics. They are full of quotes and stories from real girls, and so read very naturally. In fact, the entire look of them means they are more likely to appeal to more ‘girly’ girls, being in pastel colours with twirly fonts. Having read all four, there are two I would prefer to recommend, the one on friends and the one on caring for your body.

It’s worth clarifying that I started these books expecting them to be Christian, as I bought them in a Christian bookstore. They are theistic and mention God at points, there are some bible references, and occasional suggestions to pray to God. But they aren’t really Christian, because Jesus Christ is never mentioned.  In some ways, they echo the mindset of moral therapeutic deism (a term recently used in regard to young adults (see here and here). Once I realised I couldn’t expect them to provide Christian teaching, then I was able to read them in a different frame of mind, with different expectations.

A girl’s guide to friends is a helpful manual for girls navigating the tricky reality of primary school friendships. There is helpful advice on how to make a new friend (smile, make eye contact, ask questions, be yourself). There are definitions of what makes a good friend (friendly, kind, trustworthy, respectful, etc) and tips for keeping friendships healthy. There’s a section on bullying but also about the reality of normal conflict with friends and how to talk through problems with each other. There are tips for things to do together, and ways to care for a friend who is sick, grieving or away for a while. All helpful stuff and it would be very useful for many girls in the Year 2-6 age range.  One thing I would have liked to see was a mention of being friends with boys, and that it’s normal to have boys as friends, and just friends.


A guide to taking care of your body was instructive and informative and probably provides information that they may not have to date. The details about various body systems helps girls to understand the way their bodies work, and why it’s important to keep everything working well. The instructions on eating well, getting enough sleep and taking care of your teeth and hair are all practical, as is the beginning of the discussion on some body changes that will happen. I would have liked to see some encouragement to cleaning your body well (good bathing habits) and perhaps the need to start considering deodorant.

All in all, these books offer helpful advice to younger girls. There is an encouragement to see they are special, and they can be happy to be who they are. Christian parents will want to extend the teaching and point out that yes, it is true that God made you special, you are unique and he loves you; and then temper it with reality that we are also sinful, and our hearts have turned away from God, and we can only live in a way that pleases him because of his grace, not because of who we are or what we do. You are special because you are God's child.

They will suit many girls aged about 7-10, and some older ones as well. Because they are Australian means they read quite naturally for our audience and that is often appealing. They could make good gifts too, particularly if you are looking for a positive message, but one that’s not too faith specific.

The Radical Book for Kids

The Radical Book for Kids, Champ Thornton

Your child has a birthday coming up and you want to give them a Christian book. But what? They’ve got all the good kid’s bibles, or have grown out of them. They’ve read (or aren’t interested in) biographies for their age group. They’ve exhausted the kids’ fiction section (or the ones you think are ok). They’ve dabbled in some church history, and tried some apologetics for kids. What next?

This new offering by Champ Thornton, may just be what you are looking for. The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith doesn’t fit any clear category – and as such, it hits a whole lot of them. Overall subject themes include:

• knowing God
• history
• faith questions
• living like Jesus
• understanding the bible
• fun facts, info and skills to learn.

All of them are mixed up throughout 67 chapters, so you might read about how to understand the Bible, then details about some names of God, accounts of men or women who gave their lives for Christ, and then how to make your own sling.



I think the fact that there is no clear order will appeal to numerous children. It will keep them interested as to what’s coming next and they can easily flip around to find things that appeal.

• For the historian, there are details about ancient weapons, what church was like for the early Christians, and details of men and women who have faithfully served the Lord.
• For the numbers fan, there are explanations of money in the bible and the length of the journeys in Acts (with a table to figure out how long it took to walk places)
• For the letters fan, there is an explanation of how the epistles travelled, and details of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets and key words in Latin.
• For those asking questions about the bible, and the truth of its claims – there is information about the historicity of the bible, the differences between the gospels, and how to understand different writing in the bible. There are chapters about what God is like, and general & special revelation.
• For those wanting to know how to live for Jesus, chapters address how to make good decisions, how to apply wisdom, what it means to obey your parents as well as acknowledging parents aren’t perfect, and how to read the bible daily and how to pray.
• And then there are random things like information about jewels and animals in the bible, the meaning of the Jewish holidays, how to memorise things, and how to make a catapult.

You can see how the appeal could be very broad. It’s marketed at children aged 8-14 and I think many in these age brackets will enjoy it and keep returning to re-read sections. The colourful illustrations, diagrams, maps and charts are all engaging and assist the reader in their understanding. It’s also beautifully produced, with highly quality printing and a great embossed cover.



With all the variety on offer, there are bound to be a few things though you disagree with. Mine included:

• While the explanations of faith, the bible and living for Jesus chapters were mostly excellent, it was the ‘extra’ type stuff that I had most issue with. For example, I could not understand why there was a chapter on how to clean your room. And chapters on things like manners could have been much better applied, rather than reading like a list of rules, it could have been more about how God wants you to live.
• There were times where the bible verses linked were a real stretch. In particular, the chapter on fun and games in bible times was unwisely referenced, including chariot races in Phil 3:13-14, running races in 1 Cor 9:24, and going on walks in Psalm 23. A stretch at best, and inaccurate hermeneutics at worst.
• I would have liked to see some suggestions for responsive prayer in numerous chapters, to help the reader learn how to come to God in praise, thanksgiving, confession or request based on the material covered.

What are its particular strengths?

As you can see from the descriptions above, Thornton presents biblical material and matters of faith in a fun, different and digestible way for kids. The approach is based around topics and questions, so it will helpful both for children who know their bibles well, but may not have linked it together thematically; and it will also appeal to those who want more facts and details about the bible accounts, enabling further explanation and a different angle of understanding.

The explanations of faith and the bible are very good. Kids will be drawn in with language that is appropriate to their lives, but doesn’t dumb things down. The challenges of life are recognised. The questions that we all ask are openly acknowledged. Simplistic answers aren’t given, but the reader is given the truth from the words of God.

Add The Radical Books for Kids to your gift list and the kids in your life will likely learn a lot about the bible, find an explanations for questions they didn’t even know they had, and they might just surprise you with some fun facts along the way too.

Birds and Bees by the Book

Birds and Bees by the Book, Patricia Weerakoon

How do you answer your children’s questions about sex, gender and why various families are different? Do you struggle to come up with a succinct, age-appropriate answer and find yourself going “uhhh, uuuum…”.

What about when your primary-schooler says: “My friend has two mummies” or “There was a boy at school, but now he has a girl’s name and uses the girls’ toilets”?

What about the more straightforward question: “How did the baby get there?” Or when your daughter asks, “Why does my brother have a penis, when do I grow one?”

Thankfully, there is a new resource available to help parents: Patricia Weerakoon’s series “Birds and Bees by the Book”. I spent a week with Miss 9 and Miss 12 reading these six, small, readable books aimed at 7-10 year olds, and have also gathered the opinions of a few friends. Here are some of our thoughts:

Me and my family. A lovely book describing families in all their variations. It starts with God’s design for marriage beginning with Adam and Eve, and while many families have a mum, dad and kids; many don’t, including step-families, adoption, fostering, extended and gay families. Each is simply explained with the overarching theme that God loves you and your family; and that if you love Jesus you’re also part of God’s family.

Me and my body. About our unique bodies, how they're all different and all made by God. Kids are encouraged to protect and care for their bodies because they’re special. This one jumps around a bit and the logic doesn’t seem as obvious, including comments about cyberbullying, being careful about wanting to look older than you are, and knowing the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad touch’. It’s got a slightly more negative, warning feel to it than the others, but the topics covered are helpful and needed.

Me and my brain. A helpful perspective and one often missing in sex education. By describing how a brain can be healthy or unhealthy because of what we feed it, she paves the way for children to desire healthy brains that grow strong. With an instructive explanation of how the brain works, including both thinking and feeling; and how they are still growing, my girls laughed in understanding that yes, their brains just want to have fun and not think about consequences!

Learning about sex. The message is that sex is good, for marriage and for when you’re older. Using the term ‘sexual activity’ draws the helpful distinction that sex is more than intercourse. Weerakoon highlights that only adults are ready for sexual love; but as a kid, you love lots of people with friendship or family love. I loved the explanation of how you need to change to be ready to be married: your body needs to develop, you brain needs to grow, and you need to be able to care for and look after another person. There are also instructive comments on what to do if someone touches you in a way that makes you feel bad, if you see pictures online, and if you like touching yourself.

On a minor note, I was surprised by the statement that that all children come out through their mother’s vagina. These days with so many born by caesarean, it seems odd not to include it as an option.

Learning about gender. Carefully and appropriately addresses gender issues, including how boys and girls are different; but they don’t have to act in stereotypical ways. Introducing both intersex and transgender concepts, overall there's a clear encouragement to be kind and love others, no matter who they are or how they feel about themselves.

Learning about pornography. Explains pornography as ‘pictures and videos that are bad for you and unhealthy for your brain’, expanding that to include people without clothes, hurting each other or having sexual activity. This is a slightly oversimplified description, but it probably works within the context and for the age group. Again, using the idea of the thinking brain and the feeling brain, kids are encouraged to use both when deciding what is healthy for them and what isn’t, and how to respond when they see pornography.


One of the great strengths of this whole series is that it's grounded in God's love for us. God has made us and we can be part of his family. There’s a strong message to follow Jesus’ example and love each other, never bullying or teasing, but always caring for others, even if they are different. These probably are the key messages for this age group (and all of us!)

I did have a few hesitations.

1. Each book finished with a page saying “Feeling confused? Why not talk with the adult reading this book with you”. It’s a helpful way to flag the need to check with your child, but it's a bit patronising. It also reduces the power of the book’s message,  almost assuming kids will still be confused at the end. And what about for the child who is reading it on their own? It might have been preferable to suggest speaking to an adult if you have any questions without assuming someone was reading the book aloud.
2. There seemed to be a slight disconnect between the language and illustrations (which are  younger), and the material and concepts presented (which are a bit older); especially the gender and pornography books, which I can imagine parents waiting for a while to read. The illustrations are lovely and cover a range of ethnic groups, but I did wonder if they would appeal more to younger readers.

Of course, this is not the only resource out there on the topic and hopefully by age 7, conversations have already begun about bodies and sex. If they haven’t, I highly recommend starting with God Made Your Body (age 2-4) and How God Makes Babies (age 6-9). After that, this series is a great option to fill in more details for the 7-10 age group. Note this series does not address the changes of puberty at all – for that you need to go to Growing Up by the Book or other material (eg. What’s the Big Deal?).

As with all Weerakoon’s books (eg. The Best Sex for Life, Growing Up By the Book, she doesn’t shy away from tricky topics, and provides up-to-date, age-appropriate information, while still bringing us back to the truths of God’s love and salvation in Christ. With her wealth of experience, you can be confident much thought and knowledge has gone into them. Overall, this is a series I would happily recommend to anyone with kids in aged 7-10 (and even a bit older, if it’s taken you a while to broach these topics!).



(Copies of books provided by Growing Faith)

Max & Liz books

Max & Liz books, Jenny L. Cote

Our children discovered Jenny L. Cote’s books a few years ago, and have loved them. It’s an interesting category she has created – a biblical retelling with fictional characters added in - the fictional characters being mostly animals!

In the first book The Ark, The Reed & the Firecloud, you are introduced to Max, a Scottish terrier and Liz, a brilliant French cat. Under the instructions of a goat called Gillamon, who reveals to them the Maker and what he has called them to do, they make their way to Noah as he builds the ark. What I loved about this book was the creative way Cote managed to get all the animals of the world to Noah, and then how they were housed in their native habitats (eg. desert and ice) on the ark. Of course, her interpretation is entirely fictional, but you found yourself thinking it could have happened that way. There is an element of danger in as an evil stowaway threatens the safety of the animals and the continuation of the human race.

At the end of the book, Max & Liz, with their life partners (Kate and Al) are granted immortality, and the chance to live through all time as they see the outworking of the grand plan of the Maker throughout history.

The second book, The Dreamer, the Schemer & the Robe is set in the time of Joseph and again I really liked it, with the details she included as the animals lived among the people of the Genesis accounts.

Now Cote is in the midst of writing The Epic Order of the Seven series, where 7 animals (including these original ones) are going to live out the rest of the history alongside the key events. Book 1: The Prophet, The Shepherd & the Star, begins with Isaiah in his years of prophecy, moves forward to Daniel in Babylon and then finishes in the early days of Jesus’ young life. In this book, Cote masterfully deals with the Old Testament prophecies, constantly showing how they are all fulfilled in the coming of Christ.

Book 2: The Roman, the Twelve & the King, has two concurrent storylines – the time of Handel as he writes “The Messiah” and the adult life and ministry of Jesus. 

Two more books have been written:  The Wind, The Road & The Way (the story of Acts part 1) and The Fire, Revelation and the Fall (Acts part 2). Three more are promised to complete the series, also forming their own trilogy. I have not read these ones.

She is clearly a committed Christian and her writing praises the Maker (God) and how he acts, and sings the praises of the Jesus her Lord and Messiah.   The way she has chosen animals to be part of the story means the same events unfold as in our bibles, but through the animals’ perspective, as they interpret and explain what is happening.  As such, kids are given solid, real biblical truths through creative storytelling. There is always a note of tension, as shadowy forces against the Maker at work: the devil in various forms. Of course, in bringing her interpretation to biblical events, there are some things I felt were overemphasised (eg. there is a very strong emphasis on 7s in The Prophet, The Shepherd & the Star). But overall, I am amazingly impressed at how she has managed to essentially re-write massive parts of the bible into a setting that captures children’s attention and imagination while still remaining very faithful to the biblical account.

At points I’ve had hesitations about how the reader is to know what is factual and what is fictional  I noted upon finishing The Roman, The Twelve & the King, that there is a detailed explanation of which parts were factual and which she embellished. Even more helpful is the opening page of the next book The Wind, The Road & the Way which says “This book contains fact, fiction, fantasy, allegory and truth. For the entire true story, read Acts and the rest of the New Testament.”   

These are long books - all near 500 pages – so while they can be read and understood by ages 9-10+, they need to be committed readers to manage it. Because she has lots of animals with different backgrounds, they all speak with accents and with some foreign words, which can add to the confusion for younger or less capable readers (it’s hard to read a Scottish accent sometimes!).  Having said that, there is always a glossary at the end to explain the terms.  

These are also books adults will get a lot out of. I loved the first two, but have found the Epic Order of the Seven harder going – they are very long and take a reasonable time commitment. But whenever I have read them, I have been encouraged in my faith and reminded of the biblical account.    Mr 13 avidly awaits the new releases, and started reading them at about age 10. Miss 11 has also enjoyed them and has read them all. I am planning to read the two set in Acts over the summer, as part of my thoughts as I prepare some teaching in Acts myself.

If your children want to read Christian books (or you want them to!), these are a great choice.