WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, GOD?

Name: WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, GOD?
Author: Elisabeth Zartl
ISBN: 978-0-664-26352-2

by Elisabeth Zartl ; illustrated by Elisabeth Zartl ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 14, 2017

While the message that God is all around, especially in nature, is clear, other books have made that point much more clearly...

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A young girl learns to find God in the smallest of things.

At first the unnamed, first-person narrator cannot find God anywhere she looks: in the dresser in her room, in the bathtub, in the garden amid the flowers and dragonflies. “Why can’t I find you, God? I sit down under a tree, wishing I could see God. Then the wind blows a leaf down onto me. // There you are! I’ve found you!” And suddenly she sees God in the wind, the flowers, the dragonflies, the smallest drops of water in the bathtub. And in the mirror in her dresser, she sees God in herself (and readers can, too; there’s foil on the page): “You are here, and you are always inside me.” The narrator is a round-headed, rosy-cheeked white girl with long brown hair who wears a white-on-white patterned dress. Her eyes are perpetually closed in the illustrations, which may be perplexing to young readers, given the emphasis on looking and seeing. Her surroundings are filled with flowing and rounded forms, especially the trees, leaves, and vines, even her dresser and curtains echoing theses sinuous shapes.

While the message that God is all around, especially in nature, is clear, other books have made that point much more clearly and beautifully; Kathy-jo Wargin’s series of seasonal alphabet books comes to mind. (Picture book/religion. 2-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-664-26352-2

Page Count: 20

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME

by Juliet Groom ; illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2016

A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey.

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A cheery child gives thanks to God.

“When I see a rainbow / High up in the sky / I say a little prayer of thanks, / And here’s the reason why: // Because God loves me!” This board book’s focus is the comforting notion that God loves all his children, and no matter what, he will always look out for them. The text follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, breaking after every stanza to repeat the phrase “Because God loves me!” The small, light-skinned child has spiky brown hair and wears a dress; both the child and a chubby accompanying dog are appealingly illustrated with a bright, simple color palette and scratchy lines that appear to have been made with colored pencil. God is the only name given for the deity, implying a primarily Christian audience. The book’s message is clear, and its construction is sturdy, suiting this well to parents who are beginning to have conversations with their little readers regarding their beliefs.

A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-58925-237-0

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
ALWAYS IN MY HEART
by Juliet Groom ; illustrated by Róisín Hahessy

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GOD GAVE US EASTER

From the God Gave Us You series

by Lisa Tawn Bergren & illustrated by Laura J. Bryant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 2013

Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.

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Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.

When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.

Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)