Still, this is sure to help parents explain to children that God knows their prayers, needs, and hopes before they even have...
Roark explains prayer in a basic way to the youngest children.
For soap bubbles, there is nothing more fun than popping. But Billy Bubble can’t pop until he’s delivered a little white, green-eyed girl’s prayer to God in heaven. Though he grows increasingly tired and scared, he is very careful to avoid all the obstacles on his way skyward: leaves, a crow, an airplane, and everyone’s subtle peer pressure in the form of the book’s refrain, “SPLURT! SPLAT! PLOP! / Hey little bubble, / it’s time to POP!” Finally, Billy hears the voice of God telling him that he’s been brave. “I’m here with you…and with the green-eyed little girl. I knew her prayer before she whispered it….I always hear my children.” God thanks Billy and gives him a message for the girl. Billy floats back down and pops on God’s command. The girl hears “a whisper on the wind— / ‘I heard you. / I love you. / It will be okay.’ ” The tale ends with a prayer journal for readers to record prayer requests and answered prayers. Billy’s face is expressive, and the earnest bubble takes his missions very seriously. Little readers may find themselves wondering what the girl’s prayer was, a question that’s never answered.
Still, this is sure to help parents explain to children that God knows their prayers, needs, and hopes before they even have the words for them. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9986243-0-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Lamb Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
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)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational picture...
Turner adds another title to his picture-book series that highlights the miracles in the mundane (When God Made Light, 2018, etc.).
In the vein of children’s-bookshelf stalwart Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Turner’s rhyming text includes both prayers and life advice for a growing child, beginning with infancy and moving on to adolescence. At times the rhyme and meter are strained, muddling meaning and making the tempo feel occasionally awkward when read aloud. Overall, though, the book executes its mission, presenting Christian theological truths within the rhythmic inspirational text. For this third series installment Turner’s text is paired with a new illustrator, whose bright illustrations of wide-eyed children have great shelf appeal. While David Catrow’s previous illustrations in the series featured effervescent black protagonists, the child in Barnes’ illustrations appears white, though she occupies an otherwise diverse world. While illustrated as a prayer from a mother for her daughter, the text itself is gender neutral.
Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational picture books. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-52565058-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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