Zondervan kidz books to celebrate Easter and for gifting

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Jesus Our True Friend
The Glorious Image of God
Deep Breath, Little Whisper
Hey-O! Coloring book

Jesus, Our True Friend: Stories to Fill Your Heart With Joy by Sally Lloyd-Jones

https://amzn.to/46jMIqg

My thoughts:  Beautifully written to bring beloved Saviour, Jesus, to young hearts, Jesus, Our True Friend is a welcome addition to children's book collections, church libraries, and libraries that care to include Christian publications. It makes an exceptional gift that will bring delight and help establish the child's concept of Jesus.

In chapter book form with a "Table of Contents," the book lends itself well to read-aloud sessions. There is more "story" and details than the very youngest child will understand, grasp meaning of, or sit for. However, it lends itself well for those who have learned to read or for wonderful family read-aloud time. 

The text (in my opinion) simply flows beautifully as the stories of Jesus are recounted. They seem to caress one's heart with their beauty. And adults will have glimpses into deeper truths that simple words can convey. For example in "The Two Sisters," Jesus tells Martha that "the thing you are carrying is too heavy for you." She was just doing meal preparation, etc. What was too heavy? No, Jesus was actually telling her that the "works" mentality was too heavy. She needed the time with Jesus just like Mary did.

So I highly endorse this beautiful book.

About the book: Jesus, Our True Friend is a beautiful collection of seven stories from Jesus’ life that share the good news—that our Rescuer has come to mend God’s broken world, bring us back to God, and show us what Love is really like. From Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago, the creators of the beloved and bestselling The Jesus Storybook Bible, these stories will fill your heart with joy as you come to understand just how deep God’s love is for you.

Jesus, Our True Friend tells the stories of Jesus’ life in beautiful, lyrical prose—and captures their deep theological truth in words even a child can understand. This seven-story collection includes miracles from Jesus’ life like the Wedding at Cana and the Miraculous Catch of Fish, parables Jesus told like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, and people Jesus met like Mary and Martha. These stories showcase Jesus’ great love and deep empathy for the lost, the outcast, the suffering, as well as for his friends and his followers. And for us, too.

Hey-O! Coloring Book: Over 90 Bible Story Pages for Kids to Color (Hey-O! Bible Stories) Paperback – Coloring Book by Saddleback Kids

https://amzn.to/46jMIqg

My thoughts:  Coloring with a purpose never got so good! Short read-aloud (or read-to-me) Bible story with each detailed drawing that the children will enjoy coloring. Lots of fun as the children focus on the Bible, God, Jesus, and stories from the Bible. I highly recommend!

About the book: With over 90 pages of coloring fun and tear-out pages for easy removal and display, the Hey-O! Coloring Book allows kids to unleash their creativity as they bring all their favorite Bible stories to life. Based on the popular YouTube videos and storybook Bible, the Hey-O! Coloring Book will help children build a foundation of faith as they improve their fine motor skills and develop their imagination.

Developed by Saddleback Church, Hey-O! Coloring Book is filled with the whimsical and engaging artwork from Hey-O! Stories of the Bible and the corresponding animated videos, which have garnered more than 28 million views on YouTube. Kids will create masterpieces of their favorite biblical characters—including Noah, David, Esther, Jesus, and more—as they mindfully relax and practice their fine motor skills.

Hey-O! Coloring Book:

• Was developed by the Kids team at Saddleback Church, a community of thousands with 17 campuses across the US and internationally
• Includes over 90 tear-out coloring pages from Hey-O! Stories of the Bible
• Is biblically accurate and engaging for kids, with whimsical artwork and text captions to help them remember the Bible stories
• Makes the perfect children’s gift for baptisms, communion, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and more

"The Glorious Image of God: How Jesus Reveals Who God Made You to Be" by Rousseaux Brasseur & illustrated by Arief Putra

https://amzn.to/46jMIqg

My thoughts: The concept of teaching children that they are made in the image of their creator, God, is terrifyingly deep and complex. The author has attempted to do this starting with having the child view their own image in a mirror and then reflecting on the simple fact that what they see is a copy or image of themselves. This is then somehow translated to our being a copy or image of God similar to the reflected image in the mirror.

Then the author goes on to tell the Biblical account of creation of man by God, the fall of man (sin entering the world), the worship of manmade images or gods, and finally, the coming of the Son of God as redeemer and saviour. All a very expansive and complex explanation to a child of his being created or made in the image of God. 

The children depicted in the illustrations are cute and bright-eyed and other illustrations reflective of the storyline. The story itself is told in a loosely written rhyming method that is somewhat hard to read since the meter is not consistent.

Theologically, the book is sound. 

About the book: Being made in God’s image can be a hard concept for children to fully grasp, but The Glorious Image of God explains how, through the story of Jesus, we can learn to see God’s reflection within ourselves and foster a deeper sense of spiritual identity and self-worth. From ministry leader and children’s book author Rousseaux Brasseur, this masterfully woven, rhyming text dives into stories from the Bible unpacking what it means to be an image bearer of God, helping us to better understand how we can share God’s love and goodness with others in our lives.

Every human being is a wonderful work of art, made in God’s image and capable of reflecting God’s goodness and light to others. The Glorious Image of God is a fun exploration of the story of how God wove his likeness into us humans, where our purpose comes from, and how Jesus reflects who God made you to be. This picture book for kids 4 and up is designed to help grow children’s foundation of faith, guiding them to understand how they reflect the image of God and how God delights when his children fill the world with his love.

The Glorious Image of God: 

• Is an ideal addition to any child’s bookshelf or children’s ministry library, unpacking biblical truths in a theologically sound manner to bring increased understanding for children 4 and up
• Full of colorful, bright illustrations that engage children and help them imagine Bible stories as well as modern day scenes where they can reflect God’s image.
• Perfect for reading together at bedtime, in Sunday school, in Christian classrooms, or any favorite read-aloud times.
• A great gift for Christmas, Easter, and any gift-giving occasion or holiday.

Help your little ones understand the profound concept of being made in God’s image. Through Jesus, they will learn to see God’s reflection within themselves, fostering a deeper sense of spiritual identity, self-worth, and connection to Jesus.

Where you can purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/GloriousImageofGod 

Deep Breath, Little Whisper by Scott James & illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich

https://amzn.to/46jMIqg

My thoughts:  A lovely picture book that teaches that prayer can be a breath, a whisper, a shout out or a cry. The emphasis is on pausing and taking a deep breath when confronted with various times of life that we need the love of God to reach down to us and help us.

Beautifully written and delightful illustrations.

Lovely!

About the book: Help your child discover the importance of talking to God during all types of situations with this picture book that explores the use of breath prayers. Throughout, kids will learn that each of their direct praises, quick thanks, and whispered requests can bring them peace and build a stronger relationship with their heavenly Father.

God loves it when His children talk to Him—and connecting with God can be as easy as using a simple word or phrase. Deep Breath, Little Whisper introduces the idea of breath prayers by using a series of kid-friendly scenarios and engaging text to show young readers how they can have a conversation with God in the moment, wherever they are and however they’re feeling. Each example also helps remind them that prayer doesn’t have to be big and complex to be meaningful—it just has to come from the heart.

The illustrated book is perfect for:

• read-aloud or prayer time
• introducing breath prayers into your family
• helping children from preschool to early elementary develop a relationship with God through easy-to-remember prayers and prompts
• teaching different types of prayers, including praise and adoration, thanksgiving, intercessory, and confession
• showing kids how they can calm their minds and turn to God no matter what happens

DISCLOSURE: I receive complimentary copies of these books to facilitate a review. I was also compensated for this posting. Opinions are mine, alone and not influenced by publisher/author, etc. @zonderkidz @rousseauxbrasseur @scott_h_james @thestoryofgodsgreatlove @zonderkidz #kidsbooks #zonderkidz #kidseastergifts #sponsored #ad