My thoughts: This children's picture book from Christian publishing house B&H Publishing Group offers Christian parents and children's group leaders a simple way to approach the heavy theological concept of God and the big questions little kids have that require simple but astute answers.
Young Thomas is our main character with a strong "wing-man" in the character of his dog, Dorothy. Thomas is a typical boy that loves the out-of-doors as is depicted in the opening illustration and his first silly-question.... "Are bats really just mice with wings?" You see, Thomas is a curious boy and one that ponders.
In the opening pages we meet Thomas' sister, Hope, and his mother.
His questions go beyond the bats and mice with wings type. He asks, "Why God?" because his friend at school doesn't believe in God, so why do we?
As Mom begins to respond to this question, she gets into the story of origins of the Earth, seeds, flowers, and just everything. She explains that, "Everything had to come from somewhere," the good and the bad. Then the story progresses to the fall of man with the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
The essence is, "He [God] made this world just right so we could know His power. And He made our hearts just right so we could know His goodness." This is a lot of scope for a single picture book.
The end page "Parent Connection" shares a Scripture to remember: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1
The illustrations are cute and charming and present happy children in a lovely environment.
About the book: It’s often hard to keep up with all the questions that come from children’s inquisitive minds and active mouths, and the challenge is never bigger than when they ask the biggest questions of all―Who is God? Where did He come from? Why should I believe in Him?
As this picture book introduces two fun child characters who are full of questions about God, readers go along for the discovery, learning richly about the glory and wonder of their Father. Written by an apologetics professor with a love for both stories and children, Why God? takes apologetics and makes it accessible for young readers, not only answering their questions but also opening their hearts to the wonders of God.
Be sure you visit the author's website for some caffeinated insights - Theolatte.com
About the author: Dan Dewitt (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of applied theology and apologetics and the director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University. He is the author of Life in the Wild (The Good Book Company, 2018) and Jesus or Nothing (Crossway, 2014). He posts regularly on his blog
Theolatte.com.
