I Can Be Strong When I Put on The Armor of God

I Can Be Strong When I Put on The Armor of God is part of the My Favorite Verses series by Dandi Daley Mackall. This book features Ephesians 6:10-18 from the New Living Translation.

Through rhyming verse the book follows a boy as his family moves to a new home. This part of the story is told not in the words, but by the accompanying illustrations. As the boy encounters each new trial and emotion, he remembers to use different pieces of God's armor: "belt of truth", "breastplate of righteousness", "peace-loving shoes", "shield of faith", "helmet of God", and "a sword". The Scripture passage is quoted in part at the bottom of several pages and in full at the end of the book.

Jenny B. Harris does a wonderful job as illustrator. She fills the pages with bold colors and expressive characters. The style is 2-D, looking almost like paper-piecing. Several ethnicities are represented.

What I Like: It's so bright and colorful! The emphasis on Scripture is fantastic. The tempo of rhyme makes it easy to read. The book is a nice compliment to the rest of the series.

What I Dislike: While each piece of armor is given a page or two, not all of them are explained. The author gives a sample situation where that piece could be used, but doesn't always describe what it is or how to access it. This makes the text more cryptic than it needs to be.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 3-7

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2006; ISBN: 0784718202; Hardback; $9.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $7.99!

Additional Info: See our reviews for other books in this series. You may also be interested in Will: God's Mighty Warrior , another book on Ephesians 6 which received a "Top Pick" rating here at CCBR.