God Is In the Refrigerator, written by Kimberly King and illustrated by Erik Jones, is a story about the author’s grandma. The story takes place in 1949, before the author was born. It is a retelling of a story told to her by her grandma.
Grandma’s mother became ill, so Grandma had to travel from Florida to Wisconsin to be with her parents. While staying at her parents’ home, Grandma became ill herself. Her husband then traveled to Wisconsin to be with her. Six months later, when Grandma was finally well enough to return home, the couple had no money to make the return journey. They figured it would cost $200 to get back home, so they prayed and trusted God would provide for their needs. Grandma’s prayer was, “Dear God, You know what we need.”
During their stay in Wisconsin, the town held its 4th of July celebrations. They attended the festivities, and entered a raffle, paying $1 for a chance to win a new refrigerator. Their number was called and they won the prize. Grandma gave thanks for the refrigerator, praying, “Thank you, Dear Lord, but a refrigerator isn’t exactly what we needed.”
Within a few minutes, before they could decide what to do with their new appliance, Mrs. Ragey, a local, came by and asked Grandma if she would like to sell her refrigerator. She said she would pay $200 for it. Of course, they sold the refrigerator, receiving the much-needed funds. Grandma prayed, “Oh! Thank you, Dear Lord, you did know exactly what I needed! I’m sorry for doubting your plan.”
The lesson, of course, is to have faith and let God decide how to provide for your needs. Also, you never know where you might find God - - it could be in your refrigerator!
The illustrations are rather flat and two-dimensional, and I don’t really like them. However, they are bright and colorful.
What I Like: The story provides a good lesson about faith and trusting in God.
What I Dislike: However, the story line is a bit confusing as it’s difficult to keep track of who is who. There is mention of Grandma, Great Grandpa, Great Grandma Boettcher, Dad, Uncle Fred, Jack, Jim, Carl, etc. I had a hard time keeping up.
And, rather than tell the story in third person, I think the story would have been much stronger if it had been told from a first person point of view, giving Grandma a first name and making her the narrator.
Overall Rating: Good.
Age Appeal: The publisher doesn’t specify an age group, so I would have to say 6-12 years.
Publisher Info: InterWeave, 2006; ISBN: 0977193640; Hardcover: $18.95.
Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by this author.
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