Let's Explore God's World

Whether or not you believe in man-made climate change, there's no doubt the Bible tells us to care for the world around us. With this in mind, author and illustrator Debby Anderson gives us Let's Explore God's World, a book about appreciating and caring for God's creation.

Here you'll find Anderson's familiar style of story telling. There are colorful, cute children on every page (with many different skin colors). There are lots of cuddly-looking animals. There are plenty of Bible verses. And there's interactive material.

Anderson begins by reminding us God made the earth and everything on it, from "bird eggs and bug legs...[to] rainbows and rhinos." He also gave us eyes, ears, noses, tongues, and fingers for enjoying his creation. Then Anderson takes us on a journey around creation - beaches, forests, cityscapes, jungles, deserts, mountains, the ocean, et cetera, giving us poem-like text about each. For example, for the rain forest she writes:

"We feel bushy vines and mushy moss.
We see God's creativity in bugs and beetles, frogs and polliwogs.
We hear macaws and monkeys, toucans and toads!
We smell and taste papaya and pineapple!
We wonder how a creepy-crawly caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly."

Periodically throughout the book, Anderson reminds us to care for our amazing world. She suggests we reduce our use of water, avoid wasting paper, respect and be gentle with animals, plant seeds for new plants, recycle, and similar things. She also encourages activities such as counting the butterflies in the book or asking what we can smell or hear in God's world.

What I Like: My daughter and I are big fans of Debby Anderson's books. They are colorful, cheerful, and kid-friendly, and this book is no exception. I also think she hits the mark perfectly, giving us a book that reminds us of the biblical principles of good stewardship while avoiding modern political rhetoric.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 3 - 8.

Publisher Info: Crossway, 2009; ISBN: 1433507080; hardback; $10.99

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