Heaven, God's Promise for Me

“We wondered when our Granny died,/ Where did she really go?/ It’s lonely here without her,/ And we just miss her so!”

When someone dear passes away and little ones start asking questions about Heaven, where can a parent turn for help? Check out Heaven, God’s Promise for Me, by Anne Graham Lotz. Kid-friendly, whimsical pictures created by Laura J. Bryant depict children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and animals of all kinds.

The story explores the promises God gives us about our eternal home. The book opens with a letter from Graham to parents, telling why she wrote the book and giving them some encouraging tips about how they can pass on their faith. Then the story begins. Written in rhyming verse, it follows a brother and sister as they pray for answers about Heaven, and then look for answers in the Bible. They discover that God not only has a great big house with many rooms, but that “Jesus, His Son, is preparing a place. With treasures from above--/ Our favorite foods and colors,/ And the special people we love…” Jesus will also wipe away our tears, and there will be no crying or pain or sickness or sadness or hunger!

The book goes on to describe the beauty of our Heavenly home. Finally, in the grand tradition of Billy Graham, daughter Anne Graham Lotz masterfully takes the tale to a poignant culmination by encouraging readers to put their trust in Jesus. In fact, after the story, the author includes a prayer kids can recite to ask Jesus into their hearts. The book also includes questions parents can use to help talk about Heaven (such as “Where is Heaven?” and “Will you be welcomed in Heaven? Why?”) and a helpful list of Scripture references used to build the foundation of the story.

What I Like: The book seems like a great tool to help guide children to understand eternity and how to put their faith in Christ. The inclusion of Scripture references provides both parent and child with a stepping stone to further explore the ideas presented in the story. I also LOVE the bright and appealing watercolor illustrations.

What I Dislike: Rhyming books are hard to write well. (In fact, out of the rhyming books I’ve read most recently, Crystal Bowman is one of the few authors who consistently gets the meter right.) In this book, the meter works some of the time, but sometimes it’s simply off. Because of that, when I read it out loud, I stumbled over a several verses. Still, the message and illustrations paired with the extra support (letter to parents, prayer, Scripture references) are strong enough to offset that flaw.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Ages 4 and up.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2011; ISBN:978-0310716013; Hardcover, 40 PGS., $16.99

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Special Info: Anne Graham Lotz is the CEO of AnGeL Ministries. You can find out more information about this ministry at her website. She mainly writes books for adults. Some titles are The Magnificent Obsession: Embracing the God-Filled Life, Just Give Me Jesus, and Heaven: My Father’s House.