I Want to Know the Wonder of God

I Want You to Know the Wonder of God, written by Kirk Jackson and illustrated by Gwynne Simmons, shares a conversation between parent and child about the omnipresence of God. Told through rhyming verse, the text begins with the universe, stars and nature, then travels throughout many aspects of life: joy, trials, fear, pain. It explains that God is in and with His children through all of it. He hurts when we hurt and He rejoices when we rejoice. Even though we cannot see Him, we are never alone.

The cartoon-like illustrations offer full-page color and plenty of whimsy. They compliment the text beautifully.

What I Like: This is a comforting book, a "cozy" book, as my kids would say. The language is easy to understand and the illustrations, while simplistic, are inviting. It definitely elicits wonder in God, which is the author's intent! I also really like the size. At 10" square, it easily stretches over multiple laps, which is great when you have more than one cuddler.

What I Dislike: The rhyme and meter were off in a few spots. This is not a huge deal, but it did make reading aloud momentarily awkward.

My biggest concern is the presented ambiguity of God. It is difficult to explain God to a child, but there are concrete things we know about Him. Because this book focused primarily on His omnipresence, one could misconstrue truth into New Age philosophy. Yes, God is reflected in all of His creation, but He is not actually "in" the stars or the trees. Those things are not God and, while I delight in the wonder and imagery of this book, I would be careful to whom I recommend it. Readers with solid theological understanding would have no problem with it. Those new to faith and Scripture might encounter confusion.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: Not specified by the publisher, but I would say 3-7.

Publisher Info: Going Home Stories, 2012; ISBN: 0985202505; Hardback; 36 pages; $16.95

Buy it Now at Amazon.com for $16.95!