I Talk to God About How I Feel

Every child dealing with feelings of loss, anxiety, fear, anger, or the pain of illness would be greatly encouraged by I Talk to God About How I Feel by bestselling author, Stormie Omartian.

Part of a three part book collection that includes The Prayer that Makes God Smile and What Happens When I Talk to God?, I Talk to God About How I Feel is the ultimate tool in teaching your child how to confide in God.

Drawing from 1 Peter 5:7, "Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you," and with a spirit of confidence in God's ability and willingness to answer, Omartian addresses some of the negative emotions all children will inevitably face. And she faces them head on with the power of prayer.

"All boys and girls have feelings. God made us this way," the author writes. "God cares about all of our feelings. He cares about us when we are sad just as much as He cares about us when we are happy. He cares about us when we are lonely or mad just as much as He cares about us when we are worried, hurt or afraid."

The large print, bright lettering and simple language makes this book great for early readers. Significant portions are highlighted for emphasis, such as the following:

• God Cares.
• Talk to Him!
• God helps me!
• God loves me!
• Pray to Him.
• Thank you.

The illustrations by Shari Warren, are colorful and highly expressive, which adds a deeper element to the text. The illustrations depict children of several different ethnicities.

What I Like: Dealing with negative emotions is not the only thing addressed in this book. Readers are reminded to focus on the things that make them happy, also, and to thank God for those things in prayer. A special page is provided at the end where the reader can write down 20 things that make him/her happy.

While addressing loneliness, the author writes, "Sometimes I feel lonely...But it's not good to feel lonely for a long time. God says in the Bible that He wants to be my friend. He says He will never leave me." Throughout the book, there is a positive touch. Though subtle, this emphasis is there - while God wants us to talk to him about our struggles, He does not want us to dwell in them. He wants to help us overcome them!


What I Dislike: Nothing!

Overall Rating: Excellent! I can't speak highly enough about this book. I believe every family with young children would benefit from having this book in their library.

Age Appeal: 3 - 10. Because the pictures are so vibrant and the language is so simple, I believe that a child as young as 3 could benefit from this book, especially if he/she is experiencing some of the emotions mentioned previously. I would, however, caution parents to carefully consider the content that is of a more mature nature (such as death) before reading it with the very young.


Publishing Info: Harvest House Publishers, 2010; 978-0-7369-2685-0 ; Hardcover; $9.99.

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Special Info: You may also be interested in The Power of a Praying Parent, also available in Spanish. You can learn more about the author, Stormie Ormartian, on her website. You can learn more about the illustrator, Shari Warren, on her website.  You can also read reviews of The Prayer that Makes God Smile and What Happens When I Talk to God? at the Christian Children's Book Review.

What Does the Bible Say About That?

If your 8-to-12-year-old has lots of questions about the Bible - especially about how it pertains to his or her everyday life - What Does the Bible Say About That? by Carolyn Larsen is a must have.

This well organized book begins like this:

"News flash! Learning to live for God doesn't happen overnight. Nope, it's a journey. Think about it - when you start out on a long road trip, more than likely your mom or dad has the trip mapped out. Well, your Christian life journey is mapped out, too - in the Bible. This amazing book is not just a bunch of 'do this and don't do that' lists. It's the history of God's love for you and how his Spirit living in you will guide, protect, love, forgive, and love you again."

Larsen also explains that we all fail, but that God is full of grace so we can begin again, fresh. She says, "What Does the Bible Say About That? will help you understand how God's love and grace is part of your everyday life."

By either checking the index or the detailed table of contents - or simply by paging through the book, which has topics arranged alphabetically - your children can learn what the Bible says on a wide range of topics, including ambition, angels, anger, cheating, clothes, divorce, diaries, dancing, the environment, fortune telling, fear, free time, Heaven, Hell, history, humility, judging others, math, money, music, natural disasters, the opposite sex, pain, prayer, quitting, rebellion, rest, sadness, sarcasm, self control, sex, smoking, texting, the trinity, unborn children, worship, and more - over 300 topics in all.

"Texting?" you may ask. "Smoking? Does the Bible really discuss these things?" Sort of, the author tells us. She says texting is impersonal, but God puts great importance on personal relationships. Texting is fun and fine, but we mustn't forget to speak face-to-face with each other and showing how we care for each other. And smoking isn't a good thing because God wants us to care for the body he give us.

When discussing "hot" topics like sex and drugs, the author is biblically accurate. She tells readers sex is designed for a husband and wife and that our society has cheapened sex. Dating should be kept pure; don't experiment with sexual activity. She says drinking alcohol impairs your judgment and isn't good for your body. She says God wants us to take good care of our bodies; that means eating well (not too little and not strange diet foods)...You get the idea.

Each topic also includes a "Today I Will..." section encouraging kids to apply what they've learned. Throughout, newspaper cartoon style illustrations with captions by Rick Incrocci add interest.

What I Like: What an excellent guide for both kids and parents! Even if you aren't ready to allow your child to freely peruse a book that discusses sex and drugs, keep this on your shelf to help you guide your child through difficult issues. It's a great read together, devotional-style book that you can trust to be biblically sound. It's not exhaustive, but succinct and to the point.

What I Dislike: Nothing. However, even though the author offers Bible verses for each topic, it would be nice if she gave additional passages to look up.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 8 - 12.

Publisher Info: Crossway, 2009; ISBN: 1433502135; paperback; $15.99

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With My Mom, With My Dad: A Book About Divorce

When Justin’s parents can’t resolve their differences, they get a divorce, leaving him torn between spending time with his mom and spending time with his dad. With My Mom, With My Dad: A Book About Divorce, by Maribeth Boelts, is part of the Zonderkids Helping Kids Heal series of books. This one tackles the issue of divorce head-on from the perspective of a young boy caught in the middle between the two parents. He loves both of them, and they both love him, but he must deal everyday with the pain of not being with both of them at the same time.

Every night before bed, no matter where he is, one of his parents tucks him in and tells him, “God loves you, Justin, and so do I.” He realizes that God’s love stays the same, no matter what happens in his life.

There is a section at the end of the book called, “When a Child Is Facing His Parents’ Divorce,” that gives some guidelines for parents on how to handle this situation.

The illustrations by Cheri Bladholm, are extremely life-life, almost like photographs.

What I Like: Although it’s not easy to discuss the subject of divorce with children, especially when the parents are Christians, sometimes it is necessary. This book handles the subject in both a realistic and sensitive manner.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests 4-8 as the age group for this book. Even though some youngsters in this age group have to deal with their parents divorcing, I think they’re a bit young for the way this book is written. I think a more appropriate age group would be 6-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2004; ISBN: 0310706440; Hardcover, $9.99.

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