God's Promises for Boys

A spiffy little collection of Bible verses related to key issues, God's Promises for Boys by Jack Countryman and Amy Parker is a good beginning for parents or young boys looking for targeted biblical quotations. The book is beautifully laid out, with color illustrations (by Richard Watson) showing a Caucasian boy and his friends of various ethnicities in a myriad of typically boyish situations. Each two-page spread features a topic (like "when you are worried," "when you are tempted to do the wrong thing," "about Praising God," "about obeying your parents," and "about serving others.") The title is followed by a four line rhyme about the theme, and the rest of the pages are devoted to Bible verses.

A typical example comes from the very first page, titled "God's Promises When You Want to Be Cool:"

"Stylin', chillin', and rollin' your way
Are fine when you're breakin' no rules.
But helpin', respectin', and followin' God's ways
Are the only way to be cool."

Three Bible verses follow: Romans 12:2 (about not being shaped by the world), Hebrews 13:15 - 16 (sacrifices that please God), and 1 Peter 2:9 (about being chosen by God).

What I Like: The book is certainly attractive; I wanted to pick it up and read it right away. The Bible verses seem on target, and I think this is a handy book for parents to pull out when their boy is experiencing a crisis, has a concern, or is not behaving as he should.

What I Dislike: This book could be more comprehensive; it's a good beginning, but seemed a little thin at times. The average number of Bible verses per topic is four.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publishing Info: Thomas Nelson, 2010; ISBN: 978-1400315925; hardback, $12.99

Buy Now at Amazon.com for $11.04, or buy the Kindle edition for $9.99.
OR buy at ChristianBook.com for $9.99

A Spanish-language version is also available from ChristianBook.com for $5.99.