Dear God, It's Me!

In Dear God, It's Me!, a little elephant learns to call on God throughout his day. Based on Psalm 145:18(a) ("The LORD is near to all who call on him"), authors Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan illustrate how God is near every day through our prayers. Playful sketches by John Bendall-Brunello follow the little elephant through his day, from the moment his feet get out of bed, to the moment he crawls back in as day gives way to night.

What I Like: The story is really simple, but teaches core truths about trusting God, praying, and making His will yours. I like how the authors don't guarantee that life will be easy, but remind us we can call on God in times of trouble, and that He cares what's going on in our lives.

The elephants were really cute, and my kids loved seeing what they were doing during the day.

What I Dislike: When I read the book without benefit of the musical CD, the rhythm felt off and I found it difficult to get the pace right. Once I listened to the CD a few times, I found it easier. For instance, here's an example from what turns out to be the chorus:

"Dear God, I am calling... please listen... it's me!
You know all about my day from a to z!

You know when I'm frightened, sad or alone.
Please stay close beside me. Make my heart your own."

Reading this aloud without benefit of hearing the CD really tripped me up on my first pass through this book, and even after hearing the accompanying song, I find it hard to simply read the book without singing it.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 4 and up

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2005; ISBN: 978-0-310-70645-8; Hardback, 32 pgs., $15.99

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We've reviewed other books by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan here.