Psalms of Wonder by Carey Wallace, illustrated by Khoa Le

This is a beautiful book. It wonderfully paraphrases the psalms in a way that maintains a sense of wonder while still being gender expansive (for both God and humanity) and true to the mystery of our faith. This book hits all of the notes, combined with the magical illustrations of Khoa Le, whose illustrations I have come to love in a number of books.

I received a proof from the publisher but have purchased a hard copy for our family library.

Wonder: 52 Conversations to Help Kids Fall in Love with Scripture by Meredith Miller

I throughly appreciated Meredith Miller’s emphasis on “wonder” – and encouraging kids to engage with scriptures not with set answers but with curiosity and delight. The 52 stories provide a wonderful basis point for conversations about the stories of our scriptures, but they are not the sum total of what is to be gained from this resource.

Parents, church leaders, and anyone engaging kids with the Bible will appreciate her guidance in how to approach any conversation about the scriptures, whether it is a story contained in the book or not. It is both a resource and a method for engaging curiosity and depth of thought for children of all ages. We have added this to our home library.

Consider the Night Sky by Jennifer Grant, illustrated by Julianna Swaney

A sense of curiosity and wonder is what I aspire to cultivate in the lives of the children in my life. Jennifer Grant and Julianna Swaney (illustrations) deliver all of that once again with the third in the “Consider” series. Between Grant’s tender words and Swaney’s lovely illustrations, the young reader is inspired to wonder about the world around them and what that says about God. It gently points towards God our Creator without obnoxiously hitting us over the head, encouraging us to consider how we see God in the wonder of the night sky.

I received an advance digital copy from the publisher. It is a little too young for our kids to want to engage with it, but a lovely book none-the-less.

Branch by Rebecca Janni, illustrated by Michelle Carlos

The extended metaphor of trees and branches, gardens and seeds, is one that I have loved to explore in my own preaching and I love that Rebecca Janni has tackled them for children. Accompanied by Michelle Carlos’ vivid illustrations, Janni’s verses tell the story from Creation and the seeds that became the trees in the First Garden through the story of our ancestors of faith to the Garden of Resurrection to the fruits that come forth from the beauty of our connection to the Tree of Life and our lives lived in God.

It leans heavily on the image of the Jesse tree, which may or may not trip up some readers familiar with the Jesse Tree at Christmas, but that does not take away the beauty of the imagery.

I appreciated section at the end with the biblical references from the story for the families who want to dive deeper. I received an advance digital copy from the publisher.

This is How To Spot Animals! by Aline Portman, illustrated by Laura Watkinson

This was laugh-out-loud enjoyment! After reading though this story of a bear who very earnestly demonstrates how to spot animals and then fails to heed his own advise and misses all of the animals he wishes to see, I read it with each of my two primary schoolers. Their loud laughter and enjoyment of the story confirmed all I knew: this is a delightful, humerous, and throughly enjoyable book that will become a staple of our home library and, I hope, many other home libraries. I received an advance digital copy from the publisher and have purchased it for our library.

Flutter, Flap, Fly! by Ellen Mayer, illustrated by Estelle Corke

This is a delightful story of encouraging imaginative play. A father helps his young child to use his imagination in being a bird and joining in play with two other children at the playground. The play takes off, imaginations soaring, and he begins to come out of his shell and become comfortable both playing with other children and using his imagination.

I especially appreciated the commitment to diverse and inclusive illustrations, with a family of two dads and a child in a wheelchair.

Reading this with my young child was lovely to watch his joy as he began to flap his wings along with the children in the book and it has been a requested. I appreciated the advance digital copy from the publisher.

More! by Ged Adamson

More! More! MORE! Squirrel learns some important lessons as he goes for a walk with Mouse and begins to realize that more isn’t always better, especially when it means you leave behind the people you care for the most.

This was a well-crafted story for kids that we all loved. I definitely recommend this for families. Thanks to the publisher for this advance digital copy – it is an oft-requested re-read!

The Day Kindness Came by Phyllis Harris

The Whispering Woods begin to be transformed when the little girl named Kindness arrives. Her simple, loving and kind presence opens everyone’s eyes to the goodness in the forest animal they once shunned.

This story has such an important message about being kind to those around us. It was a delightful read and well illustrated.

I appreciated this advance digital copy from the publisher, and it has been a requested re-read at our home.

What the Crow Saw Below by Robert Tregoning, illustrated by Greg Stobbs

The young crow sits on the branch, learning the way of the crows from her older relations. And what she learns is to constantly be scanning the ground below, calling out “caution” at every creature that moves.

But what if, she wonders, what if we escaped that constant worry and looked up instead? What she beholds is a wondrous creation around her, and what she learns is a shift from a life of anxious worry about what might be to a life of joy and exploration at creation.

We loved this book, and it was an excellent read with our littles, especially as back-to-school approached. Many thanks to the publisher for the advance digital copy, we have added the hard copy to our home library.

A Time for Everything by Gretchen Huesmann, illustrated by Jonny Lambert

What a delightful retelling of Ecclesiastes 3 in the language of childhood. With whimsical illustrations, we’re taken to a world of play and tidy up, of make a mess and have a bath, of hiding and being brave.

Without being heavy handed, not only does this story take the child into our scriptures but helps them start to understand that even the parts of life they don’t love (like tidying up the toys!) have their place.

I received an advance digital copy from the publisher. We will be watching for its release in February 2027 to order a hard copy.