God, the Great I AM by Sydney Ann Johnson

God, the Great I AM
by Sydney Ann Johnson,
Thais Mesquita Silveira Cunha (Illustrator)

ISBN-13: 9781640704169
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Our Daily Bread Publishing
Released: February 3, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
I AM...
I am the God of gods and Lord of lords, and my love will last forever
I created you for a reason, with a special purpose


God, The Great I AM is a love letter from God’s heart to yours. Through lyrical language and vibrant imagery, Sydney Ann Johnson invites you and your child to explore who God is, what He does, and how much He cares for you. This beautifully illustrated picture book helps children ages 4 to 8 see God’s beauty in creation and feel His presence in their everyday lives. Whether your child is feeling joy, fear, sadness, or wonder, they can turn to the Great I AM with confidence. With diverse characters and gentle truths woven throughout, this story encourages every child to embrace their God-given identity and find comfort in His never-ending love. Scripture is included in the back to help parents and caregivers further explore the Bible with children.


My Review:
God, the Great I AM is a Christian nonfiction, exploring who God is for children ages 4 to 8. The book follows two girls (black, asian) and two boys (white). While the title says who is speaking, the text in the book just says "I am..." The text listed things God created and controls and explained only He can create out of nothing. That He has always existed and never changes. He's the giver of all good things and all He does is good. He makes plants grow and season's change. He wants us to talk to Him about anything. He's everywhere at once and keeps watch over you. He designed how various things look and work, including "I shaded people in magnificent varieties of brown, with melanin in every hue." He created us and how we look, and "Before the beginning of time, I knew you."

"I created you for a reason with a special purpose: to reflect my image--bright, creative, and compassionate. To care for my world--the big and small. To bring honor to my holy name." "I will be your helper and your friend, your God and your Savior. Place your hope in me and I will show you I AM who I AM."

The illustrations are stylized rather than more realistic in style. They illustrated what's being talked about in the text. Overall, I'd recommend this book.




If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Draw Close to Jesus by Heidi Chiavaroli

Draw Close to Jesus
by Heidi Chiavaroli

ISBN-13: 9780800746544
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: January 20, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It is hard to imagine a more needed and desirable invitation than "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." The Gospel accounts are full of stories of Jesus noticing, meeting, and walking alongside people who were weary, worried, and wondering what to do about the challenges they faced. People a lot like you. Jesus intentionally drew close, spent unhurried time with them, and changed their lives forever.

Through imaginative retellings, Heidi Chiavaroli brings to life the stories of 40 people who encountered him in the pages of Scripture. As you journey alongside them, you will gain new appreciation for the beauty of repentance, the power of redemption, and the incredible intimacy we get to experience with the One who stepped into our sin and shortcomings to offer forgiveness, abundance, and rest for our weary souls.


My Review:
Draw Close to Jesus is a 40 day devotional for Lent built around "imaginative retellings" of people who encountered Jesus in the New Testament. Each day started with the fictional account, written in first person present tense ("I cry"). After this, the author suggested some questions or comments to ponder, followed by a short prayer. She also included the Bible verses that inspired her story.

My main problem was that the author sometimes didn't stick to what's told in the Scriptures. For example, She had Judas leading Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus when the Gospels do not mention Romans, only Jews: "chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders." She had Jesus leave all but three of his disciples outside of Gethsemane while the Gospels portray them as in the garden with Jesus and Jesus withdrawing 'about a stone’s throw beyond them.' And so on.

The author also sometimes got too imaginative. For example, she described Gethsemane as a garden of fruit trees, with Jesus sitting under a fig tree with pomegranate trees nearby. "Gethsemane" means "an oil press" and is on the Mount of Olives, but she departed from the traditional view that the garden largely held olive trees. Also, she described leprosy as an intensely painful disease where the flesh literally rotted off the body and involved a fever (so an infection) that caused death. This is not what leprosy (now called Hansen's disease) is like.

The author also didn't seem to know some basic facts, like she gave a person "linen robes" and another person a "flax tunic." But linen is cloth made from flax. In another place, she stated that newborn lambs were sacrificed on "its eighth day of life," but (when the age is mentioned), lamb sacrifices were to be one year old. And some things just didn't seem normal for the culture, like she had James think that the smell of Passover lambs roasting over the fire was a "foul odor" when they would have considered it a festive treat.

While some of the stories were well-written and drew out good points, I can't really recommend the devotional due to the amount of creative license the author took.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Heart Who Wanted to Lasso Thoughts by Beth Guckenberger

The Heart Who Wanted to Lasso Thoughts by Beth Guckenberger

ISBN-13: 9780830786015
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: David C Cook
Released: February 3, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The party looks so fun! Full of party food, games, and people! But one little cowboy is uninvited and oh-so-unhappy. Bad thoughts threaten to carry his heart away, but God helps him learn to lasso those thoughts with thankful prayers. See how the power of gratitude can help us all fight off envy and discontentment with hope and joy.

Parents and teachers looking for ways to help kids navigate big feelings will love the StrongHeart Stories, a series of illustrated spiritual tales by Beth Guckenberger and Irina Mileo. In The Heart Who Wanted to Lasso Thoughts, based on 2 Corinthians 10:5, children learn how to be thankful for the good all around them instead of being carried away by negativity. Let’s train an emerging generation to grow strong hearts and sound minds and be free from the power of the enemy!


My Review:
The Heart Who Wanted to Lasso Thoughts is a children's hardback picture book about combatting bad thoughts with God's truth and with gratitude. A young boy (and his heart) sees kids having fun at a party that he wasn't invited to, and negative thoughts start to ruin his mood. "'People are mean and the world is bad. There's absolutely no good thing to be had. Everyone has better, bigger, and more. What have YOU got to be thankful for?' But the heart knew these rumply thoughts were not true." The heart then repeats Scripture (in a kid-understandable version and with the Bible reference provided) to counter these and other arguments, like "You are not wanted" or "You mess up everything." It's a wonderful, child-level guide to taking every thought captive (lassoing it) and focusing on what is true and good. I'd highly recommend this fun, important kid's book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Compassionate Christ by Sherri Hughes-Gragg

The Compassionate Christ
by Sherri Hughes-Gragg

ISBN-13: 9781400253340
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: November 4, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In The Compassionate Christ author Sherri Hughes-Gragg invites you to embark on a transformative journey to witness firsthand the abundant and welcoming love of Jesus. Through emotive storytelling, a form of fictional narrative that mixes biblical history with Scripture, Sherri transports you back in time to vividly bring to life the biblical stories of Jesus' interactions with people. For thirty-one days you will walk alongside the Savior, witness miraculous healings and events, and experience His compassion and mercy by thinking and feeling along with the people whose lives have been instantly transformed by His love and grace.


My Review:
The Compassionate Christ is a 31-day devotional. For each day, we're asked to read a passage in the Bible, then the author wrote a fictionalized account of that passage, showing Jesus' compassion toward the hurting, the outcast, and sinner. The author ended each devotional with a short prayer regarding a truth learned from the biblical account.

The author did a lot of research into what life would have been like at the time of Jesus and included information that helped draw out the full impact of what was happening in each biblical account. She stayed true to what's actually in the Bible, simply filling in Bible background details to make the setting come alive and adding some motivation for why people might have acted the way they did. For example, the background information helped show why the woman with the issue of bleeding tried to hide that she'd touched Jesus. Overall, I'd recommend this well-research and interesting devotional.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Don't Worry, Warrior! by Levi Lusko

Don't Worry, Warrior!
by Levi Lusko,
Studio Muti (Illustrator)

ISBN-13: 9781400253265
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Released: Oct. 28, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Follow this guidebook to wage war against anxious thoughts! Bestselling author and pastor Levi Lusko will help your tween win the hardest battles of the middle school years, including the fears, insecurities, and negative thoughts within their own heads.

Peer pressure is sneaking up on you. Moodiness is hiding in the bushes, ready to pounce. And worry wants to pin you to the ground. But you don't have to be afraid of every problem and feeling that you're confronted with. You have so much more power over what you think, how you feel, and how you act than you ever knew!

Follow the fictional characters Luca and Coral as they become warriors who overcome their struggles and glean wisdom from the biblical teaching, sage advice, and practical tools shared in every chapter. Don't Worry, Warrior!, inspired by Levi's popular book I Declare War, is for ages 8 to 12 and is a fun mix of Levi's teaching, guidance from God's Word, and fictional stories that bring each struggle and victory to life. Suitable for small groups and Bible studies for preteens.


My Review:
Don't Worry, Warrior! is a Christian book for ages 8 to 12. Each chapter handled a different challenge and usually started with a fictional account following Luca or Coral as they dealt with emotional challenges, like moving or peer pressure. The fictional situation was set up, then there's a nonfiction section giving advice on how to handle similar situations. This included examples from the author's life and from the Bible along with some relevant Bible verses. This nonfiction section included a work sheet area were you're asked a few questions that help you analyze a similar situation to understand why you acted a certain way and how you might do it differently in the future. There's also a sidebar with suggestions on things to do or think about to become a more courageous warrior. Then the fictional section continued, showing the child getting that advice and how it worked out for them.

The book covered things like how to handle your feelings when things don't go your way (talk about it, give it to God, ask God to help), taking charge of your mood, finding the good in change, trying to fit in and dealing with bullying, how we say mean things when we're angry and steps we can take so we don't lash out with hurtful words, learning to explain how you feel and what made you feel that way, being aware of your bad habits and steps to take to make good habits, how daily habits and choices make it easier to perform your best when it matters most, and giving your worries to God. Overall, I thought that the book offered useful advice along with doable steps for tweens to make positive changes. I'd recommend it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Beloved by Francis Chan

Beloved
by Francis Chan

ISBN-13: 9780830789054
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: David C Cook
Released: October 7, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. Plus I bought a copy.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Despite pastoring for decades and reaching thousands of people through his books and preaching, Francis wrestled with deep-seated insecurity. He understood God’s love conceptually, but struggled to actually experience it. This resulted in a life that was far from the thrilling and peaceful life God saved us for. Francis prayed fervently for God to intervene, and asked his friends and family to do the same. The result was a fresh revelation of the depth of God’s love and affection. This brought about newfound freedom and enjoyment of God that only continues to grow.

As Francis shared this journey with others, he realized that many in the Church are burdened by the same insecurity, and God is zealous to change this. In Beloved, Francis Chan gives biblical insight our restlessness and striving is a symptom of our disbelief of God’s love and Satan’s schemes to keep us trapped in doubt and insecurity. Discover abiding in our identity as God’s beloved children and how God’s love overflows to a life of radical obedience and joy. God longs for His children to rest securely in His holy love. It’s what we were made for, and it is this inward confidence that causes us to be light unto the world.


My Review:
Beloved is about focusing on God's great love for us and how it can free us from the burden of trying to earn God's approval. The book "was written primarily to those who tend to focus on their own failures rather than His mercy, grace, and love." The author pointed out verses describing how much God loves us. He explained why we may not accept this and ways that Satan can keep us distracted from God's love and looking at ourselves. He described things you can do that will help you focus on God's love and counteract Satan's deceptions. He also looked at if we serve God out of our overflow of God's love or to try to earn God's love.

There were many good points, but my favorite quote was about how John called himself the beloved disciple and how "John was expressing faith in Christ's love, not in his own lovability." The book was written in a causal, conversational tone, and it was easy to follow his points. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Wonders of the First Christmas by Andy McGuire

The Wonders of the First Christmas
by Andy McGuire

ISBN-13: 9780310170211
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Released: October 7, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Christmas story is so familiar that we often take the details for granted. But did Mary and Joseph really ride on a donkey to Bethlehem? What was a manger and why did they use one for Jesus’s bed? And where were the wise men actually from? By approaching the story with historical insight and a child’s sense of wonder, Andy McGuire crafts a tale that feels fresh and insightful, using well-researched material and beautiful original artwork.

The Wonders of the First Christmas combines the gospel text of the nativity story with historical and geographic facts about ancient Israel and the life and times of Jesus. It gives children a solid foundation for their faith with beautiful art and additional content. For children ages 4 and up, it includes an easy-to-read main story as well as callouts with easy-to-understand facts.


My Review:
The Wonders of the First Christmas is a Christian book about Christmas for ages 4 and up. The illustrations were in a very realistic style and showed historically accurate visuals for the story. The main text recounts the birth of Jesus as described in the Bible, from Mary being visited by an angel until Jesus' family returns from Egypt after Herod's death. There were also boxes with a paragraph or two of historical information that expanded upon the main text, and this would be of more interest to maybe 7 year-olds and up. These boxes provided more information on carpenters, Rome, donkeys, inns, swaddling clothes, shepherds, sheep, angels, mangers, wise men, prophecy about Jesus' birth, myrrh and frankincense, camels, and Egypt. Overall, I think this would be of most interest to kids who have grown up hearing the basic Christmas story but are old enough to like learning more background information. I'd recommend this well-written and illustrated book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.