Books for kids this Christmas: Heroes and glorifying Jesus

There are a few days left until Christmas so I’ll first add a nativity story book to the other children’s books that I’d like to recommend to you this month.

Jesus and the Characters of Christmas: Who’s Who in God’s Great Plan for Redemption by Daniel Darling (ISBN 978 0 736 987 943).

Plus points for this book are:

1. Children will clearly see what an important role angels played in the nativity.
2. 2. The characters from Jesus’ family tree also feature prominently, such as David, Abraham, Rahab, and Ruth.
3. 3. Then, in addition to the other characters around the birth of Christ, the book concludes with the fact that we too can be part of the story of Jesus when we trust in Him.

Beyond Christmas

Moving away from the Christmas theme, two books that I recommend are African Heroes by Jerome Gay Jr. (ISBN 978 1 645 072 638) and What are Feet For? by Abbey Wedgeworth (ISBN 978 1 802 540 970).

Firstly, African Heroes. It’s plus points are:

1. In a culturally diverse world, it is good to introduce young readers to the heroes of the Christian faith that reflect that. Women like Perpetua and men like Cyprian of Carthage are featured in this list of eleven African Christian heroes. Each character is accompanied by a particular virtue that is associated with their testimony.
2. Not only does this book introduce church heroes and heroines from Africa, it introduces the central characters of the early church.
3. The illustrations are excellent. And the whole book has a visual appeal to the design.

Next, we turn to What are Feet For? I loved the idea of this book when it first arrived on my desk. I loved it even more by the time I got to the end. Plus points:

1. There are some great lift-the-flaps throughout the book. Perfect for inquisitive toddlers.
2. The way that Jesus is strongly introduced in the story takes this boardbook to the next level.
3. Young children are taught how to use their feet to glorify Jesus, and they see how Jesus glorified God His Father through His feet and obedience.
4. They are encouraged to be like Jesus Christ in the way they use their feet to please and obey God.

Seeing in the New Year

Finally, here is one other book to look out for in the New Year: Guess What, God Loves You. It is a child’s introduction to key Scripture verses that cover the depth and power of the love of God, particularly through Romans 8:38-39.