Children's Book Notes: Two New Books From Little Lamb Publishing

Laura Range reviews two sweet children’s stories that incorporate faith into a fun imaginative tale and a comforting bedtime story.

"Read it again! Read it again!"

Children love repetition and that includes reading the same book over and over. As we grow our family and our children get older, I realize the importance of having good quality children's books that not only they but also I am happy to hear over and over again! We have become selective in the books we choose, and we prefer books with faith and virtue over the latest movie or television character. While we will always love religious children's books that tell the stories of the Bible and the saints, it's also great to find storybooks that weave faith into simple everyday stories. Little Lamb publishing company provided us with two books that do just that.

Gracie Lou Wants a Zoo, by Shelly Roark, introduces us to Gracie Lou, a little girl with a big desire for many pets. Because she lives in a small apartment, she is only able to have a pet turtle, but her parents encourage her to "be patient if you can and wait on God's plan" throughout the book. Gracie Lou has a dream that all the animals she wanted now live in their apartment but it's not quite as nice as she thought it would be! She realizes waiting on God's timing and plan really is best. This was a lovely little story that children would relate to and enjoy. The illustrations were fun and I liked the catchy reminder to wait on God's plan. An additional bonus was the fill-in-the-blank page at the end to 'interview' your child all about their favorite animals -- what a sweet memory maker.

Good Night, Fireflies, by Janet L. Christensen, tells the story of Landon, a little boy scared of going to bed, and how his earthly father helped him find comfort by knowing His heavenly Father was always with him. They look at the fireflies outside and the little boy's dad explains that even when you can't see the fireflies lighting up, they are still there, just like God. While the story was well-written and the illustrations were beautiful, I have one hesitation with it. We have found that unless our children are already struggling with a fear of bedtime, it's better not to read books such as this one and 'introduce' them to fearing the dark. The book talks about scary shadows and being scared to go to bed. If this is already your child's reality, it would be a great book to bring comfort and the truths of our great God's providence and presence to them. But if they are not struggling, it may not be the best bedtime pick.

Children's stories from @LittleLambBooks incorporate faith into a fun imaginative tale and a comforting bedtime story.  #catholicmom

Overall, I was delighted to learn of the relatively new publishing company, Little Lamb Books. While not specifically Catholic (their statement of faith does include the Bible as the "complete" Word of God, whereas Catholics know the Word of God to include the truths handed down through the Church as well), how refreshing to know that Little Lamb is committed to providing quality books that will increase your child's faith rather than challenge it as many youth and young adult books do today.

Copyright 2020 Laura Range