It’s funny how we have so many children’s books in our home, but we end up reading some of the same favorites over and over. I have read a few of these books so much that they are literally memorized. I guess that’ll happen when you’ve read the same book over 20 years!
So it’s nice to get a few new books that refresh the collection for our youngest children. I’m familiar with lots more children’s books now, that I didn’t know about before starting MHM. But I chose these specifically for various reasons, which I will explain below:
Corrie ten Boom – The Courageous Woman and the Secret Room
I have always been amazed at the life story of Corrie ten Boom. So when I saw that there was a children’s book in the Do Great Things for God series, I was so excited! I love when there are great books for our littles to read about inspiring contemporary Christians.
The book touched on the seriousness of the situation Corrie ten Boom found herself in, but not in an egregious or inappropriate way. And of course, the author spoke to where Corrie’s strength came from – her faith in Jesus and the Word of God. There are also questions after the main story for kids to answer. We read this to our 7 year old twins and they really enjoyed it!
A Very Happy Easter
The next book I chose to read was A Very Happy Easter. It’s a short book that tells about the resurrection of Jesus, which is (unbelievably) right around the corner. The author creatively wrote to their readers at the beginning of the book that this book was “a bit different from others.” Normally, we use our eyes to look at the pictures in the book and we use our ears to listen to the story. However, in this book, the children were to additionally mimic the faces of the people portrayed in the book. Readers are also encouraged to think about how they would have felt.
This is a very light story of the death and resurrection of Christ. It briefly describes how many people thought Jesus was the king. However, there were others who rejected Him as king, and wanted Him dead. So he was killed, but was later resurrected. His disciples later went and told other people how they could now be friends with Jesus forever! I think this is a great way to introduce the gospel to children, without overwhelming them.
Sir Badalot and the Cranky Danky Dragon
If you have little boys or are in any way, in contact with little boys, Sir Badalot and the Crank Danky Dragon will be very relatable. Sir Badalot has a tough time controlling his temper. What he wants to do is build his own castle in the forest. But when anything went wrong, he’d end up losing his mind (can I get a witness?). And when he lost his mind, a sneaky dragon called The Cranky Danky Dragon, would feed on the tears and whining of the little boy.
What was ironic, however, was that the nasty Cranky Danky Dragon was the one who was causing much of the destruction of Sir Badalot’s castle and causing a lot of his frustration. So the boy would get frustrated and angry, which would feed the dragon’s belly. The dragon would then cause the boy to get frustrated again, then… And round and round they went. Until finally the little boy decided he would “man up.” He decided to use what he had around him to build the best castle that he could, no matter what.
Once he realized the good and beautiful things around him, his love for it all grew. So he decided to fight for the gifts he had been given. The little boy would not allow that dragon to sneak back into his life. He built a high wall of protection and found that by doing so, that dragon eventually disappeared.
Application
The story reminded me of Proverbs 25:28 – “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” My boys have had this verse repeated to them about a million times. It is so sad when you see adults who lack self control. They don’t even realize that the lack of self control only feeds the beast of sin who will never be satisfied and will only grow more strong. Which will in-turn, instigate more loss of self-control, therefore more sin, and it goes on and on.
Praise God for men (both young and old) who wake up from that spiral, and choose to do the best they can with what they have. They choose to build for themselves strong walls around their spiritual hearts no matter their circumstances, which ultimately will guard them from the temptations of the evil one.
Love these children’s books!
I highly recommend these books, as would all of our younger children! Check them out using the respective links above! And while you’re browsing, check out the rest of our incredible collection good, beautiful, and true titles!
