Spark a discussion about feeling uncertain through a Bible story that children can read and relate to.
A chapter book retelling the story of Moses, who felt anxious about being called to lead a nation out of Egypt with additional related snippets from other Bible stories. But God cares, providing constant reassurance and support through others around him. A reassuring story to help older children reflect and talk to people they trust about when they feel uncertain, and the support they need to build their confidence, including from God
The 'God Cares' series provides a Biblical approach to discussing emotions and behaviour with children to nurture an attitude of wellness. Children at different ages approach things differently in their stages of emotional development, so this series works at two different levels: Illustrated Readers aimed at 5-7 year-olds and Chapter Books aimed at 8+ years.
Please note that children progress at different reading abilities and stages of emotional development so the age ranges are only a guide for parents and carers.
The Bible stories are retold reflecting on the emotions and encourages children to discuss and relate this within their situations. Sections at the back provide a reflective space for children and practical advice for parents and carers.
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This installment of the series is geared toward older children, as it is in more of a chapter book format. This one tells stories about Moses and talks about how he must have been feeling some anxiety at these various points of his life. And then another story from the Gospels is shared in the middle of that chapter, between two parts about Moses. All three parts of each chapter get into some explanation about the feelings that could have been going on with the various characters in each story and try to relate it to the child's life. The end of the chapter gives some kind of writing prompt of reflection for the child to use to contemplate his own feelings.
For this section, I liked how these familiar Bible stories were being used to help the child explore her own feelings. I felt it was a bit odd and disjointed to have a Gospel story thrown into the middle of the chapter with two parts about Moses surrounding it, though. It was like switching gears midstream somehow. But this did feel like it could be a self-guided study. I appreciated the suggestions it gave to the child about how to approach trusted adults for discussion and guidance.
Then the back of the book is a section for parents and caregivers about how to handle anxiety in a child and when to seek help. This is a great resource for parents. I just feel weird about having it in a book that is designed for a child to read on his own, especially in a book for older children. I think for some kids, it would increase their anxiety as they read the descriptions and start to wonder if that is going on with them.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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