My Great Big God: 20 Bible Stories to Build a Great Big Faith

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (12/06) "My Great Big God" contains 20 Bible stories intended to teach children important concepts about God. Young children may not understand the belief in omnipotence, but they do grasp the idea of bigness. The collection concentrates on conveying God's awesome power using the word "big." The first story "A Great Big World" acquaints readers with creation and what God made on this earth ... everything. "A Great Big Escape" relates how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and years of slavery. "A Great Big Lion" tells the miracle of God sending angels to close the big lions' mouths allowing Daniel to survive in their den. This cute board book presents each short story in child-friendly meter and rhythm. The poetry is well-crafted in most of the stanzas. One of my favorites is another story of deliverance. "A Great Big Hero" tells about Esther risking her life to save her people. I also like "A Great Big Picnic" as it recounts the miracle known as the feeding of the five thousand. I appreciate revisiting many of the well-known Bible stories in this fresh retelling and cute format. Caron Turk provides colorful and endearing illustrations for each story. Children will enjoy looking at the details in the artwork like seashells on the shore and monkeys in the trees in "A Great Big World" or counting the pairs on Noah's ark in "A Great Big Boat." Each story cites a Bible passage allowing parents to build on the experience by sharing with their child directly from Scripture. A key phrase follows each story which helps convey the message of what God's bigness can accomplish. "My great big God keeps me safe!" "My great big God guides me!" "My great big God hears me when I pray!" "My great big God helps me help others!" Each statement ties to the poem and the corresponding scripture and helps the child apply the principle to their lives. Holmes and Turk have delivered a well-constructed package to teach little ones biblical concepts and provide positive influence. Parents will value reading and rereading these poems in "My Great Big God" with their preschoolers. Older siblings and younger siblings can have fun together, too. I predict it won't be long before child and reader will know many of the lines from this colorful book by heart.