I was recently introduced to some board books for very young children that can help parents to start a discussion with their kids about God. Graham Blanchard is the company that publishes these books, and when I took a look around their website, I was very impressed for several reasons.
1. They partner with non-profit organizations by donating part of their earnings, and they promote literacy by donating books to children in need.
2. They have a statement of faith right on the website. I loved that I could know for sure where they stood and what the books were going to teach my children relating to doctrine.
3. Their company values are also listed right on the website, so you can see exactly where they are coming from and know what kind of company you are contributing to when you purchase.
The company's values from the website:
Honor God by loving him and people in all we do to contribute to the well-being of children and their families.Produce the highest quality books and resources that are excellent in language, illustration, and production quality in order to promote a love of learning about God.
Adhere to the highest ethical standards in relationships with collaborators, suppliers, partners and customers in a genuine, trustworthy, honest, and accountable manner.
Conduct a profitable business by investing soundly in products that meet the needs of customers and create prosperity for stakeholders who in turn may generously give.
Respect individuals, the community, and the environment by evaluating the impacts of our business decisions and adhering to best practices.
Graham Blanchard divides their books into three categories- Learn, Absorb, and Praise.
The Learn books dig into Scripture to teach children the truths of God's Word. There are words of Scripture along with beautiful photographs and information for parents to discuss the verse(s) with their children. I review Jesus Saves Me from the Learn category of books. This book quotes the words of John 10:14-16 where Jesus talks about His people being sheep. Along with the verses there are beautiful photographs of sheep. At the bottom of each page are discussion points for parents to discuss the verses. For example, "Shepherds do whatever they can to keep their sheep safe by watching over them... But only the one Good Shepherd, Jesus, came to this world to give His life for all." At the end of the book are ways parents can share the book with babies, toddlers, and young children.
The Absorb books help children make connections between the facts they are learning about Jesus with their personal lives. I reviewed Close as a Breath in the Absorb category of books. In this book rhyming words and soft colored illustrations tell the story of a father's conversation with his little girl. He uses the things they observe in nature- the blowing wind, the changing leaves, the stars- to illustrate to her how she can see the evidence of God around her even though she can't see God's face.
The Graham Blanchard website has a variety of resources for parents for using the books and sharing Jesus with their children. There is a guide with information about teaching young children about God. There is a tip sheet with information for using several specific books. There are Mom Mentors who share words of wisdom with other mothers through blog posts. And- my favorite- there is a prayer wall where you can add your child's name and age so that other parents can share in prayer for them.
I was very impressed with these new books and the vision of Graham Blanchard. I can definitely recommend them to parents with young children. You can connect with Graham Blanchard through social media:
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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