I was introduced to these little gems a few years ago while writing the 4 Year ABC Jesus Loves Me Curriculum. Looking for books to teach character, I loved the simplicity and Biblical foundation that these books provided. And from your response, you agree.
The “God I Need to Talk To You About” series contains 24 books explaining topics of greed, anger, laziness, sharing, bedtime, and several other character education topics. Each book begins with a child explaining an issue with which he or she is struggling. In the form of a prayer, the child tells God the details of the situation. Bible stories and characters are used to emphasize the point. Forgiveness and asking for forgiveness are key components to each story. All stories end with “Amen.”
UPDATE: The publisher has released a book containing all 24 stories – God, I Need to Talk to You: Stories about God’s Love and Forgiveness.
What drew me to this series was the simple and honest story line. I love how the stories teach the reader how to pray. Prayer is laying your thoughts out to God in a real and honest way. That is exactly what these books teach.
Applicable scripture can be found among the illustrations. The scriptures are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. Unfortunately this is not an easily understood version for children. I wish the verses would have been written on a child’s level.
Some of the topic are geared more for early elementary aged children. These topics include homework and going to school. A few of the books also discuss the topic of “being grounded.” I had to explain to my children that this is the same as a toy being put in time out for a while.
These are very small books; more like a booklet at 5.5 x 4.5 inches. With 16 short pages, these books are pretty short. Because of their size, these books are very inexpensive as far as book prices go – around $1.00-$2.00 each.
Throughout the ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum you will find links to these books. I highly suggest that you add them to your home library. Here are the 24 titles in the “God, I Need to Talk to You about…” series.
Bad Manners
Bad Words
Bedtime
Being a Bad Sport
Bullying
Cheating
Disrespect
Feeling Sad
Greed
Healthy Eating
Homework
Hurting Others
Laziness
Lying
My Bad Temper
My Parents (Covers the topic of when parents fight.)
Paying Attention
School
Sharing
Stealing
Talking Back (Read disclaimer below)
Vandalism
Video Games
Whining
Disclaimer: The book God I Need to Talk to You about Talking Back contains a point which does not align with my theological beliefs. As with all books, I encourage you to read each sentence using the Bible as your guide for truth.
Thank you to Concordia Press for allowing me to review this books.
