Love Letters from God: Bible Stories
I have a lovely stack of what I refer to as ‘boosters’. These are resources that fill in gaps, go more deeply into topics, and are versatile enough to be the spines of lessons as well as excellent support resources. They boost up just about anything I need to use with a group of children and families. Sometimes you have a lesson that’s falling a bit flat; booster shelf to the rescue. Sometimes you need a resource that lets you cozy up with a kiddo that’s out of sorts and needs a quiet read-together. Sometimes you need a book you can pass over to parents/caregivers and let them learn alongside their child. Booster shelf. I added Love Letters from God; Bible Stories to that shelf several years ago and have used it many times in many ways. When the publisher sent me the updated edition, I wondered how they could make a solid resource better. They did it!
Love Letters from God; Bible Stories features 18 stories from across the Old and New Testaments. The retellings are written in engaging language, short enough to hold the attention of preschoolers and elementary school aged children, and paired with beautiful, soft illustrations that accentuate the story. A Love Letter to the reader, from God, in part of each two page spread. The updated version has this printed directly on the page, which is a wonderful change. No more will the pieces be ripped or lost! Illustrations and language are inclusive; just about every child will see themselves represented in the illustrations and God is referred to as God; no gendered pronouns. The book ends with an encouragement for the reader to share a love letter with God, and the end papers feature little stamp-shaped vignettes from the stories.
Perhaps you haven’t already found this book and made it part of your library? Then you’ll want it to be part of your booster shelf. You’ll want it as the spine for enrichment ministries and midweek fellowship groups. You can use it as a multigenerational art project, creating your own stamps for the symbols from the Bible stories contained within. It would be a great addition to your bedtime stories and prayers. But if you already have it? Yes, an updated version would be a good addition. There’s no book jacket to rip/lose. The flaps are gone, making this book last even longer. And if you have a family as large as mine, an extra copy of a quality resource makes it so that when my booster copy gets squirreled away in someone’s bed, I’m not going to pull my hair out trying to find it.
