One Of My Favorite Books From 2017, and a Giveaway!

Out of all the wonderful children’s picture books I read in 2017, one stands out.

Maybe God is Like That Too, written by author Jennifer Grant and published by Sparkhouse Family, is a lovely little tale of a boy who wonders where God is and his wise grandma, who shows him.

Maybe it’s because I have ‘God conversations’ with my little six-year-old grandson, just like the characters in the story, or maybe it’s because I was lucky enough to meet the author at a Writer’s Conference where she signed my copy, but either way, this book is a favorite.

Told by a young boy, the book begins:

“Grandma, does God live in the city?”

I ask one morning at breakfast.

“Yes, God is here,” she says,

“You just need to know where to look.”

 

“Whenever you see love, joy, and peace, God is there,”

she says, stirring her tea.

“Whenever there’s patience, kindness, and goodness, God is there too. When you see

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, that’s God’s Spirit at work.”

The little boy goes about his day with new eyes, and realizes that God is everywhere he looks… in the hug full of love from his grandma; in the joy he feels on the swing; in the peace of his classroom; the patience of his teacher and the goodness of a neighbor… God is there.

With whimsical illustrations by Benjamin Schipper, this book is a wonderful exploration of the nine fruits of the Spirit and how God is present in our ordinary, everyday lives. No wonder this title won the gold medal in the 2017 Moonbeam Spirit Awards for exemplary literary work for children.

Would you like to win a copy? All you have to do is comment on this post. The winners will be announced on this comment thread on Monday 8th January. Thanks to Sparkhouse Publishing for sponsoring the two-book giveaway. (If you share the post on Facebook, just let me know in the comments here and I’ll enter your name twice.) 🙂

Good Luck!

AND THE WINNERS ARE: NICOLE & YVONNE STEINDAL. CONGRATULATIONS!

111 thoughts on “One Of My Favorite Books From 2017, and a Giveaway!

  1. Peggy Manrose

    Oh, what a lovely book! I’d love to read this with my granddaughter, Charlie! Conversations about God with a grandchild is simply the best!!

    Reply
  2. Diane Grimm

    Jennifer conveys the meaning of the fruits of the spirit in a fresh way. Love the lively illustrations too!

    Reply
  3. Karen Peace

    Our theme this year in Crossclub is The Fruit of the Spirit! I will be buying this book for our ministry!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Glenys

    This book would be ideal for me to share with my 4 year old granddaughter. She stays with us every second weekend and loves to come to Church with us. Her parents do not attend Church, but she is starting to grasp what God is about. We alsways have story time before she goes to sleep and this book would be a wonderful addition to our collection.

    Reply
  5. Nancy

    I find that books told from a particular perspective, especially that of a child, can be very eye-opening! I’d love to be able to share this book with our little ones at church.

    Reply
  6. Ann

    I’d love to win this book! I would read it to my 6 year old and the foster kids who come through our home. (And I shared on facebook!)

    Reply
  7. Jill Winter

    Oh, this book looks like such a special one to share with the kids!! I’m definitely putting it on my wish list! Shared on Facebook, too!

    Reply
  8. Lauralee Hensley

    In this world a book like this for young ones sounds wonderful. It gives them a different outlook or way of seeing things that are going on around them. It could lead to them sharing things that happened during the day that were good and maybe help them to want to copy good actions they see in others. I’d love to be included for a chance to win this book.

    Reply
  9. Joyce Watson

    Well, I am so excited! I love children’s books and sharing the stories.
    This is so special…knowing you wrote this and I just love the one book I bought
    just recently of yours, “Letters from God”.
    I will share on my facebook page also.

    Reply
  10. Deborah Grupe

    This looks like a book I’d love to share with our as-yet-unborn first grandchild, due in May, and his/her parents.

    Reply
  11. Anne Hoganson

    I’d love to have a copy of this to read with the children in my faith community. (Or with my own daughters… they’re 21 and 27 now but still love a good story!) I shared on Facebook too. Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Krista Lovell

    Would love to share this book with my two grandsons and my church grandchildren!
    Sharing on my Facebook page as well.

    Reply
  13. Pam Ferrell

    Lovely book. This would be really great to give to our grandparents on Grandparents Day 2018

    I am going to share on FB right now. Thank you for the opportunity.

    Reply
  14. Carol Ashcroft

    My friend is looking for a book to help her young nephew with his questions about God; I just sent this blog to her on FB thinking this might be the perfect book (along with another one by my favorite author….hmm…who might that be??)

    Reply
  15. Heather H.

    Oh I love the perspective! This sounds like a lovely read. I have shared on facebook. Thank you for the opportunity.

    Reply
  16. Jessica

    Oh, this book looks perfect to read with my children. We often discuss how God is here, and there, and even way over there.

    Great book!

    Reply
  17. Julia

    This looks like a great book, Glenys! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to getting my hands on it – if I don’t win, I’ll have to buy a copy 🙂

    Reply
  18. Donna Godfrey

    Being a grandmother myself, I would love to be able to share this with my grandchild🙂

    Shared this on Facebook!

    Reply
  19. Nicki Behr

    Looks like a book too good to use just with children. At 73, I can still appreciate the simplicy of a well written children’s book. I would enjoy sharing it with the children in my ministry. And of course I will share it on FB.

    Reply
  20. Margaret Borrrlli

    I can’t wait to see this book. I love encouraging children to look for God in their everyday lives. I am posting on Facebook.

    Reply
  21. Jessica Bellus

    Thank YOU for sharing this delightful book!! What a blessing it is to share ideas and concepts to kids in a tangible way <3

    Reply
  22. Nan Hebert

    What a wonderful book to share with children! I would love a copy to read with my 4 year old grandson. <3

    Reply
  23. Melinda Corey

    This would be such a great addition to our children’s faith formation at our parish! Thanks for the opportunity!

    Reply
  24. Shawna York

    This looks terrific! I especially think my mom would love reading it to my little boy. Shared on Facebook

    Reply
  25. Christie Ashton

    What a beautiful book and message! We use children’s books in worship all the time because they help reach God’s children of all ages!

    Reply
  26. Glenys Post author

    THANK YOU to everyone who entered! The winners of the book are: Nicole and Yvonne Steindal.
    Congratulations ladies! Please email me your address: glenysnellist@gmail.com.
    Now, if you didn’t win , please visit the blog for news of more great book giveaways!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.