🌳 Holy Spirit Tingles + Wonder Moments
Making a case for reading a children's bible as a grown, plus a giveaway!
I remember the first time I read The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The second I finished, I closed the book, laid it on my chest, took a deep breath, and opened it to start reading from the beginning again. It was the first book I fell in love with, the first book that made me feel seen in all my eldest sister anxiety, the first book that understood me and my unspoken desire to live in a museum obviously. It tethered me to the earth in a way I don’t think I could possibly verbalize or understand, but it’s the book that made me a reader, the book that gave me the gift of being molded by story.
I have not had that reading experience often. I love to read, and I love a lot of books, but rarely does a story bring me back to that place of laying on my sunflower comforter late at night, knowing real magic existed in the pages I just read.
So I hope you hear me when I say my experience reading The Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor dropped me right back on that sunflower comforter. I was molded and shaped by this offering in such vast and expansive ways, I am still feeling the effects of it. I honestly hesitate to share how meaningful this book is because I sound hyperbolic. But I’ll take that risk. It is so special. It is remarkable. You will cherish every minute you spend in this book, and it is certainly not just for children. It is for anyone who has ever been a child, and it will tether you back to whenever you felt cared for and adored and treasured. It will remind you that you belong. It is a gift.
The ladies paired up to write + illustrate this beautiful Bible storybook that is specifically designed for families seeking a more inclusive and wonder-filled view of God and the stories in the Bible. Readers will be invited back into the creativity found in Scripture via a rich tapestry of stories and illustrations that will remind them just how much they belong.
Also, did I mention just how stunning both the text and the illustrations in this book are? I cannot emphasize that enough. Mariko and Rachel did an amazing job collaborating on this project, and you can tell how much creativity they poured into the pages as you read. As proof, here is the overdramatic text (but honestly under-dramatic) I sent to Mariko after my first perusal.
I asked Mariko and Rachel to indulge me (they are probably like…will this lady ever leave us alone she’s starting to creep us out) and share with all of you about why they wrote this children’s Bible, how they partnered up creatively, what the story of Esther has to do with a cat sipping tea in a hot tub, what happens when you aren’t sure about the Bible but you’re definitely illustrating its stories, and more.
Keep reading towards the end because I’m giving away a copy of The Book of Belonging this week to celebrate their launch, and you’ll get all the info on how to enter to win that for yourself.
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