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Over here, we love books by Trillia Newbell. So when I saw her latest addition to the Tales That Tell The Truth series, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy. And let me tell you, ‘The Big Wide Welcome‘ does not disappoint.
This beautiful book shares a powerful message of how God loves His Church, and how we ought to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
What I Love
I love that this book shares a Bible story NEVER talked about in kids books. It shares the story of James addressing favoritism in the church (James 1-2). Trillia does a fantastic job of contextualizing this story for little hearts, as do Catalina’s illustrations. While reading the book, my 5 year-old often took note of the illustrations and what was going on in the story before I even started reading.
I also love how Trillia shares how we may unconsciously show favoritism in the church, whether that be through racism, ableism, or social-economic status. This message, put in language a child will understand, also serves as a heart-check for grown-ups. What are ways we may be practicing favoritism unconsciously? How can we actively lay this down, in pursuit of being more like Jesus in our church community?
What My Littles Love
As mentioned above, my littles love the illustrations, and on many of the pages, the illustrations speak before the text even needs to be read. The books in this series always leave my littles reflective, asking questions, and leading our family to fruitful faith conversations.
Edit: There is now a Big Wide Welcome Activity Book! This is the perfect way for elementary schoolers to dig-in and continue learning from James. I would really liken the activity book to a play-based devotional for kids to keep diving into the word on their level.
Baby Devotions 