By Anne Graham Lotz
Zonderkidz, $16.99, 32 pages
When it comes to books that describe Heaven, there always seem to come off flat. Heaven: God’s Promise for Me describes Heaven as essentially the combination of petting zoo and ultimate playground. It goes through and ties in a number of verses throughout the Bible about Heaven, even though it does not name those verses. It is also a proselytizing tool, as it encourages children to pray a special prayer in order to get into Heaven by announcing their intention to be good little Christians, which is one of the few weird things about an otherwise good book.
As a children’s book, it is a nicely done book, with detailed watercolor paintings. There is also a game that can be played, with an angel on each set of pages, and that angel is well hidden. This is a book full of hope, even allowing for its somber origins given how one enters Heaven. For parents that are looking to open the discussion of what to expect in Heaven or about when they die, this is a good start if used correctly. It is definitely one that most Christian parents should at least debate looking at.
Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
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