God is with me through the Night, God is with me through the Day by Julie Cantrell:
Backcover: In this book, furry friends reveal that even the biggest and bravest of God’s creatures feel frightened sometimes. This comforting story allows parents to build stronger bonds with their children while reminding readers of all ages that fear, loneliness, and hopelessness can be alleviated when we put our trust in God. The story ends with an easy-to-remember Bible verse that teaches children about God’s love. “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).
As for both books, the message is to help children who are feeling anxiety, fear at bedtime or kids dealing with the fear of separation. I loved the beautiful vivid pictures of all the baby animals throughout both books. My three year old loved the baby monkeys and bears. The writing was very simple yet conveyed a strong point of view on dealing with fear. In my personal opinion, I thought the pictures and the message of both stories were very beneficial and are great to read to any child that is having nightmares, having anxiety at daycare or starting school. I would not recommend reading the Night book to a child who isn’t experiencing these things. I think some of the content will raise questions or even fear for a child who hasn’t dealt with these issues.Youngsters who can't read yet will enjoy the bright pictures and another plus that I experienced with my three year old was naming all the animals featured in the books. Learning is always a plus!
If you have a little one going through some hard times with fear and anxiety these are wonderful reassuring words that will help any child and the parents reading them that there is a Big God looking out for us!
4/5 Children’s Inspirational
Q&A with Julie Cantrell on God is with Me through the Night and God is with Me through the Day:
Why did you write these picture books?
When my daughter was young, she had a hard time sleeping in her own bed. She was afraid of the dark, and she suffered from terrible nightmares. She loved to read, and she loved animals – so when she was five years old, the two of us worked together to create a bedtime story just for her. We found stock photos of animals, and we wrote simple text to reassure her that even when I tucked her into her bed at night, she was not alone. I wanted her to feel secure that I would never leave her in a place that wasn’t safe, and that God was always with her—even in the dark.
How did the books become published? I never intended to publish the book. I wrote it to help my own daughter overcome her fears while building her faith in God. When her friends would sleep over, they all enjoyed the book and wanted me to print copies for them. Then the neighborhood kids asked for copies. I was working in a preschool as a speech-language pathologist at the time, so I read the story to my students. They all reacted positively to the story, so some of the other teachers and parents asked for copies. Their reactions made me think seriously about sharing the story to children on a bigger scale.I had been working as a freelance writer for many years, so I decided to look for an agent. Several publishers expressed serious interest in the books, and we ended up signing a contract with Zonderkidz (the children’s division of Zondervan). I was thrilled when they asked for a partner book to help children cope with fears such as separation anxiety and shyness through the day. God is with Me through the Day and God is with Me through the Night were released simultaneously on March 1, 2009.
How did your professional background help you write these books? Aside from writing articles on the topics of faith, family, and child development for nearly a decade, I am also a certified speech-language pathologist. I’ve spent years helping children of all abilities/disabilities develop their communication skills. This includes not only their speech, but their reading and language skills as well. I was certain that young children preferred books with big pictures, simple text, and repetitive prose. Plus, I knew that most kids love animals. Still, I conducted extensive research on children’s picture books. I was surprised to read studies that indicated children prefer color photos to illustrations. With real-world reactions from children, data to support the design of the books, and a gut instinct that families would enjoy reading these aloud time and time again, I decided to move forward with publishing. I am excited to share this universal message with children around the world.
How have children reacted to the books? It’s been amazing to see children’s reactions as I read to school groups and story time groups. They laugh at the funny photos. They say “awww” when there’s a sweet photo. And they show sad expressions when the animals express fear or loneliness. I encourage them to talk to the animals on the pages. “Tell the goat, ‘Don’t be scared. Go play with your friends.’” Or “Silly kitty. That’s just a shadow!” They really interact with the book and always ask me to read it again. Through the use of realistic, natural photos, the children can understand that all of God’s creatures feel afraid at times. It helps them cope with their emotions so they feel confident to explore their world or sleep through the night.
How have parents reacted to the books? It’s been wonderful to hear feedback from parents after they’ve bought the books, especially to hear that this is sometimes the first book their child could read independently. As a mother, author, and speech-language pathologist, that’s an amazing compliment. One of my favorite stories was from the parents of a three-year-old daughter. They emailed me to say they ran to her bedroom door because they had heard her screaming. When they got there, they realized she was yelling, “I am safe! I am loved!” which are phrases used repetitively in both books. Another huge compliment has been to hear that children carry these books around with them in the car or that parents have had to tape the pages back together because the books have been so “loved.” I am thrilled, honored, and grateful that these stories are reaching so many families. If there’s one thing want everyone to know, it’s that they’re loved and that they’re never alone. If I can share that message with even one child a day, then I am very blessed.
Find more info about Julie
here!
Thank you so much Julie and to Zondervan Kids for the beautiful copies to review.
Also Zonderkids has provided me with a set of these lovely books for giveaway. If you have little ones or any little lovlies you’d like to pass these on to please leave a comment with your email. I will pick the winner on December 1, 2009.
Its the early 60's and our story begins with Colleen, whose life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? It will change everything if she does. Jamie on the other hand has been hiding a few secrets of his own. For two years he has been faking going to college, even faked a graduation and has spent all his tuition money on music lessons and trying to start a band. After the death of his father Jamie is back home helping his mom tie up some lose strings. At a loss for where he’s at in life or if he should confess to his mom about school, President Kennedy is shot and it causes him to take a big look at his life. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen is scared and furious; she decides it's time for the two of them to take a trip together--to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible. 
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