55. From Me To You, Love God. Claire Freedman. Illustrated by Emily Boughton. 2025. 26 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 3 stars]
First sentence: If God sent you a letter,
He'd say, "I love you so!
You're very precious to me,
and I want you to know."
God made you,
and He knows your name,
and so it's no surprise,
that the one and only,
uniquely YOU,
is perfect in His eyes!
From Me to You, Love God is a children's book, a picture book, published by Kregel.
It is written in rhyme. It is definitely of the precious-precious-super-sweet narrative style.
While God is mentioned on nearly every single spread of this one, the depth and substance as to who God is vague and generalized. Though we do get one 'Heavenly Father.'
There is no mention of Jesus at all. Not even once. I think a choice was made. Perhaps I'm wrong. What is mentioned about God is certainly happy-happy-cozy-cozy and not at all controversial or offensive.
There is not a great depth to the spiritual truths in this one. But one does get a sense that God is all-knowing, all-seeing, kind, good, and loving. There is more focus on God watching over YOU the one and only unique, supremely precious perfect YOU than anything else. (You get the impression that the message is God is so lucky, fortunate, blessed that there is a you in his life). The focus is definitely on God's love and loving YOU and loving everyone. But God is definitely a tame, gentle God in this one.
Does a picture book *need* to present the gospel? Maybe. Maybe not. Does this book in anyway indicate that there is a gospel? No. Not really. The book doesn't really go there at all. For better or worse. I mean a book certainly doesn't have to present our need for the Savior, who the Savior is, how we're saved, what we're saved from, what our salvation means, the hope to which we cling, etc.
The book begins with the premise *if* God sent you a letter....and then proceeds. The truth is we do have God's revelation. We do have his written word. While it may not be a letter written for us specifically as individuals. We have access to the very words of God. We know WHO he is because he has revealed himself to us. (Read Psalm 19 or 119 among dozens of other places that speak of the Word of God). We do not have to guess about who God is, what God has done, what God has promised, what God has said. Perhaps there was a missed opportunity to point little ones to the Word of God.
One of the book's premises is that little ones can look for EIGHTY letters in the illustrations. A seek and find if you will. The back copy reads, "they will find encouraged" when they spot these illustrated letters in the book because "God is always with them on life's journey." I certainly don't have issues with illustrators providing details for little ones to find. But it does seem odd to me at least that this is the highlight of the back copy. Like that is the most important thing about the book?
There aren't a tremendous amount of Christian picture books published each year. I'd say there is a small number published each year. I always like to review them when I can because I know the need is there. I've read better. I've read worse.