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God Gave Us Heaven
Lisa Tawn Bergren;
Illustrated By: Laura J. Bryant
<>Review by A. E. Jaskiewicz
What is heaven like? This is a question that many kids and adults
wonder. In ‘God Gave Us Heaven’, Lisa
Tawn Bergren has Papa describe to Little Cub the different things that
she may
encounter in heaven when she goes there someday. These
include eternal happiness and endless
love from God.
<>The story starts with a
simple question from Little Cub. “Papa,
what’s heav’n?” As Little Cub and Papa
progress through their day, Papa explains to Little Cub what heaven is. A place where you won’t go hungry, and a
place where you’ll be happy. A place
more amazing than anyone on earth has ever seen. A
place where you don’t need to take
things. All of this is explained as
Little Cub and Papa do activities like getting ready for the day,
fishing, and
getting ready for bedtime.
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The story in ‘God Gave Us
Heaven’ is a good message for kids to have.
It is a message about God’s eternal love for us.
It also explains to kids, in a nice and
appropriate way, what happens when people die.
The book is not so much about the characters experiencing a
loss, but
more a discussion between a father and daughter about what possibly
happens
when people pass on. The subject matter
is handles tastefully, and in a way that kids will understand. Plus, the story line and subject matter are
written in a way that will appeal to adults who will likely read the
book to a
child.
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The illustrations in the book
are bright and colorful. The polar bears
and their surroundings, like Glacier Bay and their home, are fun,
cheerful and vibrant. They are sure to
captivate the attention of kids, which will make the book appealing for
kids to
read over and over again.
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I think the book is well
written for children in the intended read-to-me age range.
The language used is on the level of a little
one, however it does not come off as overly childish or goofy. It comes across as you would imagine a
conversation like this would play out between a parent and child. Plus, it keeps the subject simple and to the
point.
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‘God Gave Us Heaven’ is a
nice and charming book for young kids.
It takes on a question that is likely on many kinds minds, and
gives it
vivid, colorful and meaningful answers that kids will not only
understand, but
also enjoy. This book could also be
helpful to a child who has experienced a loss in their own life.
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