(2) K-3 Illustrated by Khoa Le. Resistant to change, Little Star is uncertain how she can help Maker on Holy Night. She follows the shepherds to a stable in Bethlehem and sees a newborn baby there whose eyes are familiar: “This Child...was Maker!” Her gentle gleam calms the Baby, so she stays, shimmering softly overhead for Maker until the travelers from afar arrive to worship the King. Perkins’s child-friendly fantasy about the role played by the Star of Bethlehem offers a thought-provoking, cross-cultural retelling of the Nativity story. Perkins re-teams with Le (Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week), who beautifully depicts the human and otherworldly aspects of the story with (culturally accurate) diverse skin tones for the people and effervescent ­illustrations of the celestial host.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. In this exuberant companion to When God Made You, two sisters engaged in imaginative play are drawn outdoors by the inviting sunshine. Rhyming text, with occasionally stumbling meter, celebrates various sources of light--from moonlight to fireflies--and suggests that God's light resides in each person. Light and shadow play in Catrow's energetic illustrations, which celebrate the joy of creation and the love of family.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 With A. J. Gregory. The man whose name became a verb ("Tebowing") for kneeling during games encourages young people to open their lives to God in this adaptation of his adult book. Former NFL quarterback Tebow highlights how Christian principles shape his behavior and help him through highs and lows, often using Bible passages to underscore his points in the candid and conversational if unsubtle prose.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Catrow. A lively and caring little girl helps others and brings beauty to her world. Rhyming text that can be a mouthful ("'Cause God loves you creating, your true self displaying / when light on the inside through art is portraying") celebrates the wonder of being a unique, dreaming child of God. Catrow's quirky and vibrant illustrations fill the pages with contagious energy.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(4) PS Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. A polar bear father describes Heaven to his cub. Heaven, he explains, will be a place without any of the cares of the world, and it will be "like the best family reunion ever." The simple narrative is illustrated with quiet watercolors showing smiling Arctic animals. Although it's generally bland, this will be a useful selection for some families.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by David Hohn. "How much love does God have for me?" God's love is "More...Higher...Deeper..." and reciprocated by the children in these stories. Rhyming text and softly washed illustrations provide child-friendly, if random, images (e.g., a hippo splashes joyfully into a puddle to demonstrate how big God's love is; a girl's wall-decorating finger painting shows how useful her God-created hands can be). Review covers these titles: God Loves Me More than That and When God Created My Toes.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) PS Illustrated by David Hohn. "How much love does God have for me?" God's love is "More...Higher...Deeper..." and reciprocated by the children in these stories. Rhyming text and softly washed illustrations provide child-friendly, if random, images (e.g., a hippo splashes joyfully into a puddle to demonstrate how big God's love is; a girl's wall-decorating finger painting shows how useful her God-created hands can be). Review covers these titles: God Loves Me More than That and When God Created My Toes.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr