Media Matters

 Animated 2025 movie from Angel Studios. Animated musical story of the biblical David, starting with his childhood and ending with his becoming the king. Quite well done! There is some imagery that could be scary for younger viewers. Recommend for ages 7+?

 Book by Wendy Watson. I really appreciated the author’s approach outlined in the introduction:  “Rock-solid relationships are built upon the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. His Power, Light, Love, Truth, and Spirit are their foundation. Relationships built on these “cannot fall.” “ “The scriptures are the very best “how to” books on relationships. The scriptures are the first and last word on how to be a better husband, father, wife, mother, parent, son, daughter, sibling, in-law, friend, neighbor, boss, employee, or any other relationship you can name.“ Each chapter was based on a scripture and a true principle taught by that scripture, which were then applied to examples of how that principle could strengthen a real-life relationship.  Although not every piece of advice may apply to every situation, I feel confident in recommending this book that every reader will find something that will prove helpful in improving one of their relationships. A few quotes: “We hav...

 Board books by Abbey Wedgeworth. This series (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet) is great! It teaches truths and connects them back to Jesus.

 Picture book by Trillia Newbell. A lovely message that when it comes to loving people, Jesus doesn’t play favorites, so neither should we. References parable in James.

 Picture book by Randall Goodgame. Could work as a Christmas or Easter book! Tells a parable from the NT, focuses on the surprising nature of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection, and encourages the reader to be ready for the second coming by loving God and loving others.

 Board book by Janet Moreno. This was an ingenious idea for a board book! On the first page spread, it references the story of Noah, and teaches children two ASL signs: flood and rainbow (which use the same hand shape). Each subsequent spread pairs a color of the rainbow with one of God’s promises (each pair uses the same hand shape). I love the way this combines the academic (colors) and kinesthetic (ASL) with scriptural promises in such a memorable context!

 Picture book by Jane Werner Watson. I was shocked at how beautiful both the prose and illustrations are in this book! Really lovely for ages 5-10!

 Board book by B&H kids and Pamela Kennedy. This is a small board book with chunky flaps, perfect for babies and toddlers. It would be great anytime, but especially for Thanksgiving, as it is essentially a gratitude prayer. I was pleasantly surprised by its charm!

 Picture book by Rebecca Gunderson Thornley. Adorable lift the flap book that teaches you can know someone is there, even if you don’t see them.

 Picture book by Trace Moroney. Written for children but still accurate to the meaning. Illustrations are cute.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is essentially a gratitude prayer and would be lovely to read for Thanksgiving

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is psalm 23 retold in accessible language for a young child to understand. It’s true to the message of the psalm and really done well.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The message: God is always near me, no matter where I go, because I am His child and He loves me. There’s no plot or storyline (Psalms are like that!), but the illustrations are engaging and the message sound. Also recommend Known: Psalm 139 by the same author.

 Book by Sheri Dew. These biographical snippets paint a picture of a man who was truly remarkable in countless ways. His optimism, intelligence, kindness, curiosity, discipline, sincerity, faith, leadership, and so on are unmatched.

 Picture book by Steph Williams. This was a pretty fun retelling and explanation of the Christmas story. I could see kids enjoying saying an incredulous “Whaaat??” as it is repeated on many of the pages.

 Picture book by Carl Laferton. Relates the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal to the story of the resurrection. A great book for Easter!

 Picture book by Tim Thornborough. This retelling of the story of Jonah is faithful to the story, while also told in a very kid-friendly, appealing way. The use of synonyms within the text is a charming addition, and the illustrations are adorable.

 Board book by Danielle Hitchen.  I liked the concept of seeing shapes in every day objects that are symbolic of God (rock, light, bread, fortress, etc)

 Picture book by Maya Ajmera. What a lovely book! It introduces people of faith around the world based on what they have in common: praying, chanting and singing, reading holy books, listening and learning, cleansing, holy places, holidays and festivals, marking important events, religious clothing, food and drink, caring for and helping others, etc. The book features actual photographs of children practicing their various faiths. This would be a great way to both learn about other religions, and also a great discussion starter about how your religion practices these things. To that end, it would be fun to take pictures of your family members practicing their faith and insert them between the corresponding pages of your family’s copy of the book.

 Picture book by Susan Wojciechowski. A story about grief and healing and kindness and of course Jesus. Definitely wordy and for older kids and adults.