Who Is Jesus?

Little children have questions, lots of questions, and sometimes as adults we take for granted something a child may want to know. The simple message that Jesus loves us and wants what is best for us is at the heart of Who is Jesus? by MaryAnn Diorio. Through situations that children may experience, Ms. Diorio gently explains to young children that Jesus is loving, kind, and thoughtful in whatever predicament they may find themselves in. Each scenario is then followed up with a Bible verse to point children back to the Bible for verification that what the author says is true, which I absolutely loved. I also appreciated that at the end of the book she reminds children that Jesus is God, again, backing it up with Scripture. The illustrations by Kim Sponaugle are just beautiful and appeal to both children and adults. I appreciated how some of them show us a child’s eye view on life, such as the one where a boy is lost in the mall and we see him looking up for a familiar face. The rest of the illustration is a lot of adult knees, and a sea of fear threatening to overwhelm the little boy. It’s relatable, and a good reminder for the parent that we aren’t looking at the world from the same perspective.

Perfect for children and their families! I whole-heartedly recommend Who is Jesus? for any age appropriate child! Grandparents or relatives who regularly babysit young children might want to get a copy to keep in their home to share with the child when caring for them, as well as giving the child a copy to use at home. Even a copy on Nana’s e-reader would be an excellent way to reinforce any of the included responses to questions to a child away from home. In any event, I am completely convinced that being grounded in the scriptures and ideas presented in this book can help keep the eyes of a child on Christ during the challenges faced in a broken world throughout their life.