God Gave Us So Much

God Gave Us So Much is a limited-edition three-book collection that is just awesome!  Written by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, these books focus on God through they eyes of a polar bear family with a very curious, question-filled cub.  Each book's story is all dialogue, and filled with lots of questions and answers.  The language of Little Cub sounds like a young child talking with words like "wanna," "'em," and "heav'n."

This collection begins with God Gave Us the World.  Little Cub and her family visit a museum and learn all about bears outside of the Pole.  Little Cub is just filled with questions, and just cannot understand why God created so many different places and kinds of bears.  This book focuses on God's creative work and how BIG he is.  As part of the Creator's creation, we must take care of the world God gave us.

Little Cub and Grampa go fishing together, but they have to share their fishing spot with the otters.  In God Gave Us Love, Little Cub states something that many of us can relate to, "I love the otters.  I just don't like them right now."  She goes on to realize that some bears, like Grampa, she always loves and likes, and she asks about this difference.  Grampa and Little Cub go on to discuss how God made many kinds of love like between Mamas and Papas, friends and family, and especially God's unconditional love that he showed through Jesus.  I think this story is one that will draw a child to better understand their love for God and all that he is.

Each of the books in this collection is a winner, but I absolutely love the book God Gave Us Heaven.  You might remember that my little girl has questions about death, dying, and heaven.  This book helps with the heaven questions.  As Little Cub is, once again, a very curious cub, she asks many questions about heaven.  She comes to understand that we can go there after we die, and the many different things that we can and cannot do in heaven.  I thought it was very interesting that Little Cub asked, "Will we be angels?"  I think many children misunderstand this and do think that those who have passed away are now angels.  Before the book ends, Papa explains how we get to heaven, using the illustration of a canyon and a bridge.

God Gave Us So Much is a perfect collection, and I am very thankful for it.  I think each book is well written, and easily understood by the targeted age group of 4-8.  I appreciate that these are not just about God in general, but also about Jesus.  After seeing these, I definitely want God Gave Us Christmas before next Christmas.  I had heard many good things about that book, too!

Thank you, Waterbrook Press for this review copy.  What a great collection!