Heaven Is for Real for Kids: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

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Heaven Is for Real for Kids: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 281 ratings · 46 reviews

Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!

Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important message: Jesus really, really loves children.In an effort to reach even more families with this eternally significant story, this runaway bestseller is now told from Colton kid to kids! Children will receive the same comfort and assurance that so many adult...more

ebook, 32 pages

Published November 8th 2011 by Thomas Nelson Publishers

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May 11, 2012 Julie H. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book today. I'd never have picked it up, but a friend with a young child shared it with me. She was so excited about it. She knows I love to read, that I believe in God, and she was positively thrilled to share it with me. Heck, she sat there while I read it.

Alrighty then.... I don't even begin to know how to categorize this book. Certainly it's non-fiction as it recounts what society categorizes as a "near death" experience. Certainly it's a kid's book as it's the version of this st...more I read this book today. I'd never have picked it up, but a friend with a young child shared it with me. She was so excited about it. She knows I love to read, that I believe in God, and she was positively thrilled to share it with me. Heck, she sat there while I read it.

Alrighty then.... I don't even begin to know how to categorize this book. Certainly it's non-fiction as it recounts what society categorizes as a "near death" experience. Certainly it's a kid's book as it's the version of this story written and illustrated for kids (vs. the edition that's geared toward adults, as apparently there are different castings of this account). Surely, there can be hardly any more important topics than Heaven, immortality, and humanity's ongoing search for the meaning of life.

This remarkable little toddler--who is not the author of the book, I might note--apparently died while undergoing an unspecified surgery, had these remarkable experiences, and was returned to earth (that's not a spoiler folks, it's all implied right there in the title) in answer to his father's prayers. Interesting. The same father who is the "author" of this book. The same father who is a pastor. "Not his mother's prayers?," I wonder.

What a potentially marvelous, powerful and ultimately faith-affirming message. The child relays, presumably over the course of years, his memories and the details of his brief experience of Heaven. They are accompanied by illustrations that are not his own, and with assorted scriptural citations with which--at the age of three--he was doubtless not fully conversant. The final product however, this book, leaves me with far more questions than it does answers and certainty. My questions are not about the veracity of Heaven, or God, or the power of faith. They are, instead, all about the context--which is sorely lacking here--about how parents (I presume both parents approved of this effort) decide that this is a message that is unique and needs to be carried to the rest of the world--in formats targeted for specific demographics. This is the part where I'm caught short. This is the part where if I cared more (which quite honestly I don't), I'd do some research on the backstory. Why don't I care? Not because I don't care about the message, but because I care a whole lot less about Colton's parents' decision to publish these books and don't want to give them any more of my time. There's a vast and interesting literature on out-of-body and near-death experiences. If this were Colton's account, told in his own words and through his own filters, it could readily complement that rich body of work. As it's not, I'm simply left wondering what it's like to have this momentous occasion capitalized upon by one's parent(s).

One final point. The book contained a section addressing kids' questions after reading the book. One of the questions was something to the effect of "How do animals get to Heaven?" I was a kid once, admittedly a long time ago. My inner child doesn't want to know the specific mechanism by which animals get to heaven, esp. as the book depicts assorted animals including the range of Peaceable Kingdom lion and lamb imagery in Heaven. Nope. What I want to know is, "Do my pets go to Heaven, will I see them, and will they get along?" That's a very different series of pet-related questions than the one presented, and pretty succinctly dismissed in my estimation, at book's close.

So I'm left more than a little ambivalent here due to (1) the lack of context and (2) the inescapable fact that the child who actually underwent this powerful experience, Colton Burpo, was not afforded the opportunity to tell his own story. What has been lost or, more likely embellished and buffed to a glossy sheen, in the retelling by his pastor father? I'd be interested in Colton's story, but I'd like a good deal less of Dad in here.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Jennifer Wedemeyer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-m-reviewing

I loved it and give it 5 out of 5 stars! I had already read Heaven is for Real in just one day and thought it was an amazing book. My 11 year old daughter had read it also and loved it and I really wanted my 10 year old to read it but he's very sensitive and has some special needs so I didn't think that one would be ideal book for him but this Kids version is PERFECT! He was amazed and awed by what happened to Colton on his journey to heaven and back. Kylan had a lot of questions about heaven, s...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Jennifer Radtke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Saw this book listed as an option on BookSneeze and knew that I had to get it. The initial Heaven is for Real was brought up at Women of Faith this year and I added it to my "need to read" list. When I saw the children's version, I grabbed it right away to share with my reader. She loves reading about God and learning about how Jesus protects her.

Book description provided: Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!
Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important messag...more Saw this book listed as an option on BookSneeze and knew that I had to get it. The initial Heaven is for Real was brought up at Women of Faith this year and I added it to my "need to read" list. When I saw the children's version, I grabbed it right away to share with my reader. She loves reading about God and learning about how Jesus protects her.

Book description provided: Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!
Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important message: Jesus really, really loves children. In effort to reach even more families with this eternally significant story, this runaway bestseller is now told from Colton—kid to kids! Children will receive the same comfort and assurance that so many adults have received from the trade book.
Beautifully illustrated, under Colton's direction, this book is uniquely written from a child for a child. Colton tells of his experiences in first person and comments on things that will be important to kids. A letter to parents is included to guide them in talking to their children about heaven. Scripture along with Q&A section with answers from the Bible are also included in the book.
I read through the book first and fell in love with it. The words are simple and powerful all at the same time. I really enjoyed the descriptions of heaven given; I could see it in my own head, all bright and glowing and happy. The art work in the book really put some of the ideas into perspective. Like when he's sitting at the foot of God talking to the Holy Spirit. The picture included shows God's knees being higher than Jesus's head. The other one was the description of the angel Michael's sword. "...is about as big as my dad. His sword is covered in flames and is really powerful."
My reader and I sat snuggled in the backseat of the car reading books for our date night. I know this may sound funny. If the girls go above and beyond what is expected of them, they earn bonus points. For every twenty bonus points they get to go on a date with either mom or dad. My reader decided that there were too many rowdy kids at McDonald's to stay longer than our sundaes took. We drove around town looking at the holiday lights until the car got warm. Then we parked in the driveway and read books on my Kindle until Daddy came out with the dog for the last walk of the night.
My reader loved the story. She can't wait to play with an elephant. She really enjoyed the story and the pictures. Now that I'm writing the review, she wants to read it again. Actually, she wants it read to her. I think she may be tired after her long day at school.
It's a wonderful book. I would recommend it to anyone who is dealing with loss and children. I wish I would have had this book last year or even three years ago when my grandma passed and my hubby's grandma passed. I remember searching for books at the library because we didn't want to hide it from them. The people closest to them were very sad and we agreed that they needed to know why. The only books I found were way out there or extremely wordy. This is perfect for that situation.
Now I can't wait to read the original book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

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Nov 24, 2012 Terri Lynn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: are-you-kidding-or-are-you-crazy, author-is-an-idiot

I have absolutely no respect for any man who will pimp his own innocent child for money nor any mother who will tolerate it. This is as much child exploitation as child porn or renting one's little boy out to perverts by the hour.

A little 4 year old child had a near death experience. Notice that I said NEAR death experience. There is a huge difference in being nearly dead and in being dead. Flash forward several years and his exploitative father, a Christian minister who sees other ministers...more I have absolutely no respect for any man who will pimp his own innocent child for money nor any mother who will tolerate it. This is as much child exploitation as child porn or renting one's little boy out to perverts by the hour.

A little 4 year old child had a near death experience. Notice that I said NEAR death experience. There is a huge difference in being nearly dead and in being dead. Flash forward several years and his exploitative father, a Christian minister who sees other ministers writing books and making big bucks decides that he will write one too. What to write about? Christians are gullible and will believe any myth they see in the bible or told to them by those with credentials from the church but it needs to be something pretty spectacular to get attention in a sea of other books for gullible Christians. Aha! He will make up a tale about his little boy who was so sick years earlier.

That book was called "Heaven is For Real". Burpo (an apt name as he makes me want to burp, belch then vomit) and the little wifey conspire to declare that there is proof of a heaven and that their son said and did this and that at age 4 after being in a coma (but NOT dead). Now, one cannot prove that there is life after death (an absurd notion in the first place) or that there is a heaven when one has NOT died. This poor child has the misfortune to be a minister's son which means he has been brainwashed into believing christian myths since birth. Burpo and his wife decide to turn their son into a cash cow.

Heaven is not for real but gullible christians with checkbooks and credit cards are. The child was 4 when he was sick. It has been years and Burpo has just recently come out writing books about it. As psychologists, teachers, and parents know, preschool children have fantastic imaginations and they are also highly suggestible. The child likely (after being brainwashed into believing myths) was easy prey to his parents in establishing a story and convincing him he said things years ago.

There is no evidence that the child ever dreamed any of this or that it is anything other than a figment of the father's devious mind. He apparently has no shame for he has now written this piece of trash "for" his son pretending the child is telling a story about something that never happened to corner the kiddie market. This is simply disgraceful. This is why religious mythology is so hard to get rid of. Ignorant parents brainwash yet another generation of kids with garbage like this. There is no heaven and this kid has never been dead or gone anywhere. This is just a greedy father selling his kid for personal profit. (less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Ashley added it · review of another edition

The book Heaven is for Real was a book that i really enjoyed. The main character in the book was Colton in his family there was his dad Todd who was a pastor, his mom who worked part time at a school and his older sister Cassie. This book showed how even little kids can understand and wrap their head around the concept of what life is about. Most of us would think that this little boy does not know if he went to heaven or not and that he saw god. That may sound weird but the boy in the book Colt...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religious-culture

"Heaven is for Real For Kids" was actually written by a 12 year old named Colton Burpo. "Heaven is for Real For Kids" was written about Colton's life, how he died, and his trip to heaven. Colton actually got to hang out and walk around with Jesus. Even though this is a serious story, it was told in a kid-friendly way. Even through we are all scared of the "unknown" about Heaven, this book helps teach kids and adults not to be scared of heaven anymore. Through out the book, there were bible verse...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Jennifer Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jpetersondigitalbookshelf

Heaven is for Real is the true story, as told by Colton Burpo, of his near death experience at the innocent age of three. During an emergency appendectomy operation, Colton experienced something very few people ever live to tell about. He left his body, visited heaven where he met his loved ones who had passed away, and saw Jesus Christ himself. With parents who were both shocked and amazed by what their son could describe, Colton has continued on, sharing his experience with both children and a...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I recently purchased Heaven is For Real for Kids. My sons love it and want us to read it to them each night. It was a great book for really showing kids was heaven is all about from a kid's prospective. It may have made my boys a little too enthusiastic however. Danny declared that he wants to have wings and fly so he’s ready to go to heaven right now. I told him that most people don’t make the trip back from heaven, so I don’t want him to make the journey until he is a very old man! The book is...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Genesis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, 5-stars-excellent

So I read this book on Easter and I pretty much loved it. It talks about a young child experiencing heaven in a dream. There have been people who have dreams or have seen god. And I totally believe it. It's amazing how these people get chosen to see , hear, listen , and visit god; especially in heaven. I though it was a great book because I do hope to go to heaven. This book gave me a little quick note of what I might experience in heaven. I rate a 5 out of 5 stars. That just shows that I love i...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Lois rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to-on-cd

I really ended the year with two VERY different books on CD. I got them both out in case I didn't like one of them, and they were both only 4 CDs. This was a very uplifting story, and incredibly remarkable! I really like the father (who relates the experiences of his son), and I was amazed at the things Colton saw and remembered. I don't know quite what to make of those experiences and his trip to Heaven, BUT I did see a gorgeous rainbow on the way to my daughter's as I was finishing the last CD...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Janette Fuller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian

Colton Burpo was almost four-years-old when he became ill and was taken to the hospital. During his stay in the hospital, he closed his eyes and found himself being carried to Heaven by an angel.

Colton describes all the things he saw and all the things he experienced while in Heaven. The text is very simple and is written in a way that children can understand. Each page is illustrated with a beautiful color illustration that complements the text. There is also a Bible verse on each page that sup...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a synopsis of the Kids Version:

Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!

Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important message: Jesus really, really loves children. In effort to reach even more families with this eternally significant story, this runaway bestseller is now told from Colton-kid to kids! Children will receive the same comfort and assurance that so many adults have received from the trade book.

Beautifully illustrated, this book is uniquely writt...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Jean rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-to-the-kids

I received this beautiful little treasure from Book Sneeze this week. It is an illustrated children's version of the bestseller Heaven Is For Real. In this book, Colton Burpo acts as narrator of his own afterlife experience, explaining in a very childlike and simple way how wonderful and beautiful heaven is. The story is told strictly from his own 4 year old point of view.

When reviewing a children's book, my rule is to read it to the target audience - children! In this case, I read this book to...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book up for review is “ Heaven is for Real for kids” as told by Colton Burpo to his parents Todd and Sonja Burpo.

It has a simple yet powerful message. The young boy in the story went to heaven and came back. What he encountered during that journey is laid out in this book. Colton learned that Jesus really, really loves children!
Viewing from a child's point of view is always interesting. They see what as adults we use to see until life came along and blocked our views of what is important. Th...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Martha Newsom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religious-culture

While Colton is in the hospital, he finds himself returning from heaven. He finds out that God is real as well as his love for children.This is a great version of the adult "Heaven is for Real" for kids. I've read this book while babysitting and the kids were very responsive. Most everyone wonders about the unknown of heaven, and this book certainly clarifies many things. This book is definitely age appropriate for children and beautifully illustrated to assist in capturing the attention of chil...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Neil Hopfer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-literature-ed-310

Notes: Heaven Is for Real for Kids, by Todd Burpo is truely an inspirational book, talks about Heaven.

Book Review: Colton Burpo goes on a real journey to heaven when he is very ill. While there, Jesus tells Colton that Jesus really, really loves kids. This book is told by Colton. It also includes phrases taken from the bible.

Recommend: I would not recommend this for school, but I would recommend this book to families who children have questions about Heaven.

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Apr 18, 2013 Bethany Boutin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children

Young Colton's story of his visit to heaven is here put into simple words that sound like him speaking as one child to another. The book shines with artistry suffused with soft light and an array of color conveying the gentleness, comfort, beauty, and delight of heaven. This book should accompany anyone's reading of the adult version of the story Heaven is for Real (by Colton's dad).

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Jan 08, 2013 Mandi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a Goodreads giveway. Before I review this book, I should tell you that I feel indebted to this author. When my Grandma was dying we read the original book to her over and over again. She received a great deal of comfort from the descriptions of heaven in the book and I believe that it contributed greatly to her peaceful passing. However, I do not believe that this indebtedness is reflected in my review.

When I saw this book was available in a children's format, I was exci...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Mary Thengvall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

I listened to the audiobook while driving back & forth to family functions around Christmas & New Years. Several family members had read it and recommended it to me. It was well-written and drew the reader into the story easily. Very family-friendly and would be a good one to listen to on a road trip with younger kids as well.

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May 10, 2013 Jami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book for my 3 year old. It represents heaven in a biblically accurate way & it helps him think about heaven in more concrete, down to earth terms. We've had a lot more conversations about heaven since we've read this a few times & I appreciate it for that reason.

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Mar 11, 2013 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed each one of the pictures and liked that it was from Colton's point of view.
I would like to read the adult version to see the different information between the two books.
My son enjoyed the pictures as I read the book to him.

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Apr 13, 2013 Pam added it

Shelves: kindle-books-i-own, 2013-books-read, 2013-challenge-books, books-kept, kindle-books-read, nonfiction

WOW! This book is Very Interesting!!!! I was blessed and encouraged by this story of a 4 year old little boy's trip to heaven while on an opperating table. Amazing!!!

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Dec 14, 2012 Joy Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

very awesome book for children. The pictures are outstanding. It is easy for the children to understand, and they will want to read it again and again..

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Apr 28, 2013 Yolanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: storytime

Colton tells his story of when he went to heaven at three years old. The illustrations are good, and not to long of a book for the younger ones.

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Feb 28, 2013 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i liked the book its very Good I love the book Well done todd bur[p this book totally showed me how to love god and stuff

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Dec 30, 2012 Dorothy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book a lot. I hope this kid is right, the whole thing does sound crazy. I would love to know if this kid knew the name of the angels before he had this experience since he woke up talking about them using their names. I would just like to know how religious this family was before this all happened. I guess that would make it more believable if they were not a religious family and this child did not know any of this before.

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Oct 11, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The child's version of the adult book complete with color drawings of what Colton describes of his trip to heaven.

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Dec 08, 2012 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great book for my 4-year who asks a lot of questions about heaven.

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Jan 10, 2013 Meggie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Goodreads winner. This book had an interesting approach.

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Nov 03, 2012 Martha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Carson and I enjoyed reading this version together.

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