Children ask A LOT of questions when it comes to heaven, particularly when they’ve experienced the loss of a loved one. In this uplifting, imaginative picture book, How High Is Heaven? inspires hope and comfort in readers young and old, that heaven can be experienced here and now and is open for us all.
Bestselling author and ABC News anchor Linsey Davis invites children to explore age-appropriate questions about heaven. Kids and their parents can celebrate that heaven is a place we can look forward to, by God’s grace and goodness, while finding moments of heaven here on earth.
How High Is Heaven? is the perfect book for parents and grandparents to read aloud and provides an uplifting message for kids ages 4-8, featuring:
Read-aloud, lyrical rhymes Whimsical, engaging illustrations by Lucy Fleming Answers to children’s questions about heaven… and a safe place to ask them Comfort to those who have lost a loved one? Look for additional inspirational children’s picture books and audio products from award-winning author Linsey Davis:
The World Is Awake, A Celebration of Everyday Blessings One Big Heart, A Celebration of Being More Alike Than Different Stay This Way Forever The Linsey Davis Children’s Audio Collection The Smallest Spot of a Dot
Linsey Davis is an Emmy Award winning ABC News Correspondent, filing reports for World News, Good Morning America, 20/20 and Nightline. She has covered major news stories around the globe, and is also a bestselling author of her first children’s book, THE WORLD IS AWAKE. She is now excited to share her latest book, ONE BIG HEART, with the world.
ONE BIG HEART is about celebrating how we are more alike than different. We can embrace our differences and still find our common ground. God gave us all one big heart, and that’s the most important part because it’s where love starts.
For Davis, her son serves as her inspiration for the books she writes. "Almost daily he takes my hand and he leads me into the world around him with fresh eyes, and it serves as a subtle reminder of all the reasons to rejoice and anticipate each new day.”
In addition to her role at ABC, she is a Christian, wife, mother and author. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and the National Association of Black Journalists.
It presents an age-appropriate teaching moment about a child's desire to see his grandmother again, and through faith, including good works while on Earth, perhaps he'll see her again.
Some people are incredibly nitpicky about rhyme, sentence structure, and presenting a concept that frankly would require older children to grasp. As a teacher, all of these aspects are just fine. However, if one finds the rhyme structure and meter difficult, that's unfortunate as they're average ones found in many children's stories.
Nonetheless, the beautiful illustrations paint a vivid human landscape, and the book's short enough to keep a child's attention.
How High is Heaven Author - Linsey Davis Illustrator - Lucy Fleming Children’s Christian Picturebook 23 Pages
How High is Heaven was written to help children understand Heaven. I love the topic & purpose of this book. It focuses more on how the child thought he could get to Heaven to see grandma, than about Heaven itself. It does briefly mention how to get to Heaven towards the end of the story.
How High is Heaven presents a good message to young children. It has a rhyming flow to it, and the sentences are curvy which adds to the illustrations. The pictures are detailed with beautifully colored backgrounds. If given as a gift, there is a ‘presented to’ page at the beginning.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for providing an ebook to read & review.
This gorgeous picture book tells the story of a sweet little boy who wants to go see his gran in heaven. It is beautifully illustrated, has lovely rhyming lines and it did bring out all the emotions! A very special book that might be especially helpful for a parent to read to a child who has just lost someone.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advance Review Copy.
I love how sweet and fun this book is. Creative way to discuss heaven with little ones and the 2 page-spread illustrations are gorgeous! Thanks for sending a copy my way for review, Zondervan!
'How High is Heaven' focuses on a young boy who tries to go to Heaven, so he can see his Gran again. I loved the concept of the story, and how it collaborates the themes of love, loss, faith, and family.
I didn't like the sentence structure. Half of the words rhymed and went well together. The other half kinda went, but it just felt off, and didn't really work. However, the illustrations were absolutely positively lovely.
I would recommend this book for a Primary school age range. Aged 6 and below for storytimes, and aged 9 and upwards, to use as a hook to look at the previously mentioned themes.
Rated: 3 stars
Thank you to netgallery for allowing me to read this beautiful and insightful book
Death is a difficult thing to introduce to children. We weren’t made for death, so understanding it is really an impossibility. Heaven is similar, except that it is what we were made for, but an experience we’ve never had. As such, we have the tendency to soften death. She passed. He went to be with the Lord. They’re in a better place. As adults, we know (or at least think we know) what we mean by these code-worded concepts. Children don’t. Is heaven a place like any other place? Can we go there? How do you get to heaven? And, as the title suggests How High is Heaven?
Linsey Davis offers young readers a thoughtful, simple story of a young child whose grandma has gone to Heaven. How do I get to Heaven? There’s someone I’d like to see. My grandma lives there, and every day she’s watching over me. We see the child imagine how one might get to Heaven—build a staircase, create wings and fly, bounce high on a trampoline, take off in a hot air balloon. Every panel is beautifully and colorfully illustrated and fits the liminal space between reality and imagination that the book is going for.
Midway through, the child and his family get on a plane and they think This is it! but then they just land in Tucson. (And Tucson, dear reader, is not Heaven.) After this, the book pivots toward what Heaven is and how to get there. It’s not about how far you travel, or not just the things that you do. It’s all about faith and the grace of God that brings this gift to you.
If I had to be picky (and I am), I would say that I would have liked to have seen a panel or two where the family was sad. It’s perhaps implied, but I think a more overt representation of the sadness of loss would be helpful to kids who have experienced that loss and have been given How High is Heaven? as a means of processing that grief. I also think the Gospel message could have been a bit clearer. The book presents heaven as a reward for belief and action, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about that terminology. Further, the book then ends with a panel saying that until he gets to heaven, he’ll enjoy heaven on earth. Adults may understand this concept as metaphorical, but I’m not so certain that children will. I wish there had been more clarity of concept.
In terms of illustration, I want to say something about representation. Every character in this book is Black. While it’s not uncommon for children’s books to have an all-white cast, the reverse is rarely true and if so, it tends to be a book about slavery or racial issues. Not here. This is just a book about a young Black kid trying to understand what heaven is. Just existing. Just being. Just a part of the story where the color of his skin isn’t central to the storyline. We need more stories illustrated like this.
From a textual perspective, I found the sentence structure to be a bit clunky in parts when read to myself, but reading out loud to my kids smoothed out those parts by shortening or elongating syllables. I’ve seen a few reviews that criticize the book’s flow and I’d be willing to bet they didn’t read the book aloud. You may find it to be a problem, you may not. I didn’t.
Overall, my curmudgeonly pickiness aside, I would still read How High is Heaven? to my kids, but I would do it in the context of having other conversations with them about the book, about death, about heaven, and everything in between.
I remember, as a little child, trying to dig a hole to China. I also remember wondering if Heaven was in the clouds. This book, How High is Heaven? takes that question a little further. This book is special because it focuses on a child who wants to see his grandmother who has gone to Heaven. My children had two grandmas move to Heaven during their childhood. When they were really young, they used to release their balloons into the sky to send them to Grandma Barb. When they were older, their Grandma Judy moved to Heaven.
The child in this book, along with his friend, question how high is heaven, and the boy tries to figure out how he can get there. The book opens with the question, "How do I get to Heaven? There's someone I'd like to see. My grandma lives there, and every day she's watching over me." He goes on to talk about different ways that he could get high enough to reach Heaven. He tries flying like a bird, jumping on a trampoline, and flying in an airplane.
Finally, in church, the pastor talks about getting to Heaven, and how there's only one way. I do wish that they had gone ahead and mentioned the name of Jesus, however they did mention believing in our Lord and the faith and grace of God. This book is a beautiful jumping-off place to talk to Children about Heaven and about loved ones who have gone on ahead of us.
I highly recommend it, especially for children who are in the 4-8 year old range. The illustrations are fabulous. The colors are beautiful. The people are illustrated in a nice human way rather than as caricatures. This would make a very nice gift. 5 starsDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I use the Goodreads star system. ★ Did not like it ★★ It was okay ★★★ Liked it ★★★★ Really liked it ★★★★★ It was amazing
**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher All opinions are my own.
About the Book:
Children ask A LOT of questions when it comes to heaven, particularly when they’ve experienced the loss of a loved one. In this uplifting, imaginative picture book, How High Is Heaven? inspires hope and comfort in readers young and old, that heaven can be experienced here and now and is open for us all.
Bestselling author and ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis invites children to explore age-appropriate questions about heaven. Kids (and their parents) can celebrate that, thanks to God’s grace, heaven is a place we can look forward to while finding moments of heaven here on earth.
How High Is Heaven? is the perfect books for parents and grandparents to read aloud and provides an uplifting message for kids ages 4-8, delivering:
Read-aloud, lyrical rhymes Whimsical, engaging illustrations by Lucy Fleming Answers to children’s questions about heaven… and a safe place to ask them Comfort to those who have lost a loved one
My Review:
This book is a really touching book. When my mom died, unexpectedly many years ago I very much thought the same way as this sweet child in this story. Anything and everything I could do to be close to her or reach is what I wanted to do. This book made me tear up a little bit.
In the story this sweet little boy wants to tell his grandma all the exciting things that are going on with him and he cant because shes already in Heaven, so he thinks of different ways to reach her. It is a precious story.
This is the best book for a child trying to understand the death of a loved one.
Two of my favorite books on our bookshelf are Stay This Way Forever and The World Is Awake for Little Ones, so it was no surprise we love this new release from author Linsey Davis, too! This sweet and tender picture book moved me to tears… It was so beautiful! As I read this to my preschool-age daughter, it opened a conversation about what heaven is and how to get there! As the little boy in this story wonders how he can get to heaven to see his beloved grandmother who is now there, he wonders aloud about building a staircase to heaven or flying there in a balloon or airplane. Instead, he learns through his pastor at church that it is the gift of God’s grace and faith in Him that will lead us to heaven someday. I adore how the short, lyrical words of this picture book simplify the answer to this big question for young children and makes it easy for them to understand and grasp the need for salvation in a fun and relatable way. The illustrations are so cute and vibrant; my daughter loved looking at it! This is a great addition to any child’s library and would be excellent for a church, preschool or given as a gift! It would also serve well for a child who has recently lost a grandparent and is missing them…
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
This gentle and sensitive story is told in a soft lilting rhyme by a young boy wants to go to heaven to visit his grandmother. He tries many things, such as building a staircase, wings, and an air balloon, but all are unsuccessful. One day at church he learns the only way to heaven is to love and believe in the Lord. He finds comfort in knowing that one day he’ll see grandmother in heaven. He decides he’ll live his best life until then, being kind to others and enjoying what God has given him.
How High is Heaven? is a special book, especially for those who have lost a loved one. I love that it shares the plan of salvation in a way for a young reader to grasp. The illustrations are so precious, and the message is priceless.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
I really liked the children’s book, How High Is Heaven by Linsey Davis. The author takes a difficult subject, the death of a loved one, and creates a hope-filled book that will speak to the hearts of children ages 4-8. With rhyme and vivid illustrations, this storybook tells of a young boy’s honest questions of how he can see his grandmother again. This is not a sad book at all, but a celebration of life here on earth as well as in heaven. I loved the last line — One day I’ll see gran, but until that time . . . I’ll enjoy heaven here on earth. If your family is going through the loss of a family member, I highly recommend this book. It speaks to a child’s honest questions and the promises they can find in God.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: children ages 4-8.
(Thanks to Zonderkidz for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
This was a super cute book about a young boy wanting to get to heaven to see his deceased grandma who lives there and learning in church how he could someday get to heaven to see her again. It’s told in rhyme and is a very simple and adorable story. The pictures are magnificent and go great with the story. This is a great book to read to a child to help explain how you get to heaven and also a great book to read to a child who has experienced a death in their lives and is missing them and wondering if they’ll get to see them in heaven someday. Definitely a cute book that I want to add to my personal library for my future kids.
Thanks to Netgalley and Zonderkidz for a free digital copy.
A touching and beautifully illustrated rhyming story about a boy trying to reach Heaven to visit his grandmother. He isn't sure how to get there until he hears a message at church about how faith is the only way to Heaven. Overall I like the concept but I don't like the execution of it. It never explains how his grandmother is dead. He cannot reach her until he dies one day too. And it never mentions Jesus and leans a bit into works based faith, which I do not agree with. Overall I think this story is a miss.
This is one of the most precious books I have ever read. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the story is just perfect. However it's the message that really means everything. Not a single person on this planet should go through life without receiving the information contained within the pages of this endearing story! I give How High is Heaven, a must read, five star review.
Thank you to Netgalley, Zonderkidz, and Linsey Davis for this Arc. The review and opinions are solely my own.
If we open our hearts to others and love and believe in the Lord, then we'll be living our very best life and heaven will be our reward.
A colorful and hopeful book on heaven. A grandmother is in heaven and her grandchildren want to go to heaven to see her. They think of different ways on how that happen.
There is only one way and by it we can have heaven on earth.
I thought this book was a light-hearted perspective for small children to have hope in death.
A special thank you to Zonderkidz and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
How High is Heaven by Linsey Davis is a cute book about Heaven from a child’s perspective. I loved how the author wrote about Heaven as some kids perceive Heaven to be and how kids, at times, think that they can travel to Heaven, like they are going on a trip. This is a sweet book with beautiful illustrations. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. (My book review is also on Goodreads.)
My thoughts: this is a children's book with lots of colorful pictures about a little boy who misses his grandma and wonders how he can get to heaven to visit her. He has lots of ingenious ideas but nothing works. Then one day I passed her tells him the only way he can get to heaven. It's a sweet book The children will be sure to enjoy, especially with the beautiful illustrations. I recommend this book. I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* not a bad kid's book, would consider buying if the need was there for small children, i liked the artwork.