A little girl discovers that prayer is more than a bedtime ritual; she can talk to God anytime, in any place, and about any thing. As a little girl says her bedtime prayers, her mother asks a simple question that sparks a powerful “You know we can pray to him any time we want to, right?” With that, the little girl suddenly finds things to talk to God about everywhere—in her garden, in a friend’s backyard, and on the soccer field. The girl’s prayer life will never be the same. That’s When I Talk to God is a sweet story that will deepen the prayer lives of children four to eight. This charmingly illustrated tale steps beyond explaining prayer and models constant communication with God.
That’s When I Talk to God is a good, educational story for children. I liked the lesson that this book taught. That is that you don’t have to just talk to God at night but you can talk to him anytime…small or large. I liked the illustrations as well. I thought they were colorful. The only comment I would make about this book is that I did feel that this book would be better suited to a little older age group like five and older. I think that this age group has a better attention span and would understand the message that this book is telling. That’s When I Talk to God is a book that both parents and grand parents should read with their children. It is not only children that need to know that they can talk to God anytime but this is a good reminder to adults as well.
I love the natural way prayer is woven into this book and the simple prayers the little girl prays throughout the day. She learns that prayer is not just something we do before meals or before bed which is the idea we could unintentionally be giving our kids. It also shows kids the many different things we pray about: forgiveness, thanks, for other people. Prayer is not just, or even primarily, supposed to be about asking for what we want. This book beautifully portrays that fact.
The books end with the little girl asking if God ever talks to us. The mother says yes and gives 3 ways: through others, through our conscience and through God's Word. The little girl had already been rebuked by her coach and had her own conscience make her feel guilty over a lie she told and was excited to know that God had spoken to her twice that day. It closes with reading the Bible. I did have a concern about how this was treated because, unlike the Bible, our conscience and the words of others are not infallible. God does use them but they do not always speak for Him. This book did not bring out that distinction but that is a very important distinction.
I also would have preferred not to give children the idea that when we see an ambulance we should stop and pray for the people. I don't think it is a bad thing to pray for by any means but I would not want children to feel like they need to do so or that that is one of the main things we pray for.
I still gave it five stars because there are so few really good children's books so I guess I am grading a bit on the curve :-). But in comparison to so much of what I have read- books that are moralistic, cheesy, preachy, gimmicky- I think this is sweet and edifying.
When should I talk to God? Can I only talk to him at bedtime or when I am at church? Does Mommy have to be with me?
Such questions can easily go unspoken or unaddressed. However, teaching a child to pray is one of the most important spiritual duties of a parent. That's When I Talk to God by Dan and Ali Marrow is an entertaining tool that a parent can use to teach a child that is is always appropriate to talk to God. As the little girl journeys through her day, she finds multiple opportunities to speak to God. A visit with a friend, a fear of heights, and an act of disobedience are a few examples of her encounters. The little girl also discovers that God speaks to her daily through the Bible, her conscience, and other people.
Illustrated children's books can sometimes capture a child's attention in ways that regular conversation can not. That's When I Talk to God teaches an important lesson by appealing to the mind and the sense of sight. I particularly liked how the authors made a point to mention that God not only hears, but also communicates with children. The book includes verses about prayer and The Lord's Prayer at the end. These could be used for further discussion and learning. I can confidently recommend this book to any parent looking for a book to help teach important lessons on prayer.
That's When I Talk to God is recommended for children between 4 and 8 years of age. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and engaging. However, I suspect that girls may reread this book more than boys. The main character is a girl and many of the illustrations use so-called “girly” colors like pink and purple.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The B & B Media Group, Inc. 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."
That’s When I Talk to God, by Dan and Ali Morrow, is the most wonderful little book I’ve read to-date that helps you to teach your children or grandchildren to pray about everything, anytime! The amazement of the little girl realizing she can pray to God anytime about anything makes your own heart sparkle with delight!
The book talks about real-life situations in a young child’s life and turns them into times to talk to God as well as learning how He talks to us. The pictures are cute, heart-warming, and delightful–illustrated to engage your child or grandchild in their spiritual walk with God. They correlate so beautifully with each topic at hand.
Some of the things this book teaches children are:
Appreciating and thanking God for the world we live in Thanking God for friends to play with Learning spiritual lessons through the different methods God uses to speak to us Apologizing for wrong attitudes Praying for others who have been in an accident Praying when they are afraid and thanking God for helping them Praying for other children who don’t know Jesus Confessing their sins of disobedience to parents Asking God to forgive them
The book ends with some Scriptures about prayer, as well as “a letter from a Grandpa” talking about the joy it is to introduce your own child or grandchild to the world of prayer and God Himself. It can be used regularly to reinforce spiritual truths.
This is a one delightful and informative book that every parent and grandparent should have in their home! It’s easy for children to understand and for parents or grandparents to explain. Absolutely loved it!
Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.
That’s When I Talk to God by Dan and Ali Morrow is a sweet story of one little girl’s discoveries concerning prayer. The story begins with a bedtime conversation between the girl and her mom . . .
“Praying is just talking to God,” Mom explained. “Do you only talk to me once or twice a day?”
“No,” I giggled. “That’s silly—I talk to you all day long!”
“Exactly!” she said. “And you can talk to God all day long too.”
I thought about that for a minute. “But what would I talk to God about?”
“Anything you want to,” Mom said. “Try it tomorrow. I bet you’ll find all sorts of things to talk to Him about.”
. . . Thus begins the child’s eye-opening journey as she finds more and more things to share with her Heavenly Father. We see her turn her failures, successes, concerns, questions, and feelings into conversations with God. By the end of the book, she’s eager to hear what God has to say to her—through His Word.
This book brought to mind my first conversations with God. I remember struggling to find the right words in spite of that niggling suspicion that the things in my life weren’t worthy to put before Him. Then I learned that I could simply pour out my heart and trust my Heavenly Father to sort through it all. I was older than the girl in the story when I learned this lesson, but aren’t we all encouraged to become like little children in our faith? (Matthew 18)
This is a great story to give to any child. I think it would provoke interesting questions and conversations about how little ones can know God and be close to Him. I love the idea of children making God a central part of their lives early on. Dan and Ali have given us a wonderful tool for helping to make that happen.
Title: THAT’S WHEN I TALK TO GOD Author: Dan and Ali Morrow Illustrated by Cory Godbey Publisher: David C. Cook April 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4347-0018-6 Genre: Inspirational/children
A little girl is saying her bedtime prayers, with her mother listening. At the end of the prayers, the mother reminds the little girl that she doesn’t have to pray to God only at bedtime, but she can pray anytime. The girl has some questions, and Mom answers them, and the next day the little girl starts looking for times to talk to God.
She discovers (with guidance) that she can thank God for what she likes, ask for forgiveness when she does wrong, and pray for the sick, among other things. And she also discovers these things in the car, while playing soccer, or visiting a friend.
The girl also goes on to ask her mother about how God would talk to her. Mom answers her about some of the different ways God communicates with us, such as our conscience, and through His word.
This is an adorable hardcover book with beautifully done pictures that are sure to engage your young children. My daughters are eight and five and they were both completely enthralled by the story. My eight year old read it to herself several times as well, when I didn’t have time to read it right away. I asked my girls if they liked it and they both said yes.
This book would make a great anytime gift (Easter, Kindergarten graduation, or whatever) gift for your favorite child. And even better it teaches them about God. Also good for church nurseries or libraries. There is a letter to parents from Lee Strobel at the end of the book. $12.99. 36 pages.
Without hesitation so far I have loved each and every children's book from Ali and Dan Morrow. It is a real blessing to add them to my permanent keeper shelf. I hope they will keep more books coming in the future. I love purple and it is the main color theme for AppleBlossom's things which makes the shades of this color artistry absolutely beautiful and attractive to me. Every page is gorgeous and if these were posters I could stare at them for hours.
When I heard another book was coming from the Morrow couple I was very excited. Their books are fabulous conversation starters for parents and their children to involve Biblical principles in their lives. This specific book is about prayer. Teaching a daughter that it is possible to pray anytime of day, not just for meals and before bed. Throughout her normal day she is able to spot times to talk to God. Showing appreciate, sharing joy, bringing forth remorse and learning to grow from mistakes. It is a beautiful story that can help teach my daughters to integrate God throughout their days.
Thanks to The B&B Media Group for providing a copy for review through FIRST Wild Card Tours.
Me and the kids really enjoyed reading, "That's When I Talk about God"; A cute, finely illustrated story book to introduce children about prayer and talking to God, "That's When I Talk about God", introduces how prayer is a way to communicate with our Heavenly Father and how He is always available to hear our needs, our thoughts and our concerns and there is never such a thing as a bad time.
Geared for both young children and as old as around twelve, parents will find this touching and richly designed book, as a great gateway to help encourage children to start and continue a prayer life that will prayfully continue through out their lives.
What capture my attention was just the rich colors that were used to illustrate the book, the touching discussion of why we pray that is written in a way that helps children not only understand about prayer but open up discussion about prayer, particular for kids who may not yet understand that prayer isn't always just a matter of repeating what is memorize, but its a mean of communication with our Heavenly Father.
A must read, if you are either looking for a way to talk with your kids about prayer or if they ask why do we need to pray, I highly recommend "That's When I Talk About God".
That’s When I Talk To God is probably one of the best children’s books on prayer that I’ve personally read. It’s simple, conversational tone and easy to read print makes it a perfect read aloud. This book is also a good selection for children who are reading on their own.
The illustrations are done in soft, soothing colors; everything about this book portrays a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Readers learn that prayer is simply talking to God and you can talk to Him anywhere, anytime and about anything. Thankfulness, humility, concern for others, safety, and sharing your faith are just some of the subjects talked about in this book.
One of the best parts of this book is the very last page, which is a letter from Grandpa Strobel (the author’s father) which I thought was a unique addition to the book.
Everyone wanting to teach their child about prayer needs to get a copy of this book. Perfect for gift giving too, I highly recommend adding this to your child or grandchild’s library.
That’s When I Talk to God, by Dan & Ali Morrow, Illustrated by Cory Godbey, David C. Cook, 2011, Ages 4-8, 36 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-1434700186, $12.99
“…you know we can pray to God anytime we want to, right?” Mom asked setting aside the nighttime storybook, as she and her daughter folded their hands to pray.
That simple question leads to the discovery that prayer is simply talking to God in this appealing story by Dan and Ali Morrow. where youngsters learn how to pray “any time, any place…about anything.”
Written in the unnamed little girl’s voice, children learn prayer is more than giving thanks at supper and bedtime as they follow this charming girl through her typical day where she learns to talk to God about everything. Where she learns praying is kind of like talking to her mom.
From telling God how much she loves Him, to thanking God for good friends, to apologizing for bragging when she “scored the first soccer goal,” to asking…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/4428wgc
That’s When I Talk to God By Dan & Ali Morrow Illustrated by Cory Godbey Published by David Cook
Absolutely delightful book on the intimate relationship with God through prayer. The Morrow’s present in story form several ways that children can pray to God throughout the day, not just at meals and bedtime. “You can pray about Anything, Anywhere, Anytime”. Praising God for his artistry, thanking Him for friends and family, having a repentant heart, safety, courage and more. Heartfelt wording and actual prayers to help children see the simplicity in the prayers that they can have.
This was a beautifully illustrated book, nice soft colors with purple calming undertones. Scripture and the Lord’s Prayer are included in the back along with a letter to the reader from Ali’s father Lee Strobel.
A 5 star children’s book that is a great addition on any child’s bookshelf. Thankful to B & B Media Group for the privilege to review That’s When I talk to God, and receive a free copy.
Dan and Ali Morrow have created a beautiful book to teach children about praying to God. It shows different situations that children can get into and that any time is the right time to pray. This is a very gentle and effective way to teach our children that God is with them anywhere they go. And wherever they are, whatever time it is, it is also a good time to talk to God.
Guitar Babe also commented on how beautiful the illustrations of Cory Godbey are. Reading through the book gives you the feeling that family relationships, especially those between mother and child, and that of God and his children is one of gentleness and care.
This is a lovely, hard bound book that I highly recommend to parents to get for their family.
***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B & B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***
Wonderful book to have for your Children, my 4 and 6 year old Grandsons loved it. Opens up the world of talking to God. Showed them that any time is the right time to talk to Jesus ...whether they want to thank him or ask for forgiveness. The illustrations are very nice, and the kids enjoyed looking at it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through The B & B Media Group, Inc. 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 255vf: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
Excellent learning tool for teaching children about prayer. The story follows a young girl through her day as she learns about the nature of prayer and how easy it is to talk to God. The story is sweet but not sappy and not preachy, and the illustrations are charming. I highly recommend this to new Christians of all ages who need a better understanding of just what prayer is and how one goes about communicating with God.
This is a fabulous book that shows children how easy it is to talk to God. How easy it is to get into the habit of praying to him throughout the day. It shows various things to talk to God about, too – thanks for our friends, forgiveness when we do something wrong, etc. And at the end there are a few verses about prayer that would be great verses for kids to memorize. The illustrations are colorful and very nice.