What a beautifully, special book that would be a perfect gift for new families. A wonderful reminder to the child that they are loved and cared for and have so much to look forward to. A reminder that God is on their side. The words were perfect and the muted illustrations matched wonderfully.

This is the first time I have read this book. It's such an awesome way to let the littlest of is that not only does Good love them, but He's always there with them.

Just in Case You Ever Wonder is such a beautiful book to read with your kids. Its simple and the same time so rooted in God's word. It helps to build identity in Christ in the hearts of our little ones. Beautiful illustrations. Love it!!

This was another wonderful bedtime story. The author always does a fabulous job at creating sweet stories that remind the children of what every parent wishes to say. A story that will be read over and over.

This is a heartfelt, warm tale that reassures children how loved they are by those around them. I think many times we forget how important it is for children to hear that they are created for a purpose and fully known and loved. This book will be a staple in our bedtime routine. The beautiful pictures are just an added bonus to the beautiful words!

The amazing images of the book immediately capture attention of young readers. The content is is well-written and easy to understand.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Special thanks to author Max Lucado, illustrator Eve Tharlet, and Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book, which allowed me to write the following unbiased review.

JUST IN CASE YOU EVER WONDER by Max Lucado and illustrated by Eve Tharlet is a newly released edition of this well loved children's story. The pictures are beautiful and the words tell of a parent's great and everlasting love for a child. The story also tells about a loving God always being near.
This book about a little bear and parent bear is perfect to read to children aged 3 to 7 years old.
It would make a great gift for a grandchild, niece, or nephew and a welcome addition to home libraries, church libraries, Sunday school and junior church libraries. I highly recommend this children's book.
5 beautiful stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️

Posted on Goodreads August 26, 2019
NetGalley August 26, 2019
Savvy Reader August 26, 2019

Max Lucado is such a master at weaving words. "Just in Case You Ever Wonder" is a lovely creation meant to be read by a parent to their child. It would make a very special weekly tradition as it encourages children to turn to their parents for support through their troubles, assuring them that they are loved and special. What a treasure this would be as a baby shower gift!

Sweet. Appropriate read for little ones, great to use to read for tuck in time. I tested it by reading it to my seven year old, and to be honest she lost interest. A younger, captive audience would probably be a better fit.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC for a fair and honest review.

This story is about a father bear and his relationship with his daughter. He describes how much he loves her, how unique and special she is and how her heavenly father created and loves her as well. He explains that he will always love her and protect her, again like her heavenly father. The ending shares the belief of heaven and how any sorrow and pain experienced on earth will be gone. This is a great way to explain heaven and God in a child-friendly way. There are gorgeous illustrations that add to the text showing the special relationship between the father and his child. Earlier editions of this book have the characters as human. When I read this to my grandson, he immediately asked about grandpa and told me he was in heaven. This was a happy/sad moment for me, but I loved that he understood and accepted the story's explanation. A wonderful book for a family library, church, Sunday school or Christian school library.

What a lovely book for children! "Just in Case You Ever Wonder" has adorable illustrations and contains a sweet message from parent to child, where a parent lets their child know how much they love them and what a precious gift from God they are. This book really teaches children how special and unique each child is in the eyes of God, in an incredibly charming and heartwarming way! I don't have children of my own yet, however if I were to have children, I would absolutely want to read this to them around the 3-7 age range.

This book tells why children are special. They are made from God and He loves them. The mother/grandmother loves them very much, as well.

This book made me tear with emotion thinking about my sons and grandsons. As a grandmother, I want to read and reread it to my grandsons so they know how special they are to God and to me.

The illustrations are welcoming, comforting, and attractive while evoking emotions of being sad, scared, hungry, cold or sick. The child will know that God and family will always be there for them.

Outstanding book!!!


I received an ARC from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

This is one of those books that parents will enjoy reading as much as their child listening. Then illustrations are superb and convey the emotions presented by the author. The feelings this book produces are so heartfelt that it may even bring you to tears. I know it did that to me!

Lovely book that assures children God will love them as they grow and change. Teaching them that His love will remain with good choices or less than perfect choices and that each child was uniquely created. A sweet reminder that parents are part of their life now and will continue to be there throughout eternity in heaven. Beautifully illustrated!!

This Is a very sweet book about how a parent will always be there for there child. It also emphasizes how God wants the parent teach the child about Him. I will be sure to get this book whenever I have a child of my own.

It’s always been a beautiful story, perfect for a religious family wanting to ensure god is brought into the family unit.
However, with this addition, the illustrations couldn’t be more perfect. It takes the story and illustrates it with teddy bears which allows a little one to engage further with the book.

In heaven you are so close to God that He will hug you, just like I hug you. It's going to be wonderful. I will be there too. I promise. We will be there together, forever. Remember that...
just in in case you ever wonder.

Little ones can be full of wonder, always learning and delighting in new things. Love, security and acceptance is a love story to our children from the breath of God...just in case you ever wonder tells that story. I love this book and I love it even more that I can share this with my grand children.

A story of love that will cause children to thrive and grow in the love of God. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Max Lucado's new book, "Just in Case You Ever Wonder" is a delightful children's book teaching them about God and about his love and the family that he put them in. It helps kids see and understand their fears and then understand their parents' roles in their lives with those fears.

It also deals with success and failure and how no matter what your child does, their parents still love them unconditionally. The illustrations in this book were beautiful and I loved the message. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received this eBook free of charge from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

What a beautiful, perfect book to read to your children or grandchildren. I was so excited to see the re-publishing of this children' classic. The new illustrations by Eve Tharlet are so well done. Children will be drawn to the pictures and the story of our love and more importantly God's love for them. My grandchildren grew up on the original version of this beautiful story. It was always the one they chose to be read to them. They too found Max Lucado to be their favorite author. Every home that has small children needs a copy of this book. I received a complementary copy from Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am a fan of Max Lucado's works but this picture book has created very mixed feelings for me. On the one hand, it is a very beautiful story about family, love, caring, and belonging told through equally beautiful illustrations. On the other hand, there are certain areas that just don't sit right. Yes, the characters are bears and not humans, but humans are the ones reading the book. If this book were in an emergency family shelter, hospitals, or many classrooms where children from different households than the story's characters, the words used would be like twisting daggers in an open wound. Part of me thinks that picture books, above all other books, should be able to be enjoyed by all readers and I just don't see that with this book. It speaks of a perfect, loving, relationship between mother and child in a way that is lovely but exclusionary. It's a great book for some, but I can see it causing pain to others.