Sweet stories with animal characters that teach kids how to deal with concepts like our desires, sadness, and loneliness. I loved that each story included a specific Bible verse related to the topic that the child could memorize or carry around on a card in their pocket. As a parent, I really appreciated the section at the end of each book that gave additional tips and information from a biblical perspective to help with these issues.

Teach children about emotional issues from the standpoint of God’s Word. These are great stories to read to children so they will understand how they should act or how God will help them work through their emotions in certain situations. A purposeful discussion is sure to follow after reading each.

This book is written very well. I absolutely LOVED the illustrations.


I received an ARC from New Growth Press through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

What We Are Reading

Always on the hunt for new kid’s books, we’ve explored several different series. We have roamed countless bookstores and libraries since reading is important to us. It’s honestly one of our favorite family activities. These are three that we’ve enjoyed this last week.

Gus Loses His Grip by David Powlison. This book is helpful for talking to our kids about “wanting” more stuff. We can quickly move from “I’d like to have this” to “I must have this.” Wanting can often start off being a good thing like wanting something sweet to eat, but quickly turns into too much. The whole family learns this lesson throughout the book. It helps us learn that we do not need as much as we think we do. But also that there is grace and mercy for people who fall into this kind of temptation. In a world of ads and media that tries to sell us more and more, covetousness can easily creep in. This is a great resource for talking to our kids about the “wantsies.”
Henry Says Goodbye by Edward T. Welch. I loved this one, because it helps us talk about sadness with our kids. Most of our kids will lose a pet or go through some kind of sad experience while they are in our home. While we hate to see them face hardship, we know they will. So why not teach them how to deal with their sorrow? Why not lead them to Jesus who can help them? This is a great tool for starting that conversation.
Tori Comes Out of Her Shell by Jayne V. Clark. This book is a great way to help a child who is facing loneliness. Some kids naturally love to be around people and others need more alone time. I have kids who fit both of those categories! But it is important to notice that being alone and needing time to recharge is different than feeling alone. That taps into feeling disconnected or even isolated from everyone around them. That might mean feeling ignored or rejected. That can often move kids into deeper isolation so they don’t keep getting hurt. Tori is a cute turtle that learns to come out of her shell and will help us teach our children how to face loneliness.

These books are among the few that we’ve found that offer Good News to little hearts. These stories drew us in because they are relatable and perfect for kids aged three to eight years old. The bright illustrations welcomed us into the detailed animal world. But these books did not offer moralism, but extend real practical ways to follow Jesus through difficult situations. I loved the talking points and scripture cards at the end. I was genuinely shocked at what a great conversation these books led us into as a family.

The Good News for Little Hearts Series is seriously amazing. I love that each story is based on real life situations and problems pertaining to all kids. Each story helps the child through the problem or feeling and points them to Christ. Each story has questions at the end for parents to help walk the child through Which hopefully will help open dialogue between the adult and child. Each story also uses Bible verses. I would recommend this book to any parent or person who works with children.

We have enjoyed previous books in this series and were not disappointed with the newest offerings. The books cover issues which are common in the lives of children, such as greed and failure in a child friendly and deeply biblical way. The books focus on families of animals and are beautiful illustrated. They are long but hold the attention of my 4 and 6 year olds well. Beautiful books which can be read over and over again and are very biblically based.

This review is written for a 3-book set from the Good News for Little Hearts series, published by New Growth Press. The books reviewed were Gus Loses His Grip, about the pitfalls of wanting too much, Henry Says Good bye, about handling losses/death, and Tori Comes Out of Her Shell, about overcoming loneliness. The reviews for each book are included in the links attached.

There are more books in this series and I highly recommend Christian parents or teachers of young children to consider adding some or all of them to their library. The books cover relatable topics and include a Bible verse as the basis of the story. They provide a good example of how God fits into our daily life and helps us handle life's difficulties.

Illustrations for the 3 books I read were by Joe Hox and are adorable and engaging full-page visuals.

Henry Says Good-bye: When You Are Sad is such a cute and sweet story.
Gus Loses His Grip: When You Want Something Too Much is a fabulous book to teach young readers valuable lessons.
Tori Comes Out of Her Shell: When You Are Lonely is a great little read for all young readers. I thought this is probably my favorite of all of the Good News for Little Hearts series that I have read to date.
I loved the illustrations that went along with the books.
Five stars.

Gus Loses His Grip

One of the things I appreciate most about the children’s books from New Growth Press is the parent guides to further discussions about the topics in the books. The Good News for Little Hearts series teaches three to eight-year-olds about their feelings.

In Gus Loses His Grip, Gus becomes greedy about sweets to the point he’s hiding things, lying, and stealing. I liked how Daddy Racoon talks to Gus and acknowledges he could use some work in this area too.

Little readers will enjoy the illustrations and meeting more of the woodland creatures from the series. The pace and artwork are comparable to other book series like The Berenstain Bears.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Tori Comes Out of Her Shell

If your child is shy or has experienced a change in school or home, Tori can offer some encouragement for them to reach out to new acquaintances who may become new friends.
The even better reminder in this little story is the promise that even when we feel alone, Jesus is there. He is a friend who will go wherever we go and will never leave when change happens.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Henry Says Good-bye

One of the most difficult challenges in life is saying good-bye to a friend. When Henry’s ladybug dies, he’s sad and angry to the point he becomes blind to the feelings of those around him.

With help from his dad and some celebration of ladybug from his friends, Henry learns it’s ok to be sad but it’s also helpful to share his feelings.

Inviting illustrations, scripture, and a parents’ guide that is useful to keep the conversation open about emotions enhance the value of the Good News for Little Hearts series books.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This is an adorable and informative series of books which will help teach children important life lessons. The images are vibrant and likely to captivate children.

The Good News for Little Hearts Series has three Fall 2019 releases that I was able to read. They are Gus Loses His Grip: When You Want Something Too Much, Henry Says Good-Bye: When You Are Sad and Tori Comes Out of Her Shell: When You Are Lonely. The Editors are David Powlison, Edward T. Welch and Jayne V. Clark. The texts are easy enough for a second grader to read with a small amount of support, but younger children will enjoy the interesting cute illustrations as well as hearing the story read aloud. There is much to discuss as the books are read.

Each story has wonderful messages for children but also for the adults in their lives too. One example is while Gus’ father who could afford all the fishing accessories he bought but did he really need them anymore than Gus needed all the sweets. The Biblical emphasis is strong but my grandchildren and I did not find it to be what one would call “preachy.” It was in line with our church and family beliefs. However, all should be aware these are Christian belief building books. If that is not what they are looking for, don’t buy. For us this is just the kind of books we love.

These are short sweet stories that will hold a child's attention and the illustrations are bright and appealing. Thank you New Growth Press via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved the exploration of emotions for kids in these stories. The hedgehog one was my favorite. I did find some of you stories to be a bit long but besides that I enjoyed them.

Have faith In God. When your pathway is lonely. He sees and knows all the ways you have trod. Never alone are the least of his children, Have faith faith in God.

Tori is always hiding at school. That is until she meets Gertie Gecko that is hiding in a bell. Tori comes out of her shell to help her new friend come out of hiding in the bell. Together they learn hiding only leads to loneliness and to fight loneliness they find Jesus. The discover that Jesus is always with you like a friend.

Such a great resource for shy toddler to know that they are not alone. The study also gives parents resources to affirm their child and that these feelings are common. Share with your child when you have felt lonely and ways that helped you not hide in your shell. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8.
When Jesus holds us, we learn to loosen our grip on the things we hold too tightly.

Gus loves sweets and he loves sweets so much he becomes a little sneaky and greedy. Gus learns a valuable lesson in how our desires can over take good judgment and obedience. When Gus' father tells his son about the Great Big Book (the bible), he also shares his own weakness but in his weakness, he changes his own desires to what God desires. Not only a wonderful lesson for our children but for us as well.

I loved the illustrations and the gentle way a father loves his son from sin. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
my people trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8.

Henry has a new a friend. A lady bug, but when she dies, Henry feels alone. As any loss is difficult to take and grief can overwhelm your heart, Henry learns that being alone and pushing people away will bring more despair. As I read this, some people tend to go one way or another. Some will welcome friends and the comfort of friends and others push people away. God knows we need others to heal and to grow. Henry's parents remind him that he can share his grief by remembering his friend.

I loved how intentional this book is on our emotions of grief and loss. Death is not the only loss we can suffer but a loss can feel like a death. A loss of a friendship, or a job, moving, etc. It is important for parents to discuss with their children these feelings of loss. Not only for the child but for the parent as well. Connecting to your children with their emotions is Christ like. While Jesus walked on this earth, he connected to others and their emotions. That is how we are able to share the gospel in the most real way. The words become power when meant with empathy. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

What a wonderful series of books about different issues young children may face from a Biblical standpoint. There was a book about loneliness, loss, and stealing/greed. The stories do so well at actually creating an interesting and fully developed story with animals characters while still dealing with the issue at hand. I think the fact that animals are in the story help readers to relate to the issues without feeling too close. All the stories also include a Bible verse toward the end to help the animal focus their issue on Jesus. At the end of each book is more content that you can directly use with a struggling child to try to help them work through things from a Biblical perspective. These books are a must for any Christian home with young children.

This three-pack of books covers three topics: sadness, greed, and loneliness. The books are christian based and teach lessons surrounding each topic. The illustrations are captivating for children and fit the story well. The end of the book has ideas on discussion topics, which makes it great for a christian classroom, or at home with the family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Greed, sadness, and loneliness are the topics of these three great stories for children. They are all Bible-focused and each teaches a very important lesson about the topic at hand. The illustrations are excellent and the authors include tips for parents on discussions to have with your kids after reading the books. I think this series is quite good and will be reading them with my two daughters this very evening. Highly recommended!

I love the simple stories in this series. The illustrations are very cute. Children can easily relate to each character.