A wonderful, bright and colorful picture book about being yourself. I highly recommend you check it out!

This is a great conversation starter for kids. Even as a adults we struggle with comparison so why not get the conversation started early. It has beautiful illustrations that draw kids in.

God Made You to be You by Jamie Ivey is a precious picture book for children. This book’s important mess translates perfectly for kids in this book. I love the colorful illustrations and my son absolutely adored reading it. Children of many different ages would enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I really loved the desert/Southwest theme of this book and I love how the main character is a cactus. I think I like it the most because we can all be prickly at times and God still loves us.

Sammy the Cactus observes his friends hopping and flying, burrowing and slithering and wishes he could be more like them and less like his stuck in the ground self. But his animal friends finally point out that he is important to them, just the way God made him, and doing the things he is naturally good at.

This is both a metaphor for accepting your own natural talents and abilities, as well as being a little science lesson on the role a cactus plays in its desert ecosystem. (All the things the animals tell him he does well or that they appreciate are real things those animals need from a saguaro cactus in reality.) The tale is told in excellent rhyme, and the illustrations are done in an attractive cartoon style. A good pick for littles who wish they were more like others, or learning about desert ecosystems.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We each have a purpose-that's easy to see. God made you to be You and Me to Me!

We waste much time wanting to be like others and not seeing the qualities that God has made in each one of us. In this colorful children's book, a cactus in the desert explains the good qualities that God made in him and how those qualities help others. A great lesson for each of us!

A special thank you to B&H Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

LOVE this! Everything about it - the message, the colors, the illustrations! Please make this a series! What an awesome gift for a kiddo at such a young age to hear this important message!

Such a sweet little story, celebrating our differences. The illustrations are fun and bright as well. A well done children's book!

What a precious book! My grandchildren still have this one on repeat and what an important message. I love to read to them and this one is most requested in my house right now. Thank you for helping me build these memories with my grands and for helping me put the word of God into their hearts.

This book was really fun! What an interesting concept to have a cactus wanting to be something else. I loved the illustrations where he imagined being other creatures, and I also loved the poetry of the rhyming words. I would highly recommend this for young readers!

This book is such a sweet children's book with a great message and very cute illustrations! It gives the message of how God has made all of us to be exactly as we are, very powerfully and in a sweet way.

Super cute illustrations! And I love the message that God made us each unique for a reason. It was sweet and not preachy. My kids and I loved the book!

This book was wonderful! A great message, and easy enough for children of all ages to understand! The illustrations are cute as well.

God Made You to Be You is a beautifully written and illustrated story that teaches children that they were created in the Image of God. The book tells the story of Sammy the Cactus. Sammy the Cactus struggles with who he is and the things he cannot do. His friends encourage him, telling him he was created exactly how God wanted him to be and God gave him a purpose only he could fulfill. I loved the message and truth that was in the book. I believe this book would be perfect for families to read together. It could also be read in an Christian education setting. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on GoodReads.)

Sammy the cactus is an adorable little character that lives in the desert. He looks around and notices that all his desert friends are mobile and can move around and play but he is sticky stuck in the ground unable to move. Snake can slither, hawk can soar, Jackrabbit can hop but oh my, Sammy is rooted in the sand. He is going nowhere!

Sammy is sad about his stationary plight and starts imagining what life would be like if he had been created in different forms just like his friends.

His buddies come to his aid and explain to him how important he is and all the wonderful things he IS capable of doing. They remind him that God creates everything for a purpose. Kids will be inspired and encouraged by this positive message that each person is unique and are designed just as God intended them to be.

This board book is written in rhyme and the illustrations are delightful. They are colourful, creative, imaginative and engaging. The book is short and the message is positive and powerful. All ages will benefit from its message. I highly recommend it.

Story seems great and amazing illustrations, but I was frustrated as I was unable to access this from my tablet. It made reading this unpleasant.

This is a short book for children with a powerful message: God made you to be you! The illustrations and the story are wonderful delivered. The discussions that occur on this subject (your purpose in your life, differences between people, everyone is special) have a great pillar in this book.
It is suited from little children to young readers.

Absolutely adored this book! From the illustrations to the cheerful dialogue, I know that children would be as engaged in the story as I was. God Made You to Be You is about a cactus who wishes he could be like the other desert animals. In the end, his friends help him realize that he has many special gifts and that God made him specially for various purposes. It ends with a question that could easily lead to a great discussion with kids: "Does God have important things for me to do?" Also, not only does it teach a good lesson on contentment and realizing our unique gifts, but it also is a great way to learn about desert animals and the many functions of a cactus.

Thank you Netgalley and B&H Publishing Group for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on this book -- out 10/5/21!

I loved the message behind this book. I thought the illustrations were cute and I loved seeing the cactus version of things. My only issue was that a lot of the rhythm was just a little off. It didn't flow. But overall I think it is cute and can't wait to read it to my son.

The first few pages were a bit confusing, as it jumped into things a bit fast and awkwardly. However, I loved the message of the book and the lyrical prose so I'm still giving it 5 stars! Fun and vibrant illustrations throughout with a beautiful, positive message for children.