Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lion Hudson for the e-arc copy to read and review.

This was a very short but very sweet book. I loved that the author took the biblical story and made it firstly easy for younger children to understand but also wrote it in a way that explains the people in the stories feeling during everything they were going through.

In this particular book Jesus was tired after so many people being around him, he just wanted to sleep and finally found the time too, but then his friends got incredibly scared on the boat and had to wake him up. Though he was there with them they forgot.

While showing in this book that even Jesus felt exhausted emotionally sometimes, it also showed that his friends got scared, that they needed him and the reminder of him to calm down. This book offers a wonderful helping hand to anyone wanting to teach about God, who believes in God or who wants to find an easy way to talk about being Scared with a child. It’s got questions asked through it and it has sections for adults to use to engage in conversation about it.

It was such a sweet read, the pictures were so vibrant and beautiful, it offers so much for such a short book. I really enjoyed getting to read it and it’s a wonderful book for young children.

I thought that this was a really nice book, I am not religious but I found it to be a great book that used a biblical story to explain to children about afraid and to help them cope with what they are going through and to show them that they are not alone.

The pictures were so bright, clean and vibrant and it offers a lot for a short book as it also givens a talking point section at the end which I thought was a great touch. It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is the second book I have read in this series so far and again I absolutely loved it.
The story is a bible story but has been broken down for children so that it is easy to understand, interpret and follow.
The illustrations are lovely and again I thought the activity at the back of the book was great for children to do with a parent or guardian.

When I Am Afraid, written by Debbie Duncan and illustrated by Anita Belli, is the encouraging, faith-filled story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. A part of the God Cares series published by Lion Hudson Limited, this clear, straight-forward story is true to the original Bible story. The engaging illustrations draw the reader in with fantastic detail and rich colours.

This series provides families with an opportunity to explore Bible stories while addressing real emotions and age-appropriate responses for children. When I Am Afraid couldn’t come at a better time. With a focus on dealing with fears while building resilience, bravery and the ability to cope with the unknown, this story helps children to face their fears and understand what trust in Jesus is all about. Step by step through the story, children see that the disciples were afraid even though Jesus was with them – that being afraid is normal. They also see how Jesus trusted God and how he cared for the disciples even though they had forgotten he was there with them and would keep them safe. When they asked him for help, he didn’t hesitate. The image of holding Jesus’ hand through life is reassuring and will help children to grow in their faith and trust in Him.

Following the story, the “Time to Talk” section provides questions to help children think about the key messages of the story or to help an adult guide the conversation. “Your Prayer Space” allows children to personalise a prayer linked to the story while the related Bible verse gives further food for thought. The “Advice for Parents and Carers” section is practical and incredibly helpful for guiding children through their fears and into a more positive frame of mind. Finally, the resources and websites provided are current and give parents extra support if required. Where many books of Bible stories stop at just the story, this series provides families with a complete package of support and resources for dealing with difficult situations in life.

Recently, my own children looked at this Bible story in a school assembly. At the end, they sang a fun, memorable song linked to the story. It’s one of those songs that starts at a normal volume then is repeated very softly and then VERY LOUDLY with actions to match!

“When it’s stormy, when it’s stormy, when it’s stormy all around,

I am weak but He is strong. He rows my boat when things go wrong.

When it’s stormy, when it’s stormy, when it’s stormy all around,”

Other books in this series:

Readers:

God Cares When I am Strong: Friends in the Fire

Chapter Books:

God Cares When I Feel Down: Jonah and Other Stories

God Cares When I am Anxious: Moses and Other Stories

Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Limited for this beautiful book! It will be published in July 2020.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

My kiddos and myself enjoyed this book. It is written in a way that is easy for kids to understand which is what I enjoyed the most. Biblical stories are important in our household, and are often hard to come by.

This books is great introduction to the stories of Jesus and his stories. It is introduce in a simple way with opportunity at the end to answer questions about the story with links to real life. The illustrations are beautiful and interesting that you could use them to use as a talking point before reading the story.

When I am Afraid by Deborah Duncan is a wonderful book that any child would be blessed by. This book is biblical and tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. This book will help children who are struggling with being afraid. The illustrations are awesome! This would make a great gift!

This is a cute retelling of the Bible story when Jesus calms the storm. It also teaches kids what to do when they are afraid. The illustrations are cute and appealing to kids. This is a great book for kids ages 4-8.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

Deborah Duncan did a great job with this little book. The illustrations are bold and bright, Children will be able to get a great feel for the story just by looking at them. The story is really helpful for children to find a way through feelings of fear. This would be a fantastic book for a child's library, a classroom or a Sunday School curriculum.

The publisher made a copy of this book available via netgalley. The opinions here are mine.