Series: Do Great Things for God #12
Published by Good Book Company on August 26, 2024
Genres: Children's, Children's Educational
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In this beautifully illustrated hardback, Kristyn Getty recounts Joni Eareckson Tada’s lively childhood, life-changing accident, and challenging adjustment to a very different way of life, and shares how God has used her in amazing ways to bless others.
Children will hear how, when a terrible diving accident left her severely disabled, Joni was left with a lot of questions about God. It was easy to trust him when she was healthy and happy, but did she want to follow him now that life was so hard?
As young ones discover how Joni held on to her faith and used her circumstances to love others, they'll be inspired about the great things they can do for God, like being a friend to those with disabilities or in hard situations.
As well as being an award-winning hymn writer and a mother of four, Kristyn writes as a good friend of Joni, bringing a uniquely personal touch to the story.
This new installment in the Do Great Things for God series features Joni Eareckson Tada, a famous author, artist, and advocate for people with disabilities. This picture book biography highlights aspects of her early life, explains the diving accident that paralyzed her when she was seventeen, and explores how her faith in Jesus has helped her endure through pain, suffering, and questions about why God let this happen to her. The text and illustrations provide a quick glimpse of different things that Joni has accomplished in the decades since, particularly focusing on her charitable work and advocacy. Then, during the final pages, the author highlights Joni’s hope and joy in Jesus, and Joni’s hope that readers will believe in Jesus as well.
Kristyn Getty wrote this book in a simple, conversational style that will be easy for children to understand, and she is also a personal friend of Joni’s, which makes the biography feel even more personal. Also, even though this story involves tough topics about disability, spiritual doubt, and ongoing physical suffering, the author and illustrator handled these themes in an age-appropriate way. The illustrations from Hsulynn Pang visualize the story in helpful ways, especially when it comes to concepts and experiences that children might not understand, and they are never too intense. I was concerned that the scene with the diving injury would be too overwhelming for some young, sensitive readers, but these pages are matter-of-fact and clear without being too scary.
My one significant critique is that even though the ending is lovely, it indicates that this book is for able-bodied children. The author speaks directly to that audience, saying, “Do you know people whose bodies don’t work as well as they’d like? Joni would love it if you were a friend to them.” That is a great message, and Getty then talks about being friends with Jesus, which applies to everyone. Still, it disappointed me that she didn’t share a specific takeaway message for disabled kids who relate to Joni’s experiences.
After the book ends, there are additional materials for families to explore together. There is a salvation prayer, a list of discussion questions, a timeline, and a map. The book also makes adults aware of the free activity sheets that they can download from the publisher’s website to use with children, and the final page shares a photo of Joni along with her favorite Bible verse. When I was reading the story, I thought it was odd that the author didn’t mention Joni’s work as a bestselling author, but the timeline shares some information about this part of her life, and one of the activity pages encourages kids to learn about books she has written.
Joni Eareckson Tada: The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair is an excellent educational resource for families, churches, and Christian schools. This book shares an inspiring true story, introduces tough topics in a gentle, age-appropriate way, and points to Jesus in everything. This will appeal to kids who are old enough to read the book independently, and parents can also read it aloud to younger children. This book will help start conversations with kids about disability, spiritual doubt, faith, and perseverance, and it’s a great way to teach kids about an influential woman in the contemporary church.