TOS Review: Children's Bible Hour

Do you ever grow weary of the super sappy, upbeat drivel that passes as kid's devotional materials. Tell me that you do. Tell me I'm not alone.

Is there a place for all of the "God is AWESOME!" stories? Oh, yes. Praising God is one of the most important things we can teach our children to do, in my opinion. But what about ...

when life hurts?
when people fail you?
when you just can't seem to obey?
when someone's sick?
when God seems distant?

What do we feed our children with during those times?

When life--and faith--have their rough spots, where can we turn to nourish our children's souls and bring them back to the basics of knowing that God is good, ALL THE TIME?

If you're looking for something that will shore up a child during a bruised patch, I highly recommend the Children's Bible Hour Seasons of Faith series. These beautifully illustrated books and CDs offer children a glimpse into what they already know to be true: sometimes being a Christian hurts. Sometimes big questions beg answers. And sometimes, God asks you to step into aching places and be His light.

All five of my children were entranced by this series--even Jo, who is technically "too old," and Mani, who is technically "too young." The sweet, slightly familiar voice on the recordings was comforting to listen to, and the stories, while simple, were not so syrupy as to turn into sermons that leave kids picking their fingernails. The characters, too, were kindly but not saints--a nice change of pace from so many Christian books for children, where any admission of flaw is a big no-no.

These books are real, they are gentle, and they offer a glimpse into a rarely probed part of the experience of cradle Christians. Each of the four titles retails for $10, or the set can be purchased for $40.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.