Recent Christian Picture Books: God’s Signpost, The God Contest, and The 10 Commandments

Whew! It’s sooo exciting to get boxes of books on my doorstep, but sometimes the picture books get lost in the shuffle. Here’s a round-up of books I’ve received for review recently from Christian publishers.

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Recent Christian Picture Books Round-Up:

God’s Signpost: How Marriage Points Us to God’s Love by Sam Allberry and illustrated by Christine Grove. B&H Kids, 2023, 32 pages.

Ethan and Lila are off to visit their grandparents, Pop and Nanna. They’re always excited to visit Pop and Nanna, but when they arrive, Ethan and Lila see lots of people, lots of balloons, and a very fancy cake. Is it someone’s birthday? No! It’s Pop and Nanna’s 50th wedding anniversary, a cause for celebration indeed.

Throughout the story, Nanna explains God’s design for marriage using various objects, or “signposts.” Young Ethan is a bit grossed out by the idea of marriage, but Nanna hastens to assure him he will feel differently when he’s older. A perceptive question near the end prompts Nanna to explain that not everyone is called to be married:

God doesn’t ask all of us to get married…. And not every marriage last 50 years. Even if Aunt May isn’t a signpost that way, her life is a signpost in different ways. And she still gets to enjoy what marriage is pointing to … God’s love.

~Allbery (in “Nanna’s” voice)

The illustrations are the weak spot in this book, but they serve their purpose sufficiently. The message is a must in our confused 21st century society, and this is one of the only picture books I’ve seen addressing marriage in such a positive, child-like way. And congratulations to all our readers (including my own parents!) who’ve celebrated 50 years of God’s faithfulness to them in their marriage. You can buy the book from amazon.

The God Contest Storybook: The True Story of Elijah, Jesus, and the Greatest Victory by Carl Laferton and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. The Good Book Company, 2021, 32 pages. Board book edition: 2024.

Queen Jezebel and King Ahab are worshipers of Baal. Elijah worships Yahweh. Who is the real God? In an epic showdown, Baal’s priests and Elijah answer that question, or, rather, God answers that question. The story of God’s consuming fire on Mount Carmel is a magnificent one and one children tend to remember. But we so often forget that it really and truly was EPIC. It really happened, and it must have been pretty dramatic.

Laferton and Echeverri have collaborated before to good effect, and this book is no exception. Characters look like Middle Easterners, drama is at the forefront, and the bold colors make the illustrations pop. Laferton’s text doesn’t stop with Yahweh’s victory at Mount Carmel. He continues the story, showing how Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God’s total victory over all other gods.

The language of a contest and choosing the winner may turn some readers off, but when you think about it, this really is the way the story of redemption is set up from the Garden: the seed of the woman is at war with the serpent. And we know the end of the story, we know who wins. Note: there are pictures of Jesus in this book.

The board book edition of this story is, sadly, far less substantial. It lacks the continuity of the storybook version, and the ending—the connection with Jesus—feels abrupt. However, it would make a terrific book for a toddler to hold while a parent read the storybook version. Buy the storybook version here from amazon; here is the link to the board book version. And just for fun, here’s Carl Laferton reading the book on YouTube!

The Ten Commandments: For All God’s Children by Harold L. Senkbeil and illustrated by Natasha Kennedy. Lexham Press, 2024, 40 pages.

I’ve reviewed a couple “Fat Cat” books before (The King of Christmas and The Apostle’s Creed), but this is my favorite so far. The text is utterly Christ-focused, fleshing out the 10 Commandments into what those commandments entail. For example, the focus in the 7th commandment is on chastity (the word choice is explained in the back matter): we are called to keep our bodies for our spouses only, both before and after marriage.

Illustrations picture Jesus in various stages of life and ministry (and death and resurrection/Heaven). Sometimes, the illustration is a parable Jesus told (such a the Good Samaritan for the discussion of “Thou Shalt Not Murder”), but most often, the illustration is a scene from Jesus’s own life.

The text in this book is a combination of prayer, words from Scripture, affirmations of what the Lord has done and has required from a child’s perspective. The back matter is excellent and a great resource for parents. My one quibble is with the section on the 4th commandment. Sabbath is interpreted, broadly, as “rest,” with no real emphasis on corporate worship and the nature of a Sabbath day. You can buy the book from amazon here.

Readers: have you read any of these? Do you have other favorite recent Christian picture books? Let us know in the comments!

Related Reading from Redeemed Reader

• A Book Review: Something Better Coming by Megan E. Saben: an independently published Christian book all about Easter!
• A Book Review: Recent Bible board books, perfect for little hands
• A Book Review: Three more recent Christian picture books, all from Wolfbane Press