He Always Hears: A Story of Loss and the Hope of Things Made New by Alyson Punzi

A little girl named Jane gets her stuffed dinosaur so dirty, he’s left with spots. Later, her good friend moves away, and she misses her greatly. Finally, her dad is very sick and has to go to the hospital. While the reader is not given the conclusion, throughout it all, Jane and her mom remember these truths:

“Because God made us and saved us,
we hope in what is true:
he promises that, one day,
what’s broken, he’ll make new.”

If you have a child that is dealing with loss, this achingly real picture book could provide Biblical counsel and comfort. As each highlighted event in Jane’s life becomes increasingly difficult, her parents model an often overlooked but Biblical action: lament.

The author writes this from the personal experience of losing her husband to leukemia when their daughter was just two. The repeated phrase (listed in the summary) is firmly grounded in the belief of salvation through faith in Christ alone, as clarified in the “Note to Grown-Ups” at the end of the book.

The illustrations are somehow quiet and hopeful, complementing the text expertly. Should you know someone in need of a Biblically solid picture book on loss, I unhesitatingly give my recommendation for He Always Hears.

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