Creative God Colorful Us by Trillia Newbell

This non-fiction chapter book aims to help children 6-12 understand that “every person is made in the image of God and therefore is equal in value and worth.” There are seven chapters that bring children through the story of the fall, Jesus’ work on the cross, God’s command to love all people, how sin gets in the way of that, and how people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will be in heaven together.

There are three to four questions for children to journal about after each chapter and sometimes an activity as well. There is a parent letter at the end that focuses on the difference between “colorblind” and “colorsmart,” and why we want to be color smart. There are also verses for memorization along with each chapter.

While the cover of this book may give you the impression that it is all about ethnicity through a Christian worldview, this is very much a gospel-centered book. In fact, the first three chapters are completely focused on God’s story and what Christ has done for us. This was a pleasant surprise! When Newbell does turn the narrative to differences between people and how we respond to those, she doesn’t simply focus on skin color; she includes many factors that can make us feel different from each other. This is a very thoughtfully crafted, easy to read book, that will resonate with children effectively.

In the letter to parents, Newbell does address the idea of being “colorblind” in possibly the best way I have read. She basically says there is no use pretending we are exactly the same when we aren’t, but that doesn’t mean we need to be awkward about it. She coins the term “colorsmart” which includes celebrating God’s good design, rejoicing that the Gospel is for all nations, and remembering that we will be a diverse people in eternity.

If I had to sum up this book in a not-so-eloquent way, I would say, “Wow, what Christ did for us is amazing! Hey, cool, look at our differences. Aren’t they a blessing? Let’s be brothers and sisters in Christ and worship God together!” I highly recommend this book for your family!

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