Tori Comes Out of Her Shell: When You Are Lonely by Jayne V. Clark

Tori the turtle moves to a new town and is nervous about making friends at school. When the teacher, Miss Minnick, sees her hiding in the shell, she tells Tori a story about when she was young and in school and accidentally sprayed her class. Miss Minnick’s dad had given her a piece of paper that said, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” It was talking about Jesus. Miss Minnick knew that no matter how lonely she felt that Jesus would always be her friend.

At church on Sunday, Tori hears that Jesus said, “I am with you always.” The next day at school, Tori finds another girl who is feeling lonely too. Tori tells her about Jesus and invites her to play at her house. After they play, Tori invites her to church where they both hear that Jesus is with them always.

Loneliness is a feeling that is often difficult for our children to articulate and yet it’s so common. This Good News For Little Hearts book is relatable and comforting for our kids. Although it may be a more difficult concept, knowing that Jesus is always there for them is such an important lesson to reinforce. The lovely illustrations will draw your children into the story and the understandable text will speak to their hearts. I highly recommend this book for your family!

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1. When have you felt lonely?
2. Are you ever truly alone?
3. What can you do when you feel lonely?
4. Who is a person you can talk to about these things?