The first thing that attracted me to the book, God With Us (A Journey Home) is the cover artwork. The artwork is beautiful, unique, and attractive not only to grown-ups but also to kids. Browsing quickly to its pages, it did not surprise me at all that the illustrations on each page are just as beautiful as the cover page. The creativity and talent of Cassandra Clark were clearly shown in the illustrations of the book. The author of this book, Jeremy Pierre is brilliant in every way! 

  God With Us, A Journey Home is an innovative re-telling of the stories in the Bible. It reminds children that our world is not our home. Pierre wants to awaken children's imagination and faith by reminding them to be brave in their journey home-home with God. I love the truth that is centered in this book, the world we live in is not our home. Sin promises nothing but temporal happiness but what God offers is eternal. 

  Pierre uses two unnamed angels showcasing their perspective throughout the book. He purposely did not name the two angels because he does not want to affect or disrupt the details of the bible. Furthermore, he wants to capture the truth of angels having a closer perspective when it comes to being close to God's presence but also offers another perspective as an outsider "regarding the human drama of separated from God" (God With Us, viii). The book while it may seem not for young kids as it did not shy away from telling biblical truths like the plagues, Pierre's heart is clear in this book. He wants to open up children's eyes to how broken the world is that we live in. 

 I also love how Pierre mentioned Jesus's sacrifice to make us holy, the sacrifice that cost His life so we can be holy and we can be home with Him. The book encourages children to follow and trust Jesus. Each chapter re-tells a biblical story (with Bible passages for reference) in a way that children will be able to grasp the story and message. It is ingenious as the book can be understood by a child but can capture a grown-up's attention. Additionally, God With Us reminds us that there is nothing we can do to earn His love. He already loves us the way we are. Our sinful nature separates us from God but ultimately, He wants us to be home with Him. Our home with God where there is nothing but joy.

ABOUT THE BOOK: