Celebrating and Wonderful New Books To Share

Celebrating!

In November, I signed a contract with HarperCollins Tommy Nelson for a lift-the-flap board book, See What God Made! Lift-the-Flap: Creation. It is my first lift-the-flap book, and 58th book overall.
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In joyful rhyme, children what God made on each day of creation, and how God asks us to take care of this precious earth. I'm thrilled to work with this wonderful publisher and look forward to seeing the book take shape. Release date is Spring 2026. 

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What joy!
​So many wonderful books have just been released!

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Xochitl Dixon describes herself as "a disabled, Mexican Christian author, speaker, wife, mom, and grandma, who loves Jesus and people. She celebrates diversity, advocating for inclusion and disability awareness with her service dog, Callie." I love following Callie on Instagram! Her latest children's book, Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, is "A joyously affirming rhyming picture book that follows a young boy on an adventure to find and celebrate allshades of brown—including you and me!" As with all the authors I'm highlighting, you can read their author pages to learn more about other fabulous books available.

Laura Alary is the author of many children's books, including a series known as the "Circle of Wonder: Liturgical Year Resource Set." The newest book in the series, Rise: A Child's Guide to Eastertide, focuses on a much neglected season of the church year. Eastertide, the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, a time of new life and renewal. In the book, the reader follows a young girl as "she shares in family and community celebrations, hears stories of the Risen Jesus, notices how the world around her is coming alive again, and ponders how growth and new beginnings are part of her own life."

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Roger Hutchison's new book, The Gift of Baptism is a lovely book, written in Roger's trademark lyrical and gentle prose:

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's beloved son.
Born under the watchful gaze of silent animals and held tightly in his mother's arms.
Come to earth to teach God's message of love and joy.
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Beautifully illustrated by Clare Westwood, this book is perfect for those learning about baptism, the newly baptized, parents, teachers, pastors, and all who seek to share God's love through the sacraments.

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Valerie Ellis, an author at Our Everyday Parables as well as an author of several children's books, will be bringing her newest board book into the world in a book published by ​Tyndale House, Let's Go! Bible Adventures; Real Bible Stories for Kids Who Love Trains, Tractors, Ice Cream, and More! That's an eye-catching title for this marvelous, rhyming storybook that tells real Bible stories and contrasts Bible-times transportation with modern-day vehicles. Trucks, trains, tractors, as well as bulldozers, boats, hot-air balloons, motorcycles--and of course ice cream trucks--will capture the attention of children ages two to five.
Side note: My very first books were published by Tyndale House, after over four years of submitting manuscripts and received 250 rejections, so this publisher has a special place in my heart!

​Laura Sassi has a marvelous series, My Tender Heart, which includes My Tender Heart Bible, My Tender Heart Prayers, and the newest one, My Tender Heart Devotions, published in October. The book includes 52 devotions with Bible verses and rhymes. I think it makes a wonderful book of devotions for adults, too! And this month, Laura's newest book, Faithful Feet, made its debut. "In this lighthearted tour through the Bible, readers will be introduced to the silly feet of beloved Bible characters, from Noah’s hairy feet that helped him build the ark, to David’s brave feet as he stood in front of the giant Goliath, to the joyful feet of the women who spread the news of Christ’s Resurrection." I love how clever this concept is, and glad my feet aren't included in the lineup!

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​​Eric and Meredith Schrotenboer are a husband and wife team who create delightful books that "help children and families learn more about the cultural, historical, and geographical context of the Bible" and "make the Biblical stories come alive in new and powerful ways." Their latest offering, found on their website at Fresh Wind Studios, is Goodnight Noah, Goodnight Ark shows the animals on the Ark going through their bedtime routines. The illustrations convey the joy of the rhyming text on this "floating zoo."

​Glenys Nellist has a lovely new book, ​God's Perfect Peace, which will be released February 1. This the first in a new series with ​Paraclete Press called "Bedtime Blessings. “Based on 2 Thessalonians 3:16, this charming book in Gleny's lovely prose invites parents, grandparents, and other loved ones to speak words of blessing over their little ones at bedtime, wrapping them in the sure knowledge and reassurance of God’s perfect peace before they go to sleep."

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*Note to my readers: This month my time has been consumed by the fires in southern California, which caused the evacuations of all of my children. Everyone is home now except for a son and wife who have to detoxify their home before returning. I've been distracted and busy with this unexpected and horrific disaster, so I confess to using descriptions of some of these books from Amazon, which often uses the descriptions from the publishers' websites.

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Let me know which books intrigue you the most!