Review of Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids
Posted: 18 Jun 2023, 11:57
[Following is a volunteer review of "Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids" by Jemima Paul, Arvind Paul.]
With bright colors and relatable imagery, Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids stands out on a shelf, calling out to kids and parents seeking Christian children’s books to teach about heaven. The illustrations within are simple but interesting, with a good level of detail for curious kids. The scenes about family life are widely relatable and help kids connect the story to their own lives.
The story is split into different chapters, which helps to break the book into manageable chunks for a young reader, or a parent reading to a child before bedtime. In each short section, Emma, the main character, describes her dreams as she explores and learns more about heaven. Her parents help her and her younger sister understand the things she sees there, and use these dreams to explain to Emma and her sister the importance of their Christian faith.
One of this book’s greatest strengths is how carefully it is geared to a younger audience. The sights that Emma sees are all based in Biblical text, and that information is carefully explained to Emma by her parents. The language is simple, and the text easily readable, but each scene is still richly described, and always viewed through a child’s eyes and with a child’s view of what’s important, i.e., do animals go to heaven? It is carefully edited so grammar and spelling are correct and introduces a few more challenging words to help kids learn.
This book would not be a good choice for children or families that are not already Christian, as it assumes a higher level of familiarity with Christian texts, values, and symbolism. Additionally, it does discuss and describe hell in some detail, which may be frightening or confusing for some children. It is fairly repetitive, with the structure of Emma dreaming of Heaven and then discussing it with her family each morning. Finally, it is structured as an early reader book, but the language and themes are complex enough that I would suggest parents read it with their kids, or at least be able to discuss it with them if they have questions or are struggling with some of the language.
Overall, I would give this book a strong 3 out of 5.
******
Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
With bright colors and relatable imagery, Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids stands out on a shelf, calling out to kids and parents seeking Christian children’s books to teach about heaven. The illustrations within are simple but interesting, with a good level of detail for curious kids. The scenes about family life are widely relatable and help kids connect the story to their own lives.
The story is split into different chapters, which helps to break the book into manageable chunks for a young reader, or a parent reading to a child before bedtime. In each short section, Emma, the main character, describes her dreams as she explores and learns more about heaven. Her parents help her and her younger sister understand the things she sees there, and use these dreams to explain to Emma and her sister the importance of their Christian faith.
One of this book’s greatest strengths is how carefully it is geared to a younger audience. The sights that Emma sees are all based in Biblical text, and that information is carefully explained to Emma by her parents. The language is simple, and the text easily readable, but each scene is still richly described, and always viewed through a child’s eyes and with a child’s view of what’s important, i.e., do animals go to heaven? It is carefully edited so grammar and spelling are correct and introduces a few more challenging words to help kids learn.
This book would not be a good choice for children or families that are not already Christian, as it assumes a higher level of familiarity with Christian texts, values, and symbolism. Additionally, it does discuss and describe hell in some detail, which may be frightening or confusing for some children. It is fairly repetitive, with the structure of Emma dreaming of Heaven and then discussing it with her family each morning. Finally, it is structured as an early reader book, but the language and themes are complex enough that I would suggest parents read it with their kids, or at least be able to discuss it with them if they have questions or are struggling with some of the language.
Overall, I would give this book a strong 3 out of 5.
******
Snatched Up to Heaven for Kids
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes