Once again, Phl Smouse has created a delightful teaching tool for parents with children ages 3 to 5! Filled with delightlfully whimsical drawings, each page My Everyday Promise Bible features a promise from the Bible and a straight forward, easy to understand explanation of that promise that a child can easily relate to. This Bible will be released from Barbour publishing in September, and would make a terrific addition to any nursery or Sunday School program. The layout lends itself to teaching the concept of a daily devotional time with God, and leaves plenty of room for explanation and discussion.
I think this would be the ideal tool to use at bedtime with any toddler and teach them early to place all of their cares at the feet of Jesus. It's an excellent way to teach them about God's faithfulness and about the truth of His Word. I encourage you to check out the author's website to learn more about his work. Also, for your convenience, I am including an interview with the author provided by the publicist. I think you will agree that Phil Smouse has a unique talent that he is using for the glory of God. This will make a terrific addition to your toddler's library and will be a great idea for those who do their Christmas shopping early! (think grandparents!)
Q: What is unique about My Everyday Promise Bible?
A: As adults we always have easy access to our favorite Bible promises. Beautiful
collections of our best loved—and most desperately needed—Bible verses are right at our
fingertips every minute of every day. But what about our children? When a little heart is afraid, alone, confused, or simply longs to reach out and touch God, where can he or she turn?
My Everyday Promise Bible makes it easy for the youngest child to discover God’s promises in ways that are friendly, fun, and easy to understand.
This unique, new book puts 365 favorite Bible promises—one for each day of the year—in a simple, family-friendly daily devotional format that children and parents are sure to enjoy.
Every page includes:
* A Bible promise
* Carefully paraphrased, age-appropriate, accurate translation of each Bible verse
* A brief devotion to help little hearts apply each promise to their everyday life
* Colorful, fun illustrations that reflect the joy of a child’s world
Q: What are your main interests and concerns in writing for children?
A: Although my children are grown, the things I loved most about reading together were those wonderful, precious moments when all the craziness of the day would finally stop—and we could snuggle up and enjoy a special story that touched our hearts. By creating beautiful, meaningful, fun books that children and families will love, I hope to combine that experience—an experience that meant so much to me—with the joy that comes from knowing God’s Word.
Q: How did you start writing and illustrating for children?
I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of twenty-three. I soon realized my previous career as a drug addict and bar-band guitar player would have to go. But what in the world would I do instead?
I’ve always loved newspaper comic strips like Peanuts and Garfield. So I went to work in the production department of our local newspaper. I did editorial and single-panel cartoons for several publications on the side while spending my evenings pursuing the goal of creating a syndicated comic strip. A syndicate editor mentioned he liked a new strip we had in development, but he felt it would make an ever better children’s book. Before that moment, the thought of writing and illustrating for children never entered my mind.
I didn’t give his suggestion a great deal of thought at first. My daughter was only a few years old at the time, and my wife and I were just beginning to introduce her to our favorite childhood picture books like Harry the Dirty Dog, Pat the Bunny, and of course everything by Dr. Seuss.
As we read together, I began to notice that, even though it had been almost twenty years since I heard those stories, I remembered virtually every word. One evening as my daughter and I were reading Dr. Seuss, Jesus spoke these simple words into my heart: “What if it was MY WORD you remembered so well?”
And for me, that’s where it all began. I abandoned the idea of a newspaper comic strip. Soon Jesus began to open the doors that allowed me to write and illustrate His Word for children. I walked through those doors many years ago and never looked back.
Q: Who will enjoy My Everyday Promise Bible?
A: Parents, grandparents, teachers, guardians, and friends who want to introduce the children in their lives to God’s love and faithfulness will find My Everyday Promise Bible a welcome resource. It’s the perfect way to help a little heart take his or her first steps toward daily devotions, a wonderful treat for bedtime reading, and it’s just the right size for little hands to carry to church. The 5" x 7" format looks and feels just like mom or dad’s favorite Bible.
Q: What has been the biggest influence on your writing and artwork?
A: I love the letters I receive from children. Many of my youngest “readers” don’t know how to read—or write! But that doesn’t stop them from sending beautiful pictures telling me how much they love Jesus. That’s the thing that keeps me going.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: My favorite quote has always been, “Beware the satisfaction of sinking back and saying ‘it can’t be done.’ You know it can be done—if you look to Jesus.” from Oswald Chambers.
Q: What message would you like to give to all children?
A: Fall in love with Jesus. He will always be your very best friend.
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