In this educational and playful picture book, author Michael Todd spells out for children several principles he shared with adults in his book, Relationship Goals (WaterBrook, 2020).
When a young girl walks into her parents’ bedroom, she sees her mother sitting on the side of the bed with her eyes closed. Later, the mother explains to the girl that she was talking to Jesus and that staying in close communion with him is her first relationship goal.
That evening as her parents prepare to leave for a date night, the girl is upset because she wants to go with them. Her father takes the opportunity to creatively explain the importance of setting relationship goals that lead to flourishing lives with God and family members.
In the kitchen the father turns on the faucet, fills a pitcher with water, and sets four cups of different colors on the counter. Using these props, he offers the children an age-sensitive metaphor. He explains that in his word picture Jesus represents the running water because his love never ends, and the pitcher represents the girl’s parents. Her father explains that “we can’t pour out love unless God first pours in.” Then the father pours water into each of the four cups, representing how God and the parents pour love into the lives of the girl, her siblings, and others. The girl understands that she too can pour from her filled cup into the relationships she has with her family and friends.
Author Michael Todd’s cheerful, rhyming verse and illustrator Joel Santana’s vivid, spirited artwork portray for children the joy and security found in homes where Christian parents seek to put God first and teach their children to do the same.
(WaterBrook)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.