“Wherever you are . . . God is there.” So begins author Glenys Nellist’s worshipful picture book assuring young children of God’s presence in their lives in nature as the seasons unfold from a wintery landscape to a daffodil-adorned springtime to a summer adventure fishing in a creek and observing honey bees in flight. Children learn that God is with them as fireflies gleam in the summer nighttime and when an awesome rainbow follows a rain shower. God’s presence is also evident in neighbors working together to rake leaves, in the eyes of strangers, and in parks and city streets.
Nellist shows kids that God is also there in the inner landscapes of their lives: “God is in the tears, / in the sadness, / in the pain. / God is in the laughter / and the hope that comes again.”
Artist Sian James’s vivid, joyful illustrations and Glenys Nellist’s comforting, lullaby-like poem bring to mind the psalmist David’s words: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10). (Beaming Books)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.