Tomas Looks Up and Out (Good News for Little Hearts)
By: J. Alasdair Groves
Illustrated By: Jo Hox
Publication: October 9, 2023 by New Growth Press
32 pages
Genre: Children's, Animals, Picture Books, Christian, Manners
Source: Personal Library
*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.
Goodreads description--Tomas Looks Up and Out helps children learn how God considers us and wants us to look to him for help so that we consider others too. Tomas Turtle starts his day thinking more about himself than others. Not only is he annoyed that his sister Tori’s cough kept him awake, but he also brags to all of his friends about his successes. It’s not until he gets sick and his friends take care of him that Tomas learns to look up to God and out to others. Edited by counselor Alasdair Groves, Tomas Looks Up and Out offers concrete, grace-based help for growing in empathy and is part of the Good News for Little Hearts series, which brings gospel wisdom and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of hope and help, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus during challenging circumstances.
I absolutely love the Good News for Little Hearts series. There's always a Scripture where a book dedication usually stands. Tomas Looks Up and Out features Philippians 2:4, "None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others." Tomas Looks Up and Out is 32 pages long, but of course, it isn't an AR book so finding an exact book level for reading purposes would just have to be a guess, but I would put these books on par with the Berenstain Bears which ranges from a level-2 to a level-4. Either way, this is a book that I've read to my kids, not a book that my kids have grabbed for supplemental reading purposes (at least so far).
The book starts with Tomas Turtle being annoyed by the noises coming from downstairs because it's Saturday, and he normally gets to sleep in on Saturday. His mother explains that Tori has been up all night, and she's not feeling well. But Tomas is only annoyed with his missing sleep. Tomas comes in that afternoon with his friend Henry bragging about making the swimming team. He interrupts his father and tells his parents that Henry didn't make the team because too much water isn't good for hedgehogs. Later, Tomas and Buster are sliding down the grassy hill. Tomas bursts through the front door bragging about beating Buster down the hill. His mother pulls him aside to discuss how Buster might be feeling. Tomas blows her off because Buster wins all the time. After dinner, Tomas isn't feeling well. Tori, knowing how it feels to be sick, offers Tomas the remote and a hot water bottle that she had been using. Tomas, however, was too frustrated with being sick to notice Tori taking care of him. The next day, Tomas's friends show up with some supplies to help him feel better. A mishap has the two friends covered in water, but instead of being angry and frustrated, they just laughed. Tomas realized that his friends could have been out doing anything else, but instead they had come to see and help him. That night before bed, he makes things right by apologizing to Tori, who forgives him. Tori also shares a piece of paper from her nightstand which shares Philippians 2:4. Tomas goes to bed, looks up to God, and asks for help to look out for others. The next morning, Tomas is feeling better, but his mom shares that Buster and Henry are now feeling sick. Tomas asks his mother if they should take them some soup.
At the end of the book is a section to parents about helping children learn to walk in another's shoes. And the finally, there are four "Back Pocket Bible Verses" that you can pull out and give to your child/children for when they are lonely. Matthew 7:12, Romans 12:15, Philippians 2:4, and 1 Peter 3:8.
Picture books that teach about Biblical character in a way that children can understand and apply in their lives are among my top favorite books. This entire series is great. Tomas Looks Up and Out gets 5 Stars. Have you or your child read Tomas Looks Up and Out? What did you think? Let me know
No comments:
Post a Comment