The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids
By Mariko Clark
Illustrated by Rachel Eleanor
Convergent Books, 288 Pages
Published September 24, 2024
The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids is like a big warm hug at the end of a long rainy day. Mariko Clark and illustrator Rachel Eleanor invite kids and adults into a new way to experience well-known Bible stories. Clark’s intentions are clear: “Whatever you learn from the way the gem turns in these stories, the biggest treasure I hope you find is this: God is trustworthy, and God’s names for you are true. You Belong. You are Beloved. You are Delightful.”
Each of the 42 stories references themes of belonging, belovedness and delight. Clark frames these stories through this lens, tying them together with the thread of God’s love and delight in humanity. With this perspective, Clark presents Bible stories like the Garden of Eden, Abraham and Sarah, and King David more gently than I’ve seen.
Clark’s expansive storytelling includes emotions and experiences not included in the Bible but that could be assumed. For example, when discussing Adam and Eve’s time in Eden, she says “Imagine the delight in their days: Climbing the fruit trees to gather food; flipping and swinging with the monkeys, lemurs, squirrels, and sloths; chattering at the rainbows of birds.” The elaboration on a Bible story puts readers more easily in the time and place of the story, giving children the opportunity to feel God’s love and delight alongside familiar Bible figures.
In the same way, the harsh edges of the Bible – where there is betrayal, death and abuse – are dulled in the text. While some story bibles attempt age-appropriate retellings of the plagues of Egypt and the death of the first-born sons, for example, The Book of Belonging speaks in generalizations about wonders and troubles without mentioning death. For those who have hesitations about the breadth of violence being presented in a story bible, Clark offers an alternative that doesn’t emphasize the horrors in traditional Bible stories but presents them with grace. Sins and mistakes are presented because of insecurity, and traditional villains of the Bible are good people having a hard time.
Along with the tender writing are the mesmerizing illustrations by Rachel Eleanor. Eleanor tells the stories through pictures, presenting the book of Esther like a graphic novel or detailing a border to elaborate on the untold elements of Christ’s death. The illustrations are inviting and allow for a deeper understanding of the text through thoughtful art.
This book is delightful, and it’s a welcome addition to my bookshelf of resources for children. Although it is targeted at age seven and up, the language and complex sentence structures might not be ideal for independent reading for early readers. Instead, The Book of Belonging will make its way into children’s messages and to read together with my littles at bedtime. The pauses for readers to stop and wonder together or be mindful make for particularly good bedtime reading. We are never too old to remember we belong, we are beloved, and we are delightful.
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