A Book Review for Kids & Moms from Books At a Glance
by Kristin Stiles
Change is inevitable. Sometimes it is a small change, like your favorite brand of ring bologna is discontinued (I’m speaking from personal experience). Sometimes it is a huge change, like you’ve been laid off from work. Any change has some level of stress related to it. As adults, we have coping mechanisms. Some of which are better than others. Kids, however, aren’t born with an innate understanding of how to deal with the fears and confusion that accompany change. That is something that parents need to teach them. Darby Strickland has written this book as part of the “Helping Children Through Upheaval” series to do just that.
Wallace Whale had a great life. He lived in the warm south seas with his mother and his friends. He was comfortable and happy in his daily routine. That was all about to change. The time was coming for his first experience of migrating north. This would mean leaving behind the warm water for the cold, saying goodbye to his friends, and heading out to the unknown. Wallace was scared. What would life be like now? Who would be his friends? What even IS cold water? His mother helped prepare him by answering what questions she could, but ultimately, she kept pointing him to the fact that one thing would never change: God would be with him and would help him every step of the way. Mother Whale reminded Wallace of the promises God had made and that He would be faithful to keep each and every one of them. Wallace discovered that his new life was going to be different—better in some ways and worse in others—but that he could count on God being with him through all of it.
This was a very sweet story. I wasn’t too far into it when I realized that Strickland was paraphrasing Psalm 139 throughout. What a wonderful passage to use in teaching our children that God is always with us no matter where we go and that He has a plan for our lives. Nothing that happens to us is outside of His control.
Following the story, Stickland provides guidance for parents in helping their children through the big changes in life. There are wonderful applications from God’s Word as well as very specific practical suggestions for encouraging children during these periods of life. And, as with other books in this series, there is a plushie of the main character, Wallace, that you can purchase from the publisher.
This is another great title in a brilliant series!
Kristin Stiles is a home-school mom, a Sunday School teacher, and helps lead the “Young, Reading, & Reformed” children’s ministry at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA.
Buy the books
A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED: HELPING CHILDREN THROUGH UPHEAVAL, Darby A. Strickland