A Book Review from Books At a Glance
by Kristin Stiles
As adults, we struggle to describe ourselves when asked. Where do we begin? My understanding is that most men tend to lead off with what they do for a living while most women tend to mention their relationships with other people (mother of, wife of, daughter of). Is that who we really are, though? If adults have a rough time with this, we can assume it’s that much more difficult for kids who are trying to get a grasp on their own identity.
Christina Fox addresses this issue by taking children through five criteria that are often used to label or identify a child. For each of these, she presents a list of questions to see if the child fits the description and then asks if that is “what makes you, you?” I suspect as you read through this list, you’ll find that too often it’s how we adults identify the children around us.
What they do — is the child an athlete, a math whiz, a budding engineer? What they love — does the child have a very specific interest, quirky preferences, or an unusual collection? What people say about them — does the child have a reputation for being picky, impulsive, or a troublemaker? What they feel — does the child exhibit strong emotions, whether it be joy, anger, sadness, or anxiety? How they look – does the child have some obvious characteristic that people see right away like a difference in height or weight compared to peers, distinguishing facial features, or a physical disability?
Fox explains to her readers that our identity is found in the fact that we were created by the Almighty God in His own image! We reflect something of the nature and character of God. That is something that will never change. Those categories above may wax and wane throughout life, but each human will always be an image bearer. That is what gives us our worth.
God also provides a way that we can become more than an image bearer. We can become His child! Fox shares a simple gospel message pointing the way to the most important identity we could ever hope to have.
This book is a real treasure that does double duty. It is wonderful for children. It is written in rhyming couplets that are fun to read and hear. This style lends itself to being memorized by children with repeated readings. Your children will learn that their worth and identity come from God and not from how the world defines and values a person. That worth and identity is unchangeable and has been assigned by God Himself.
This book is also wonderful for parents. It is too easy for us to identify our children by what they do, what they love, what others say about them, what they feel, and how they look. We have a huge responsibility in shaping how our children perceive themselves. We need to be reminded that our children are image bearers of God, as we are, and make a big deal about that and an even bigger deal about our children becoming children of God.
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
WHO ARE YOU?: A LITTLE BOOK ABOUT YOUR BIG IDENTITY, Christina Fox