Friday, January 02, 2009

Sammy and His Shepherd: Show Me Jesus in Psalm 23

I had to hold off on blogging about this new children's book from Reformation Trust until after Christmas, as we got a couple for gifts and didn't want family members who read this blog to go out and buy one first!

Here's the description for Susan Hunt's new 50-page hardcover book for kids, entitled Sammy and His Shepherd: Show Me Jesus in Psalm 23:
In Sammy and His Shepherd, Susan Hunt offers families a delightful story, built around the Twenty-third Psalm, that will help children grow in their understanding of what it is to live among a community of redeemed people guided by a loving Lord.

Sammy the sheep lives a happy life as part of a flock that is well cared for by a kind and good shepherd. But when he strikes up a friendship with a sheep in the next pasture, he begins to understand that not all shepherds are so loving. Eventually, Sammy's kind shepherd purchases Sammy's friend for himself, and from that point Sammy takes delight in helping his new "sister" sheep get to know their shepherd and his ways.

Delightful illustrations engage and hold the attention of young readers while the eleven brief chapters unfold the Twenty-third Psalm phrase by phrase. Discussion questions and activities help parents guide their children into a deeper understanding of the biblical text.

This is a great book--I've been enjoying reading it to my 5-year-old daughter at night.

Here are some other endorsements:

"Susan Hunt leads children through Psalm 23, one verse at a time, looking in detail at a shepherd's care through the eyes of his sheep. Sammy and His Shepherd explains important doctrines in simple and concise terms and points out how those doctrines about our Shepherd should impact the everyday lives of His sheep. This is a visually attractive book that sets forth the beauty of our Lord."

-Starr Meade, Author, Keeping Holiday and Training Hearts, Teaching Minds

"Sammy and His Shepherd is a delightful book for children. Written as an imaginative story narrated by a young lamb, this book does a skillful exposition of Psalm 23. It even includes some great talking points for each chapter. Susan Hunt's skills as a writer and rich theological insights are beautifully crafted into this story. Here is a book children will grow into and never outgrow."

- Tedd Tripp, Pastor, conference speaker, and author, Shepherding a Child's Heart

"I gave Susan Hunt's latest book the real test: I began reading it out loud to my rambunctious five-year-old. He was immediately charmed by her storytelling ability and would not let me stop. Sammy and His Shepherd combines rich, theologically informed understanding with sanctified creativity to reveal the green pastures of God's sovereign grace in all its loveliness."

- Douglas Bond, Author, Crown & Covenant series, and Faith & Freedom trilogy

"In this lovely book on the best-loved psalm, Susan Hunt engages the attention in a delightful way. I would encourage families to use this book and take advantage of the clear teaching, which points to the Good Shepherd who loves children and demonstrated that love so gloriously at Calvary."

- Carine Mackenzie, Author, Bible Time series and Bible Wise series