This I Know

Seeing God in the World He Made (based on Jesus Loves Me)

Children - Religious Theme
32 Pages
Reviewed on 11/29/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Clay Anderson is husband to Karen, and father to two girls and two boys. After frequenting the local library with his kids, he found himself enchanted by the magic of children’s picture books. And after reading dozens of great books to his children, he decided it was time to write his own.

Clay was raised in the Chicago suburbs, and his roots are deep; their family recently moved into the same house where he grew up. He works in IT during the day, but has served as a youth pastor, and has worked with children and youth for more than twenty years.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jamie Lee Wandel for Readers' Favorite

This I Know by Clay Anderson is a lovely little children’s book about finding beauty in nature. The story begins with a girl waking her baby sister in excitement about the day ahead. Through rhyme and playful illustrations, we go on a trip with this child and her family. They go to the beach, then to the mountains. The child plays with her dog and hikes with her family. There are charming reminders of God in sunny and stormy skies. A brilliant rainbow reminds the reader of God's promise. Finally, they catch fireflies under the night sky and patiently wait to see a shooting star. The family is truly present in enjoying God's wonder in nature.

Clay Anderson's This I Know is a cute book! It is a Christian children’s book intended for that audience but even as a non-Christian, I still appreciated it. The theme of natural beauty resonates with most kids. I enjoyed the word choice and flow of the book. The rhymes are easy to follow and I imagine kids being able to read along after a few times of hearing the story. I especially liked the illustrations which were colorful and optimistic. The theme of the book is simply explored and consistently uncomplicated throughout. Unlike many Christian children’s picture books that are full of scriptures, this one only hints at God. This title makes a nice bedtime story or book for emergent readers. It would also make a cute book to accompany your kids on camping or road trip!

Tiffany Ferrell

In This I Know by Clay Anderson, we are introduced to a little girl and the fact that Jesus loves us. We are shown that God's love is around us in everything created in this world. The little girl wakes up in the morning, happy that today is the special day that she had been waiting for all year. It’s a day where she can hike and swim and run around. She then goes to wake her little sister who was the answer to her older sister's prayers. She sees her mother getting the van packed and knows that soon they will be leaving for their adventure. At the beach, the little girl takes in the sights, seeing seagulls and searching for dolphins. Back on the road, the family dog enjoys some time in a wide-open field. On the way, they encounter a storm that they fear will ruin their trip, but instead, it goes away and leaves a beautiful rainbow. They then start hiking where they see so many natural wonders, and as they climb higher and higher they see snow. The rest of their camping trip is a joy as they see all of God's fingerprints that he made in this world.

I enjoyed reading This I Know by Clay Anderson. It’s a very nice tale of a family who sees and recognizes the beauty in God's creations. It’s a great book to show children how nature is one of his greatest creations and that we should enjoy it and be thankful. The illustrations are beautifully done and go along with the storyline perfectly. The plot was simple and knowing that this book was based on the song Jesus Loves Me This I Know, I had the lyrics in mind also as I was reading it. It’s a perfect book for children and I definitely look forward to reading more of Anderson’s work.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

There is so much beauty in this world. All we need are the eyes of a child to see it and truly appreciate it. From the beginning of the day, the excitement of getting up and having a day full of fun and adventure, to the night time sky full of twinkling stars; from the beautiful sandy beach where one can sink their toes into the sand, to the stormy skies of a fierce thunderstorm. There is so much to wonder at, to be in awe, to appreciate and respect the world God created for us. It should make us all happy to know that, like the words of the popular song many of us learned as a child, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the whole world tells me so.”

Clay Anderson’s picture book story, This I Know: Seeing God in the World He Made (based on Jesus Loves Me), is a simple, but beautiful look at the power and wonder of God’s greatest creation. The plot begins with a little girl waking up, excited about the day ahead. “It’s time to get up! Oh, the big day is here!/ Are we ready to go? I’ve been waiting all year!” The rhyming verse adds to the charm of this story, as do the beautiful illustrations. The reader then follows the little girl and her family as they explore so many of God’s wonders. Even the thunderstorm strikes them with awe for it is an amazing experience, even if it is sometimes a little frightening. The rainbow at the end of the storm adds beauty to God’s promise. A lovely way to share the wonder of God’s creation with young readers.