This book was cute, but lacked some of the substance I was hoping for when trying to explain the concept of heaven and eternity to my kids. I really enjoyed the artwork though, and I will always be fond of the song. I always appreciate the opportunity to try out clean, lovely children's books with my kids. I would recommend this for church libraries and to friends. ( )

#NetGalley #IcanOnlyImaginepictureBook

This title is a re-conceptualization of the song (and now movie) I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe. It's authored by Bart Millard with Laura Neutzling. I am only passingly aware of the song by this title and I have not seen the movie - neither of which is necessary to capture the essence of this children's picture book.

First let's start with the artwork. The images are crisp, bright, colorful featuring joyful scenes centered on some of life's most cherished moments. The artwork is by Sumiti Collina which effectively captures the everyday moments of joy which (hopefully) are present in children's lives.

The story is told from the perspective of a child who is contemplating the question, "What will heaven be like?" These imaginings cover the range of human experience from eating, playing, sharing friendship, dreaming, worshiping, and simply being in God's presence. These all help to cast a hopeful and joyful look to the future of believers in Jesus.

The one caveat is the absence of the hope of resurrection. With the resurrection of Jesus as the first fruits, the Christian church confessed and held to "the resurrection of the dead." In an odd sort of juxtaposition the book imagines a myriad of physical experiences which are anticipated in an apparently spiritual heaven. This seems to reflect the present common hope of heaven which can be absent from physical resurrection. The physical restoration of the fallen and groaning creation is a central biblical theme that could stand more contemplation and proclamation in our present times. This physical restoration and resurrection is perhaps even more difficult and astonishing to imagine, but God does not surrender his creation to corruption.

Even so, this book accomplishes the task of calling believers to imagine their joyous future.

4 stars ( )

As I write this review I am listening to "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. This is a wonderful song and this book is a great way to bring this message to children. It has a young boy wondering what Heaven is like from a child's perspective. From playing, to eating ice cream and of course spending time with animals, this makes Heaven a less scary place for children, especially if they have recently lost a loved one. Of course the message that we can have a relationship with our father God and his son Jesus here on earth and they are with us always is also communicated.

The book started with the first part of the song and then was written in a rhyming text with an easy cadence. The colorful illustrations match what the child is thinking and talking about, such as eating ice cream, playing outside, or singing together over a campfire. This would make a great book for a family library or a Sunday School class or church library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )