Name of Book:  Thank God for Circles

Author:  Joanna Marxhausen

Illustrator:  Dan Johnson

Publisher: Augsburg Publishing House

ISBN: 0-8066-1135-9

Audience:  Ages 3-7

Summary:  This is a short story that tells that God is forever.

Literary elements at work in the story:  This story is about similes. It compares a circle to God, both without beginning and without end. It has no setting or characters. The short narrative is meant to bring up conversations with young children about who God is, about death, and about what happens after we die. It is a great way to begin deeper conversations with your child about these tough topics.

(How) does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story?  The story brings the child or reader into it as a character. You feel a part of a much bigger story when you read it. By being invited to participate in the story, the child will feel a sense of belonging to God.

Theological conversation partners:  The Brief Statement of Faith line 1, and 77-80.

Line 1: In life and in death we belong to God

Lines 77-80: With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the end of our life we find God. The story shows this simple, but profound truth. The Brief Statement of Faith assures the reader that in both life and death we belong to God.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How is God like a circle?

2.  What other objects are shaped like circles?

3.  How are we like lines?

4.  When do you feel the happiest?

5. When do you feel sad?

6. How long is forever?

7. How does it make you feel knowing God loves you forever?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Russ Pearson.

Thank God for Circles by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.