THE STORIES OF GOD (AND KIKI) by Dave Connis
ILLUSTRATOR: Amy Domingo
SERIES: Made In His Image #2
GENRE: Inspirational Children’s Picture Book
PUBLISHER: WaterBrook
RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2022
PAGES: 40
From the creators of The Inventions of God (and Eva) comes a delightfully illustrated picture book that tells the story of would-be author and artist Kiki—and the God who created her to be a lot like Him.
Little Kiki is an aspiring author and illustrator who weaves daring tales about swashbuckling otters, all-knowing sea cucumbers, and nail-biting rescues from the clutches of gerblins (part gerbil, part goblin). But where do her imagination, creativity, and ideas come from?
Meet God, the author of all stories. He writes adventurous tales such as Esther Saves Her Family and Friends, Jesus and the Tomb that Couldn’t Hold Him, and the Story of Kiki.
Kiki loves to write but sometimes she forgets to include important pieces (like the time she forgot to give the ship’s cook a kitchen). God also loves to write, and He knows exactly what every story needs. They are both writing their biggest story of all, and the endings are bound to be incredible.
Children and parents alike will delight in the playful illustrations, imaginative side stories, and the gentle reminder that the image of God is alive in each of us.
Other Books In This Series
“But God knows exactly what every story needs.”
I am passionate about THE Story God is writing, from the perfect ‘once upon a time’ (Gen 1:1) to the best ‘happily ever after’ (Rev 21:4), and the way most stories reflect – at least on some level – this Big Story of God. Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith which means He really is the Ultimate Storyteller.
Dave Connis has written a story for children that conveys this truth in such sweet ways, illustrating how we are created in God’s image and therefore we create. Specifically, in Kiki’s case, we write stories just like God does. In fact, as Connis says, God is writing the biggest story ever, called Making All Things New. Just as Kiki (or you, or your young reader) uses her imagination to give us characters like Prince Tybee, the kind otter prince of Scallywag, God in His immense creativity gave us the stories of the Garden of Eden, of Esther, and of Jesus & the tomb who couldn’t hold Him. This is such a wonderful concept for children to know from an early age, and this is a great way to approach it. The illustrations by Amy Domingo perfectly and adorably complement the text and will draw children back to these pages time and time again and maybe even inspire them to write & illustrate their own stories!
Unlike the stories we create as His image-bearers, though, the Story that God is writing is the truest of True. And yet, at the same time, this Story shows great creativity and imagination. Much like the way Jesus is fully God and fully man, God’s Story is fully true and fully creative. I don’t claim to understand it, but I love knowing that the smaller story of me is in the hands of such an Author. My one complaint about The Stories of God (and Kiki) is that there isn’t this sort of clarification to let children know that these wildly creative stories of God are perfectly true. It’s something that adults can, however, emphasize on their own as they are reading to a little creative in their lives, so it doesn’t stop me from recommending this book.
Bottom Line: The Stories of God (and Kiki) is an adorable and tender way to communicate to children some all-important truths – that God created them in His image, that He loves when they do things according to their own gifts and talents, that His Story is the best Story and that He is the best Author ever. It fabulously weaves the Big Story that God is telling amid the examples of Kiki’s own creativity and points to the Ultimate happily ever after of Heaven. The illustrations are perfect for the text, and it’s both age-appropriate for children and appealing to adults. I will definitely be adding this to my own ‘Aunt Carrie’s library’ because I never want to pass up a chance to tell my nieces and nephews about THE Story and our role in it.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!
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Dave Connis is a former librarian and the author of The Inventions of God (and Eva) and several YA novels, including The Temptation of Adam and Suggested Reading, recipient of a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. He lives in Georgia with his wife, three kids, and a dog that barks at nonexistent threats.
Amy Domingo is an illustrator and designer based in the Philippines. She illustrated The Inventions of God (and Eva). Inspired by her personal faith and sense of wonder, her art playfully brings Scripture truths to life. Find her sermon notes and faith-filled art on her Instagram.
WaterBrook is offering a print copy of The Stories of God (and Kiki) by Dave Connis to TWO of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read The Stories of God (and Kiki) by Dave Connis & Amy Domingo with a little creative in your life?
Sounds like a great kid’s book i would like to give to my niece for her four kids. They need to know that God loves them.
then this is a great book to give them!
I love the illustrations!
aren’t they great?!?
Sounds really great