Written by Ruth Goring
Illustrated by Pamela C. Rice
Published by IVP Kids
Best for ages (Elementary – ages 4-10)
Click to purchase from IVP Kids
More than once, my husband and I have woken up in the middle of the night to a child staring at us.
“Daddy? I’m scared,” comes the whisper.
We usually have to bite our tongues at first. Waking up to you staring at me in the dark freaks me out, too, Son.
There’s something about the quiet, the shadows that brings out my children’s racing thoughts, thoughts that make them feel scared. Sometimes what they’re thinking about is scary. We live in a city, so they hear lots of sirens, sometimes gunshots.
Like every landscape, the storms outside can get loud too—a reminder they’re not in control.
But in her book, Isaiah & the Worry Pack, author Ruth Goring offers readers a gentle way for children to address their worries. Her story begins with a little boy Isaiah who can’t sleep because all that’s on his mind. Big stuff. Stuff like the way he sees him mom worry about money, and the way his sister’s arguing bothers him.
Then, Isaiah’s mom steps in. She tells Isaiah to close his eyes while she tells him a story, encouraging him to visualize the story in his mind. She helps him name the things he’s worried about, and tells him to picture his worries like big blocks he puts into a backpack. She helps him see himself meeting Jesus so that he can talk to Jesus about all of his worries. And finally, she helps Isaiah visualize handing over his worries to Jesus.
The beauty of Isaiah & the Worry Pack is that it doesn’t dismiss the things kids worry about. Instead, it reminds readers of God’s big love for them, and provides a script to help them entrust their worries to God. Goring’s story, coupled with Pamela C. Rice’s artistic illustrations, remind readers that sleep isn’t the time to fear, but the time to rest.
Even as the adult reading Isaiah & the Worry Pack to my kid, I couldn’t help but ask myself too: “What worries would I cram in a backpack? And what would I like to talk to Jesus about?”
