It's bedtime again, but Isaiah can't sleep. It seems he's got too many things on his mind: things he's worried about. So Mom helps Isaiah imagine what it would be like if each of his worries were a block that he could stash in his backpack.
As Isaiah imagines hiking through the woods carrying his worry pack, he discovers the joy and relief of trusting Jesus with everything-especially those worries.
This tender story written by Ruth Goring, paired with Pamela C. Rice's warm illustrations, will be enjoyed by children and the adults who read with them. Also included is a note from the author to encourage further conversation about the content.
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About the Author :
Pamela C. Rice enjoyed a well-decorated career in advertising, graphic design, and visual communications, and now she enjoys creating children's illustrations—often inspired by her own childhood—that are fun, imaginative, and educational.
Ruth Goring is a poet, an author, and an artist. Ruth has a passion for spiritual formation for children, using age-appropriate images and language to illustrate the love of God and practices that form their hearts to follow him and trust him more. She is also the author of Adriana's Angels and Picturing God.
Review :
"This book is just lovely. What a clever and gentle way to introduce children to what we grownups call guided meditation. The perfect book to read with your young one—the reading becomes the experience. I love the warmth and reality of the illustrations. I do hope there are more such books to come from Ruth and Pamela."
"The imagination is a gift from God. Stories, too, are a gift from God. Ruth Goring and Pamela Rice have given us a sweet, imaginative story that helps children—and the child within us all—get curious about the experience of worry. Isaiah and the Worry Pack sows seeds of formational, inner-healing work into the life of any child and adult. My prayer is that this is the first of many illustrated books that normalize the challenges of being a human and the practices of imaginative-based prayer that can invite the living Christ into our places of deepest insecurities. This book is a gift that shows adults how to model a deep presence and attunement to the little ones in our lives. Excellent work!"
"In Isaiah and the Worry Pack, Ruth Goring offers young readers a glimpse into the wonderful spiritual discipline of guided imagery and sets them up for a lifetime of this beneficial practice. As we walk with Isaiah, his mom, and Jesus, we experience its spiritual and practical applications. A worthy read for kids and adults alike."
"In our age of anxiety, we need ways to practice casting our cares on God and receiving God's care for us. Isaiah and the Worry Pack is a gentle invitation to engage the gift of imagination and welcome Jesus into our anxious minds and hearts. Through a tender tale and beautiful illustrations, Ruth Goring and Pamela Rice give children and the adults who love them a creative way to name and offer to Jesus the burdens of worry that weigh us down, and to receive in exchange his gifts of loving attention, presence, and peace."
