WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New

We are really enjoying this book as a devotional. It's definitely best for 9+ she's, but I'm able to break it down for my six year old. It's good for fostering conversations about the bible and specifically the psalms. Some of the sections include many chapters of Psalms since the book covers all of Psalms, so either plan for a good amount of time ahead of bedtime or break into smaller sections. We discuss a lot of stuff in addition to what the book goes over especially with the lament Psalms - I think those are so important but maybe not as easy a topic for young children to understand. The fact that this fosters open conversation between parent/child in regards to the Bible is fantastic. It's so important for children to see that it's a relationship (with both God and parent), not just story time.

Beautifully written and illustrated book. Well formatted, and I am reading as an adult to learn more about the Psalms. Excellent quality - I love this book Content and quality. Very sweet, and well Demonstrates the steadfast love of God.

We're a homeschool family with 5 kids and I read out loud to my kids at lunch (undivided attention, and they have grown to cherish this time). We also usually work on Bible memory work at this time. We loved TheOlogy (also Marty Maklowski) and have moved onto studying the Psalms with this book. Highly reccomend - great for a range of ages (mine are 9-17, a bit on the older side for this book, but it's still very edifying, even for Mom.

Lovely opportunity to bring God’s word into daily lessons

We have added this to our homeschool routine and it has quickly become my boys’ favorite part of school. They are full engaged and learning as we read through the Psalms together! Would completely recommend.

Such a great book for children to grow closer to God, and have a better understanding of the Psalms.

Great devotional to walk your family through the Psalms. Easy for kids to follow along. I’d recommend for ages 5 up

We got this because we like Machowski’s The Ology and found that book very adaptable to all ages in our family. Wonder Full had some good explanations of the Psalms, but honestly it felt super text heavy in addition to the Psalms we read. I could have broken down each Psalm into several days but with the younger kids in our home I wanted to do one a day and get a more big picture view of the Psalms. I’d recommend this for mid-elementary or older. Not as adaptable to my second grader. Solid theology and beautiful text though.

When I first saw the cover of Marty Machowski’s forthcoming book WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New, I said to myself, “Oh man, I know I’m going to like this one!” The beautiful illustrations by Andy McQuire immediately reminded me of his stellar artwork in Machowski’s TheOlogy, which is one of my top favorite theological resources that I keep reading. I think this is easily one of the top children’s books in 2020. I love how Machowski includes a story element into his works like Prepare Him Room (an Advent family devotional) and TheOlogy. He does it again in WonderFull, which makes the book that much more powerful and relatable for kids. I don’t want to give away too much of the story element because I desperately want you to read it for yourself! All I can say is that it had me with tears in my eyes. An Introduction to the Psalms – The book starts with a helpful introduction to the psalms. It explains how the Book of Psalms leads us in worship, gives us words to pray, and points to Christ. I firmly believe children should be taught the unity of Scripture, how verses relate to other passages in the Bible, and how it applies to our lives. WonderFull delivered that in the same careful manner as you might expect from The Gospel Story Bible. I’ve always appreciated how Machowski handles difficult texts, so I expected nothing less in this trustworthy resource. The Psalms in 5 Books – All 150 psalms are organized into five books, keeping in line with how they’re grouped in the Bible. You get just the right bite-sized segment of each psalm with the important themes and application, which is extremely doable for young readers. The “A Closer Look” section provides thought-provoking questions that parents or adults could use to walk with children through this entire book of the Bible. WonderFull helps kids see how they can use the Book of Psalms to give words to their prayers while giving them a gospel-centered perspective of the book. I don’t know a single children’s resource on the Book of Psalms that does this. For those who are searching for material that is theologically sound and Christ-centered, look no further. Going Deeper – In the back of WonderFull is a section called “Going Deeper.” It suggests a study of twenty-five Psalms, which would make for a good family devotional or be useful in a church setting. The whole book is a rich discipleship tool that I highly recommend. WonderFull does a fantastic job connecting kids’ hearts and minds in the worship of God. Mid-to-upper elementary school-aged kids (ages seven and up) are likely to benefit from the book more, especially with the potential to use it devotionally or in discipleship. But it is sure to be enjoyed by all ages. Children will be challenged to share what they are learning about God with others, which is another reason I encourage you to check out this resource (and others) published by New Growth Press. With the holidays coming upon us shortly, this is sure to make a great gift that will keep on giving.

Marty Machowski opens up the treasure box of the Psalms and shines a light on the gems inside. Through the delightful story of Oliver and his grandpa and the timeless truths of Scripture, parents and children alike are shown an intimate picture of what it looks like to actually talk to God. It’s a book you’ll read frequently with your children or grandchildren.