Zoe's Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious (Good News for Little Hearts Series)

The condition of the book was great, even wrapped in a thin plastic. The story makes me sad because it was so blah. Parts that did not to be over-explained dragged on. First read I found myself having to summarize the page (I typically read word-for-word as long as my ADHD kid will tolerate it). Then the parts that matter like lessons from the Bible are sort of under-explained IMO and better passages could've been chosen. My fault that I assumed the title had more to do with the story...I thought her hiding place would be something more of a big deal in a sad way (like her purple blanket was...and I WISH my child's anxiety was so simple it could be remedied with such an object otherwise I probably wouldn't look for a book about it ironically..). That she was hiding from the world/experience. WHICH she was but it was one very specific experience that doesn't translate well. Getting lost IS something to be worried about LOL But just in a logical way when possible. I like that she used prayer and it caused her to have a moment of peace and taking a breath so she could remember to meet up at the rally point. Her discomfort seemed so temporary and honestly very insignificant vs children who have regular occurrences of repetitive anxiety/panic. It was a book about not paying attention as much as or more than having anxiety. It also ended very abruptly . Fell short of expectations and it was our first book in this series so I'm unsure about the rest being relatable and if the stories will be more relatable to the title for each. I guess my main issue is the idea of the book seems to be for children with significant anxiety (most kids don't need a book about it when they have average levels/resources) but it's only about a very short-lived precise experience. Also the issue of age-relatability. I don't understand how it's for older kids when it's written with such a simple message with flat and very juvenile characters, yet it won't appeal to younger kids (In my experience) since it's so so wordy. We already have had lesson plans about similar verses and about faith in God's presence and love in hard times. This was a rather long story to simply explain that in a way of pray and take a moment and all will be fine. :/ Really?

Such a cute and encouraging read. I read this with an autistic kiddo, who seemed to have calmed down once we finished reading it. He was able to rejoin a group of kids to play board games! Totally love this book.

Wonderfully written and illustrated! Love the cutout verses in the back.

Beautiful, and colorful pics!

The books I was waiting for my kids! Easy to understand important Bible scripture, And practical use it in their kids life !!

The sweetest stories! We love these books! Such simple encouraging stories that point little ones to scripture!

At present, there are three volumes in the "Good News for Little Hearts" series which seeks to help kids and parents face anxiety, failure, and anger in a God-honoring way. While these animal stories don't quite have the enduring charm of classics such as the Beatrix Potter books, Little Bear, or Frog and Toad and some conversations between characters seemed to come off a little unnatural (and maybe even a little "preachy") at times, my little ones enjoyed them. The volumes are sturdy and full of creative, vibrantly-colored illustrations. Each book concludes with tips for further helping your child and four "Back Pocket Bible Verses" in the New Living Translation that you can cut out and give to your child. Zoe's Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious begins in a mouse house and contains some of my favorite illustrations. The mouse house contains all kinds of treasures lending itself well to an "I Spy" game. Unfortunately, content-wise, it was my least favorite. It reminded me of the type of moralistic Christian books with which I grew up. While Jesus was mentioned by name, the Gospel wasn't clearly proclaimed. This book makes it seem as if God is with everyone for good all of the time and doesn't make any distinction between those who are His people and those who are not. However, that being said, the book does lend itself well to a Gospel presentation. You'll just want to continue the story by explaining to your kids that the reason why a holy God never leaves or forsakes His children in spite of their sin is because Jesus was forsaken in place of all who would believe and bore the penalty for their sins when He died on the cross and that Jesus didn't remain forsaken but was raised from the dead on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God the Father making intercession for us and that He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within all who trust in Him. All in all, Zoe's Hiding Place is an okay title but not my favorite of the bundle. Altogether, the three titles in this series are useful picture books that will serve adults as they seek to minister to children in their lives and help them to better image and glorify their Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. Many thanks to New Growth Press for sending me complimentary copies! I was not obligated to write a positive review. These words are my honest opinion!

There is always a need for biblical counseling in the church. Whether it is a couple trying to save their marriage or parents dealing with their wayward teenager, the ministry of biblical counseling serves as a guide to counsel from God’s Word. Married couples and parents need it. Teenagers ought to heed it. But what about younger kids? Oftentimes, the scope of biblical counseling seems to apply only to adults and teenagers. Yet, as Christians who believe the Bible applies to all of life for all stages of life, doesn’t God’s Word give direction and counsel for children too? The publishers of New Growth Press believe so and have put forth biblical counseling for kids in their new “Good News For Little Hearts” children’s book series. Zoe the Anxious Mouse In this volume of the series, Zoe’s Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious, we meet Zoe, an anxious mouse, who is afraid to take a field trip with her class because of what happened before when she was left behind and lost. As the story plays out, Zoe’s parents assure her with a verse from the “Great Book”. When Zoe decides to join her classmates on the field trip, she faces the same fear as before: she has left behind and lost. Yet, she remembers her Papa Mouse giving her a note placed in her back pocket. She pulls it out and her anxiousness turns into peace as she remembers God is her refuge and safe place from trouble and fear. Creatively Counseling Children on Anxiety Zoe’s Hiding Place, edited by David Powlison and illustrated by Joe Hox, uses this story about a mouse’s fear and anxiety to creatively counsel children from God’s Word when they are anxious. This tale does not end with a mere moral lesson either. Biblical counselor David Powlison makes sure to highlight the Good News of Jesus in addressing Zoe’s anxiety. The gospel is on display in Zoe's story. This book and series show biblical counseling is not just for big people; it is for little hearts as well. It is biblical counseling for elementary-aged kids. This book is so much more than a book, though. Parents will appreciate the resources found in the back of the book, including a list of how to help their child with anxiety as well as back pocket Bible verses to cut out or copy for their children to use. If you are a parent who desires to counsel your anxious child from God’s Word and are struggling to guide them in a creative and engaging way, then listen to this counsel and get a copy of Zoe’s Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious today! I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.

Zoe's Hiding Place: When You are Anxious is one of three new releases in the Good New For Little Hearts series from New Growth Press and CCEF. As a member of a church that is very committed to Biblical Counseling I was very intrigued by this new series. CCEF has produced many quality resources for adults that have been very beneficial to me and countless others. The idea that these same truths would now be made available to kids in story book form had me very excited for their release. The series brings gospel truth to children by "focusing on an animal family's real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus in the midst of challenging circumstances." Zoe's Hiding Place brings to children a story of Zoe the mouse and her struggles with anxiety. Zoe is faced with the difficulty of going to a place, the Art Museum, that has caused her great anxiety in the past. During a previous trip she got lost when she didn't pay attention to her class leaving. Zoe was very anxious that this would happen again and dreaded going. After telling her parents about her fear and worry, she is directed by them to truths from Scripture. God is a refuge and help and she can go to him in prayer when she starts to fear. Sure enough, on the class trip to the Art Museum Zoe gets lost again, only this time she prays and remembers that God is near (through a note that her dad gave her) and then calmly finds her way back to her class. The book closes with a section called Helping Your Child With Anxiety. Here the author gives 10 points from Scripture to further discuss with your children. This is where the biblical counseling influence of CCEF is most clearly seen. This section definitely turns the book into a resource to be used over and over again with your children. There is also a Back Pocket Bible Verse section with Bible verses for kids to carry with them for when they are anxious. This is a very nice addition to the book. The illustrations of the book are also very well done. Zoe's Hiding Place is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, and churches to connect the truths of Scripture with different struggles that children will face. The writing style is engaging, the illustrations are wonderfully done, and the biblical truths are clearly communicated. I would highly recommend this book to any Christian that regularly interacts with young children. I received a copy of this book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review.

As the father of two young children, I am constantly on the lookout for good children’s books to teach the truths of the Gospel, the Bible, theology, and so forth to my children. Though my children are both under 4 and not yet reading, I am continuing to gather excellent resources to use with them now and in the years to come. Time and time again, I have been impressed with and thankful for the books that New Growth Press is putting out, not only for adults, but for children as well. And their newest series — Good News for Little Hearts — is no exception. This new series consists of 3 books, two written by David Powlison and one by Ed Welch. The series is intended for children three to eight years old. Each book centers on an animal family and brings Gospel help and biblical counsel to children and families. Whether the topic is failure, anger, or anxiety, or the animal is a rabbit, a squirrel, or a mouse, each of these books does an incredible job at combining biblical help and hope to issues that every child and family faces with excellent, brightly colored and fun illustrations and engaging prose and story telling. In each story, children are not offered mere moralism and rules to obey, but are offered practical ways to follow Jesus through difficult situations that they face. In this story we are introduced to a mouse named Zoe who’s class is going on a field trip to an Art Museum. While her friend is excited, Zoe is not, because last time they went to this museum Zoe got caught up in some of the exhibits, lost track of time, and was left by the class all alone at the museum. When thinking about going back, she is filled with worry, anxiety, and fear. The night before the class leaves on the field trip, Zoe’s mom listens to her fears and offers her biblical wisdom and encouragement: “Worry wants you to believe that you are all alone and God isn’t with you to protect you. But that’s not true. Jesus is with you. He cares for you. I had lots of fears and worries when I was a young mouse. Your Grandpa used to read to me from the Great Book. There is a verse in that book that says, ‘God is your refuge — a safe place from trouble and fear.'” Zoe was able to take the reminders from her parents and approach the field trip with trust in the Lord rather than the fear of what may go wrong. Again, every child, no matter the age, deals with fear, anxiety, insecurity, and worry. Through this story of Zoe’s Hiding Place, parents are able to help their children address their own fears and worries and come face to face with the biblical truth that God cares for us and we have every reason to trust in Him. In each of these stories, parents are given the opportunity to have meaningful, important Gospel conversations about important issues in their children’s lives through the help of a fun and engaging story about animals. At the end of the each story is a guide for parents to help your child with the topic at hand. While the story is the engaging part for the child, this guide at the end of each book may be the most helpful part about these resources, as they offer short, helpful recommendations and encouragement to assist parents in engaging in biblical counseling with their children. I would wholeheartedly recommend every Christian parent get a copy of each of these three books. There is not a parent out there whose children has not or is not struggling with anger, fear, or failure. These book will be a great help to all parents seeking to help their children deal with these common issues in a Biblical, Christ-centered, Gospel-focused way. In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank New Growth Press for providing me a review copy of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The condition of the book was great, even wrapped in a thin plastic. The story makes me sad because it was so blah. Parts that did not to be over-explained dragged on. First read I found myself having to summarize the page (I typically read word-for-word as long as my ADHD kid will tolerate it). Then the parts that matter like lessons from the Bible are sort of under-explained IMO and better passages could've been chosen. My fault that I assumed the title had more to do with the story...I thought her hiding place would be something more of a big deal in a sad way (like her purple blanket was...and I WISH my child's anxiety was so simple it could be remedied with such an object otherwise I probably wouldn't look for a book about it ironically..). That she was hiding from the world/experience. WHICH she was but it was one very specific experience that doesn't translate well. Getting lost IS something to be worried about LOL But just in a logical way when possible. I like that she used prayer and it caused her to have a moment of peace and taking a breath so she could remember to meet up at the rally point. Her discomfort seemed so temporary and honestly very insignificant vs children who have regular occurrences of repetitive anxiety/panic. It was a book about not paying attention as much as or more than having anxiety. It also ended very abruptly . Fell short of expectations and it was our first book in this series so I'm unsure about the rest being relatable and if the stories will be more relatable to the title for each. I guess my main issue is the idea of the book seems to be for children with significant anxiety (most kids don't need a book about it when they have average levels/resources) but it's only about a very short-lived precise experience. Also the issue of age-relatability. I don't understand how it's for older kids when it's written with such a simple message with flat and very juvenile characters, yet it won't appeal to younger kids (In my experience) since it's so so wordy. We already have had lesson plans about similar verses and about faith in God's presence and love in hard times. This was a rather long story to simply explain that in a way of pray and take a moment and all will be fine. :/ Really?

Such a cute and encouraging read. I read this with an autistic kiddo, who seemed to have calmed down once we finished reading it. He was able to rejoin a group of kids to play board games! Totally love this book.

Wonderfully written and illustrated! Love the cutout verses in the back.

Beautiful, and colorful pics!

The books I was waiting for my kids! Easy to understand important Bible scripture, And practical use it in their kids life !!

The sweetest stories! We love these books! Such simple encouraging stories that point little ones to scripture!

At present, there are three volumes in the "Good News for Little Hearts" series which seeks to help kids and parents face anxiety, failure, and anger in a God-honoring way. While these animal stories don't quite have the enduring charm of classics such as the Beatrix Potter books, Little Bear, or Frog and Toad and some conversations between characters seemed to come off a little unnatural (and maybe even a little "preachy") at times, my little ones enjoyed them. The volumes are sturdy and full of creative, vibrantly-colored illustrations. Each book concludes with tips for further helping your child and four "Back Pocket Bible Verses" in the New Living Translation that you can cut out and give to your child. Zoe's Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious begins in a mouse house and contains some of my favorite illustrations. The mouse house contains all kinds of treasures lending itself well to an "I Spy" game. Unfortunately, content-wise, it was my least favorite. It reminded me of the type of moralistic Christian books with which I grew up. While Jesus was mentioned by name, the Gospel wasn't clearly proclaimed. This book makes it seem as if God is with everyone for good all of the time and doesn't make any distinction between those who are His people and those who are not. However, that being said, the book does lend itself well to a Gospel presentation. You'll just want to continue the story by explaining to your kids that the reason why a holy God never leaves or forsakes His children in spite of their sin is because Jesus was forsaken in place of all who would believe and bore the penalty for their sins when He died on the cross and that Jesus didn't remain forsaken but was raised from the dead on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God the Father making intercession for us and that He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within all who trust in Him. All in all, Zoe's Hiding Place is an okay title but not my favorite of the bundle. Altogether, the three titles in this series are useful picture books that will serve adults as they seek to minister to children in their lives and help them to better image and glorify their Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. Many thanks to New Growth Press for sending me complimentary copies! I was not obligated to write a positive review. These words are my honest opinion!

There is always a need for biblical counseling in the church. Whether it is a couple trying to save their marriage or parents dealing with their wayward teenager, the ministry of biblical counseling serves as a guide to counsel from God’s Word. Married couples and parents need it. Teenagers ought to heed it. But what about younger kids? Oftentimes, the scope of biblical counseling seems to apply only to adults and teenagers. Yet, as Christians who believe the Bible applies to all of life for all stages of life, doesn’t God’s Word give direction and counsel for children too? The publishers of New Growth Press believe so and have put forth biblical counseling for kids in their new “Good News For Little Hearts” children’s book series. Zoe the Anxious Mouse In this volume of the series, Zoe’s Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious, we meet Zoe, an anxious mouse, who is afraid to take a field trip with her class because of what happened before when she was left behind and lost. As the story plays out, Zoe’s parents assure her with a verse from the “Great Book”. When Zoe decides to join her classmates on the field trip, she faces the same fear as before: she has left behind and lost. Yet, she remembers her Papa Mouse giving her a note placed in her back pocket. She pulls it out and her anxiousness turns into peace as she remembers God is her refuge and safe place from trouble and fear. Creatively Counseling Children on Anxiety Zoe’s Hiding Place, edited by David Powlison and illustrated by Joe Hox, uses this story about a mouse’s fear and anxiety to creatively counsel children from God’s Word when they are anxious. This tale does not end with a mere moral lesson either. Biblical counselor David Powlison makes sure to highlight the Good News of Jesus in addressing Zoe’s anxiety. The gospel is on display in Zoe's story. This book and series show biblical counseling is not just for big people; it is for little hearts as well. It is biblical counseling for elementary-aged kids. This book is so much more than a book, though. Parents will appreciate the resources found in the back of the book, including a list of how to help their child with anxiety as well as back pocket Bible verses to cut out or copy for their children to use. If you are a parent who desires to counsel your anxious child from God’s Word and are struggling to guide them in a creative and engaging way, then listen to this counsel and get a copy of Zoe’s Hiding Place: When You Are Anxious today! I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.

Zoe's Hiding Place: When You are Anxious is one of three new releases in the Good New For Little Hearts series from New Growth Press and CCEF. As a member of a church that is very committed to Biblical Counseling I was very intrigued by this new series. CCEF has produced many quality resources for adults that have been very beneficial to me and countless others. The idea that these same truths would now be made available to kids in story book form had me very excited for their release. The series brings gospel truth to children by "focusing on an animal family's real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus in the midst of challenging circumstances." Zoe's Hiding Place brings to children a story of Zoe the mouse and her struggles with anxiety. Zoe is faced with the difficulty of going to a place, the Art Museum, that has caused her great anxiety in the past. During a previous trip she got lost when she didn't pay attention to her class leaving. Zoe was very anxious that this would happen again and dreaded going. After telling her parents about her fear and worry, she is directed by them to truths from Scripture. God is a refuge and help and she can go to him in prayer when she starts to fear. Sure enough, on the class trip to the Art Museum Zoe gets lost again, only this time she prays and remembers that God is near (through a note that her dad gave her) and then calmly finds her way back to her class. The book closes with a section called Helping Your Child With Anxiety. Here the author gives 10 points from Scripture to further discuss with your children. This is where the biblical counseling influence of CCEF is most clearly seen. This section definitely turns the book into a resource to be used over and over again with your children. There is also a Back Pocket Bible Verse section with Bible verses for kids to carry with them for when they are anxious. This is a very nice addition to the book. The illustrations of the book are also very well done. Zoe's Hiding Place is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, and churches to connect the truths of Scripture with different struggles that children will face. The writing style is engaging, the illustrations are wonderfully done, and the biblical truths are clearly communicated. I would highly recommend this book to any Christian that regularly interacts with young children. I received a copy of this book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review.

As the father of two young children, I am constantly on the lookout for good children’s books to teach the truths of the Gospel, the Bible, theology, and so forth to my children. Though my children are both under 4 and not yet reading, I am continuing to gather excellent resources to use with them now and in the years to come. Time and time again, I have been impressed with and thankful for the books that New Growth Press is putting out, not only for adults, but for children as well. And their newest series — Good News for Little Hearts — is no exception. This new series consists of 3 books, two written by David Powlison and one by Ed Welch. The series is intended for children three to eight years old. Each book centers on an animal family and brings Gospel help and biblical counsel to children and families. Whether the topic is failure, anger, or anxiety, or the animal is a rabbit, a squirrel, or a mouse, each of these books does an incredible job at combining biblical help and hope to issues that every child and family faces with excellent, brightly colored and fun illustrations and engaging prose and story telling. In each story, children are not offered mere moralism and rules to obey, but are offered practical ways to follow Jesus through difficult situations that they face. In this story we are introduced to a mouse named Zoe who’s class is going on a field trip to an Art Museum. While her friend is excited, Zoe is not, because last time they went to this museum Zoe got caught up in some of the exhibits, lost track of time, and was left by the class all alone at the museum. When thinking about going back, she is filled with worry, anxiety, and fear. The night before the class leaves on the field trip, Zoe’s mom listens to her fears and offers her biblical wisdom and encouragement: “Worry wants you to believe that you are all alone and God isn’t with you to protect you. But that’s not true. Jesus is with you. He cares for you. I had lots of fears and worries when I was a young mouse. Your Grandpa used to read to me from the Great Book. There is a verse in that book that says, ‘God is your refuge — a safe place from trouble and fear.'” Zoe was able to take the reminders from her parents and approach the field trip with trust in the Lord rather than the fear of what may go wrong. Again, every child, no matter the age, deals with fear, anxiety, insecurity, and worry. Through this story of Zoe’s Hiding Place, parents are able to help their children address their own fears and worries and come face to face with the biblical truth that God cares for us and we have every reason to trust in Him. In each of these stories, parents are given the opportunity to have meaningful, important Gospel conversations about important issues in their children’s lives through the help of a fun and engaging story about animals. At the end of the each story is a guide for parents to help your child with the topic at hand. While the story is the engaging part for the child, this guide at the end of each book may be the most helpful part about these resources, as they offer short, helpful recommendations and encouragement to assist parents in engaging in biblical counseling with their children. I would wholeheartedly recommend every Christian parent get a copy of each of these three books. There is not a parent out there whose children has not or is not struggling with anger, fear, or failure. These book will be a great help to all parents seeking to help their children deal with these common issues in a Biblical, Christ-centered, Gospel-focused way. In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank New Growth Press for providing me a review copy of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Our 5-year-old has asked for this over and over. We enjoy the pictures and the characters, but we are especially blessed by the message that we don't have to be crippled by anxiety and fear. We have a place to go with it in prayer and counsel with others, and we also have the Lord's help for change. Though we greatly appreciate this book, sometimes the story feels a little less smooth. For example, when the climax comes, she seems to remember instructions which we were not aware of (to find the Great Oak). It isn't terribly distracting, but it is a tiny bit distracting. In addition, the last paragraph could end stronger. There is triumph: "I am more than okay! I'm learning a lot on this field trip!", but it's not as clear as it could be about the most important lessons she's learning: learning to have listening ears is good, but it's not something we can just change by our own concerted effort, and an even greater lesson to learn where to turn quickly for help in prayer. Great start, and I hope for more in this series!

This is a cute book that will appeal to early elementary kids. I love that this book reminds parents to have good listening ears when our kids are worried. So often we find it easier to dismiss our child’s fears because it’s inconvenient for us. This book does a good job of explaining the lies that our worries tell us, and compares them to truths from the Bible, which gives me, as a parent of an anxious child, words to help my son. I read it with my boys and they didn't totally love it, but they did spend a lot of time poring over the illustrations! My only concern with this book is that it’s a trifle moralistic, insinuating that Zoe would experience less worry if she just listened to her teacher better. Also the writing style is a little mixed. The opening line says “the sun extended its morning glow to a light blue bungalow in Mulberry Meadow.” That seems a little old for the rest of the book. The part I actually liked best about this book was the parent pages at the end. The book was published by CCEF (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation) so the parent tips are quite extensive and helpful.

This is a book that I recently read to my kids....from 3-10. They have had some anxiety over the death of their friend and I felt they could really relate to this book because of their anxious hearts. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are vibrant. That kept the attention of my 3 year old. My 8 and 10 year old liked the simple message reminding them that God is always near. I wouldn't say the book is theologically deep and I'm not so sure it was even meant to be. But the message is clear....when I'm afraid, God is there. For my older kids, it allowed us to talk about verses that can remind us about God's nearness and not having to be afraid. It led to a lot of conversation, which I think is great if any book can do that. If you want something to bridge several ages, this is a good book for that. It can be adapted to fit the age that you're reading to, for sure. You'll probably want to extend it to the harder questions of "Why doesn't God leave us?, etc." for your older kids. At least, we did and then backed it up with Scripture. All in all, I think the book served the purpose in which it was written for. ______________ I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

Zoe’s Hiding Place was a very cute and well told children’s story about a little mouse by the name of Zoe who has an issue with being anxious. She is a little mouse with a big imagination, love’s fairy tales, and sometimes just has a hard time keeping focused as she gets lost in said imagination. As a mother I completely understand as I have children who can relate. However, due this lack of focus and attention sometimes Zoe becomes anxious as she has not listened or understood the directions. I thought this had great lessons at learning to control anxious thoughts and how to handle them when they come. Bringing key verses from the Bible dealing with worry, we have a mouse that is finally beginning to understand that we do not have to be anxious for anything. This is another book I shared with my eight year old son who again really enjoyed the story and the lessons. Our favorite part was seeing how the book art showed how everyday household objects were being used for the mouse’s home. We both got a chuckle out of those. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

The entire Good News for Little Hearts series is a wonderful collection of children's books that touches up on real life situations and the best way to handle them as Christians, with faith and grace. Jax's Tail Twitches touches up on ways to deal with anger and even has a lesson on sharing. Buster's Ears Trip Him Up teaches about humility and how to cope with failure. Zoe's Hiding Place discusses fear and anxiousness, and what God says about these things. The illustrations throughout are fantastic! With the turn of each page, not only does the illustrator tell the story with his artwork, but he was also sure to incorporate all kinds of neat and interesting details in the background to really help give each story depth and life. Each book is meant to strike up meaningful conversations between parents and their children as they read about the difficulties the characters face in their own individual situation, and how they learn to live in faith and follow what God's word says. As the plot of each book progresses and the main character comes face to face with a unique challenge, Bible references, prayers, and scripture are introduced to show them what to do next. In turn, this teaches young children how to deal with their own emotions and what to do when all odds seem against them. It's definitely a series that I hope will eventually expand to include additional stories. I received an advanced copy of the book, however all views and opinions are purely my own.

Zoe's Hiding Place: When You are Anxious is a book in the Good News for Little Hearts Series and it is such a great book. While I'd much prefer for children to never be anxious, it is a reality and when it happens, they need a book to help this. This is one such book. Zoe becomes anxious and begins to worry about many things as she prepares for a class trip and when she interacts with her mom, her mom helps her to learn and remember that God is always with her. That Zoe can turn her worries into prayers to God and he will help her. When the event comes, she remembers what to do when she begins to worry and get anxious. She is able to overcome and grows stronger in the process. The end of the book has a bullet-point section of tips for helping a child who is dealing with anxiety and there are some pocket bible verses as well. This book is real while also being on the child's level. I highly recommend this!!

ZOE'S HIDING PLACE is a great book for children who have trouble paying attention and have anxiety issues. Zoe is lost in a world of fairy tales and tends to daydream instead of paying attention to her teacher and then she gets lost! Her safe place is in her bed under the covers, hiding from the world. Her parents try to encourage her and assure her that even if she gets lost God is still with her and will never leave her. They also encourage her to pay attention to her teacher on the field trip so she doesn't get lost. Zoe doesn't pay attention and does get lost but then she remembers the entrance and was able to find her class in time for lunch. I did have issues with the teacher's reaction -- but that was the only issue I had with the book. It had a great message and speaks truth, and will be great for parents or grandchildren or for Christian preschools or daycares. I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.