Children's Corner: The Little Lost Lamb

Welcome back to Stuart's Study and my weekly Saturday feature, the Children's Corner. Today, I'm reviewing the book The Little Lost Lamb written and illustrated by Geri Berger Haines and available for purchase at Pauline Books and Media. This book is intended for children ages 0-5 and is one of Pauline Books and Media's bestsellers.

One of the most well-known and well-loved parables of Jesus is The Lost Sheep, which is found in Matthew 18 and Luke 15. In this parable, Jesus explains how one sheep wanders away and the shepherd leaves the other 99 sheep to find and rescue the lost one. It is a story of redemption and forgiveness that so many of us can relate to, which explains the popularity of all the artwork and imagery of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

Ms. Haines takes some personal liberties in her re-telling of this parable both in length, detail, and child-friendly language. None of these liberties are bad things, though, as it makes the story easier to understand and relate to for the younger reader. My favorite part of this book is how the lamb refuses to go home despite being in danger. Younger kids might not get this message on their own, but that is just like us in our fallen nature. We sin, try to hide it, and are too ashamed to go home for forgiveness, and it is a good lesson to teach your kids about God's love and your love for them. Even if they screw up, you still love them and will be there for them.

I give this book 5 stars. It's very easy to see why this book is so popular and continues to be one of Pauline Books and Media's top sellers. Pick yourself up a copy. In fact, pick up two. You will probably end up reading this book to your children so many times that the cover will fall off.