A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED: Book Review

“Change can be challenging for everyone,
but it can feel especially overwhelming for children.
As parents, we experience transitions alongside them,
navigating not only their questions and emotions but also our own.” 
– Darby A. Strickland, MDiv, Counselor at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF).

If you know a child who is experiencing a big change, or is about to, then please consider this review of the picture book, A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED.

The Author

Darby Strickland is a counselor, author, and faculty member at CCEF. She has written for adults as well as children.

You can learn more about Strickland and her work by visiting her website: https://www.darbystrickland.com/, where you’ll find “gentle, biblically grounded reflections for those who are hurting—and for those who want to help without causing harm.”

A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED is Strickland’s third children’s book. She and her husband, John, have three children.

About A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED

Wallace is a young whale who enjoys playing with his friends and singing with his mama.

Then, one day, Mama sings a new song, and it’s all about a big change. They’re moving to the north, where the water is cold, but it has plenty of the food they need.

Wallace has many, many questions! He doesn’t like the idea of change. He is sad and nervous. His mama gently answers all of his questions.

Will God be with him when he goes down deep in the ocean?

Will God be with him on the other side of the sea?

Mama reminds him that God’s love never changes, and nothing catches Him by surprise. She reassures him that God goes before and behind him, and always right beside him. God will help them through the changes.

Illustrations and Back Matter

The illustrators, Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell, use bright, colorful watercolors to depict ocean life in this picture book. At the back of the book is a page with Psalm 139:5-16. Also, there is a section for parents: “Guide Your Children Through Big Changes,” which includes practical ways to encourage your child.

Recommendation

I highly recommend this book for children who are venturing into unfamiliar waters—whether that’s a new home, a new school, or new dynamics within the family. This book will prove helpful in many situations. It will help children understand they can count on the constant love of God and He is bigger than any change.

Readers will appreciate how this story respects a child’s emotions without trivializing them.

I love how eleven verses of Psalm 139 are included, whereas many books include only one or two verses of scripture. The helpful tips for parents are rich with insight and biblical wisdom.

This book, for kids ages 4–8, would be a great addition to any home or church library. I plan to give my copy to the library at a missionary training center. The children who accompany their parents there are expecting big changes!

I received a free copy of this product. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.