The glory of creation is something that we often miss in our modern day. Our dependence on technology and man-made infrastructure has taken us farther away from the natural world and led us to appreciate and understand it less. God, Right Here is an attempt to correct that by placing God firmly within His creation. Not in the incarnational sense or the pantheistic sense, but in the simple sense that creation shows evidence of a Creator.
God, Right Here is an invitation to connect with nature and to see God in the natural world. In particular, author Kara Lawler and illustrator Jennie Poh take readers through the seasons to express how they find God in rhythms and changes that occur through the year. It provides an opportunity for children to learn about the seasons and have conversations about why there are seasons, what things happen in each season, and so on.
Jennie Poh’s illustrations carry the book, showcasing humanity of all abilities and skin tones. I think any child reading this book will be able to find themselves or someone who looks like them within these pages. The colors are warm and inviting, drawing readers into the story. The text is fine—it has a poetic, free verse feel to it. The decision to use different colors and fonts for emphasis in the text is probably the weakest element of the book. Some of the choices seemed rather random and actually impedes the reading process for young readers. The word “free” for example gets stylized in cursive script at one point, which could cause newer readers to struggle.
Overall, God, Right Here is a good book. It’s a reminder of the nature of seasons and the natural world. Little lovers of nature will undoubtedly enjoy leafing through its pages!