Also by this author: The Friend Who Forgives: A True Story About How Peter Failed and Jesus Forgave, The Bright Light and the Super Scary Darkness, C.S. Lewis: The Writer Who Found Joy
Published by B&H Kids on October 27, 2020
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
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Have you ever been super scared of the dark? The Bright Light and the Super Scary Darkness uses the imagery of darkness and light to help children understand God’s power over evil. With an emphasis on Jesus, the Light of the World, this book reassures children ages 4-8 who struggle with fear and anxiety and offers them courage from God’s Word. Kids will find comfort in the book’s reassuring tone and brilliant illustrations, which show that Jesus’ love is strong enough to defeat even the super scary darkness.
In this picture book, a boy talks about how scary the darkness can be, and then narrates the story of the Bible to show how even though darkness and evil came into God’s good creation, Jesus came to restore the light. Dan DeWitt’s text is simple and engaging, presenting the story in child-friendly terms, and in the illustrations, Rhea Zai emphasizes the themes through different color palettes, contrasting muddy and dark colors on some pages with bright, crisp, and light colors on other pages. The sound effects for darkness that appear in some of these pictures can get repetitive, but it is optional whether or not a parent reads them aloud.
The Bright Light and the Super Scary Darkness has a glow-in-the-dark cover, and I admit that when I first discovered this at night, it freaked me out a little bit. However, this well-designed detail will be fun for kids, and this book would be great as a bedtime story, showing how even though the darkness can be scary, when we trust Jesus, “we have God’s bright light shining in our hearts.” The final page includes Scripture readings and discussion questions about dealing with fear and trusting Jesus, and this is written in a style that is appropriate for a child’s independent reading or for a parent and child to discuss together. I am used to books like these having parent notes at the end, and thought it was nice that this section still spoke directly to the child.
This picture book is reassuring and hopeful, and is a great option for Christian families and churches. I enjoyed reading it, and appreciate how DeWitt designed the text in a casual, conversational style without making it seem too quirky. This is a good book for Christian children who deal with nighttime fears and anxieties, and even those who are not scared of the dark can benefit from the reminder of Scripture’s main themes and the hope that we can have in the Light of the World.