No doubt, you 've at least heard of the movie based on the song by MercyMe, specifically Bart Millard. If not, as part of the BookLook for Bloggers program, I received a hardcover copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. So, here we go:
The book is high quality in hardcover with a jacket cover that is brilliantly illustrated. The illustrations don't stop as they seem to get better and better with each turning page. There are 34 pages in the book with illustrations from Sumiti Collina. The book is published under the Tommy Nelson name and written by Bart Millard of MercyMe along with Laura Neutzling.
The storybook follows the idea behind the song in that it talks about what heaven is like. The full title of the book is I Can Only Imagine A Friendship with Jesus Now and Forever. So, as the title suggests, it also discusses how God is here with us now, and we do not have to wait to live a life with Jesus till we get to heaven. We can enjoy his presence now!
If you don't know the story behind the song that the book is based on, Bart Millard is founding member and lead singer of MercyMe. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, and they live with their kids in Tennessee. Sumiti Collina, the illustrator, is based in Italy.
This child's book opens with a dedication page with blanks to fill in for gifting to an important kid. It opens with a little boy pulling his dog in a wagon and then the opening page with words begins with the lyrics of the song and pictures a mom and dad and two kids.
It then transitions into a bedroom scene with a little boy looking up at the stars and wondering what heaven is like. For the bulk of the book, the pages take you from illustration to illustration of different scenarios with the boy asking and wondering if these parts of his life as he knows it on earth will be in heaven.
The final pages picture the mom and dad and two kids leaving the beach where they were pictured in the beginning as night falls. They begin to thank God for keeping them close. Finally, the boy is pictured at night alone on his tire swing coming to the conclusion that God's Spirit will never leave him and that Jesus is near him as he lives out his life on earth and waiting to share eternity, but for now, "I can only imagine!"
I would recommend this book as a great gift idea for any nighttime reading, but especially for a child who is grieving the loss of someone close or who is asking questions already, wondering what heaven is all about.
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