Love Gave by Quina Aragon illustrated by Rommel Ruiz Choice F

This book is newly published by Harvest House Publishers on February 2nd, 2021.  In most places, it is back-ordered until May 15, 2021, at least that's what one site says,,  others said back-ordered until March 1st.  Since it fits with the books I've been reviewing, and the first book by this author called Love Made, also I've seen widely suggested.  I ordered it from amazon with two-day delivery so that I could include it, and potentially use it for Children's Church.  

The book says that is geared for ages 3-7-year-olds.  

Here are some sample pages: 

Back Cover: 

What I like about the book:

• The book is a hardback, good size 9.5" by 11", with sturdy thick glossy pages.  
• The illustrations have a red ribbon running through them from the front cover to the second set of pages, as well as a snake ribboned through the pages on sin.  
• The illustrations also pull in other events in Jesus's life while still using the ribboning well to show pages on sin with the darkness/snake, and the red ribbon with the discussion of Jesus' gift, as well as broken up after Jesus' work is done.   
• The illustrations include children that are ethnically diverse.  
• Concepts taught include Love, Trinity, Big Problem-Sin, relationship with God, Jesus loving children, what God is like, Biggest gift (Jesus died and rose again-Himself), Love received, Believe. 
• I like that the key concepts are so well explained like sin is defined in child-friendly terms and concrete examples, describing God and Jesus as Love, and explaining that God and sin can't be friends, as well as eternal death or eternal life.  
• Use of questions to keep the listener engaged, as well as the touch of humor or reality included. 
• Ending of the book, summarizing how to be friends with Jesus, and it includes John 1:12 which was the end of the book- Believe. 

What I wonder about the book: 

• Are the illustrations too dark on the sin pages?  Will the intended age of the listener pick up on the subtle clues and threaded ribbons throughout the book or is that for the adults, or older children?  
• Are some of the shadows the illustrator uses a bit too creepy for preschool children?   
• Some of the explanations are a bit sophisticated for the 3-year-old crowd, and maybe even the 7-year-olds, but with repeated readings and interaction, they do seem child-friendly for the sophisticated concepts the book is explaining like "a gift that cost the price of heaven."  That's a concept that needs a lot of background knowledge but also can be simply explained with Jesus paid our admission to heaven.  
• How long will it take to read aloud this book?  The Gospel in Four Words was around 9 minutes.  I suspect this one is close to that.  

I can see why this book is flying off the shelves, and I can see using it with my group of 2 to 6-year-olds for children's church.  It's different from the others I have purchased, but it wins in clearly teaching what the Good News is and how to develop a personal relationship with God.