Yes, Dear, There Really is a Devil Chris Rader & Johnnie Coley

In a world full of science fiction entertainment and secular education, children need their caregivers to take a pro-active role in teaching the difference in reality and fantasy. You may have found yourself saying, Yes, Dear, There Really Is a Devil, but not knowing how to explain further. Are you looking for a way to teach the truth of God’s Word and equip your children for spiritual warfare? If so, join our young adventurers on a journey as they learn to avoid Satan and his snares with the protective Shield of Faith and the powerful Sword of the Spirit. With choices to make and battles to win, find out how they overcome obstacles and emerge victorious. Available on Amazon About the Authors: Chris Rader is a father who saw the need to better explain the devil to his young child after his four-year-old began asking questions. The reality of the devil is a difficult topic to cover with a child. Chris came up with some words, some stick figures and tried putting it on paper, until he met Johnnie Coley, a talented artist, willing to illustrate his book. He wrote this book because he believes children are never too young to learn and God gives us as parents the responsibility to teach them. My Take: As a parent and teacher, I was excited to check out this book and see how another parent addresses the issue. To be honest, in the end, I really don't know how I feel about this book. There are some things I like, somethings I don't, but I totally admire the author and artist for taking on this huge responsibility of addressing this issue with children. From the cover this book looked like an exciting read for a young child. Children are full of questions. Sometimes as a parent it is difficult to know how to answer those questions in a way they will understand. Is the devil a scary looking guy in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork, is he an angel, a lion, a serpent? Should we be afraid of him, or not, since God is on our side? Pros: large colorful illustrations scriptures on every page easy to read language Cons: The devil is portrayed as a man, serpent, and a lion (personally, the lion part for me seemed a little confusing since Jesus is also the Lion of Judah - yes the devil is also mentioned in the Bible as a roaring lion) Some of the illustrations could be a little confusing or scary (I say that lightly, they are not gory or anything, but my 8 yr old was doing a double take on a few) The book is written in rhyming prose.  For example: Now x-ray your heart and always be real. We may fool others but God knows the deal.  The children are portrayed as soldiers dressed in safari type outfits with swords and shields. In some places they are fighting the devil and on other pages with hearts to represent salvation ( I assume). Each page contains a stance in the poem and then a scripture and an illustration. In the end the children are portrayed wearing armor such as the armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6. Overall the book is Okay. I am giving it 3.5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookCrash in exchange for my honest opinion.