"Chrissie's Shell" by Brooke Keith

"Chrissie's Shell" written by: Brooke Keith, illustrated by: Mary Bausman

Description:

Chrissie is a little turtle with a big problem ~ she believes her shell is empty. She spends her days comparing herself with other animals in the forest and imagining what it would be like to be them, only to end up disappointed again and again when she finds she cannot transform herself into someone new.

At last, when Chrissie is ready to give up all hope, she has a conversation with God. She begs Him to make her into a creature like the wonderful animals she has seen, but God has something better in mind. God explains why He has made Chrissie the way she is. He then directs her to the pond, where Chrissie finally captures a vision of herself as God sees her. She realizes her shell is not empty after all and that God loves her just the way she is.

"Chrissie's Shell" is supported by the scripture Psalm 139:14 NIV: I praise you for I am...wonderfully made. Throughout the book, Chrissie questions who she is and believes she is just an "invisible little someone in an oh, so empty shell." In her ultimate dialogue with God, she learns to see herself from God's perspective.

My thoughts...
I absolutely loved this children's story! As a teacher and a parent, there is nothing more important than self-worth. This book teaches a lesson of feeling important, being self confident and learning that its okay to just be you. I would recommend this story for preschool age and up. It would be perfect for a elementary school counselor, teacher or parent to read to their child. The moral of the story is to encourage the reader to have self esteem and be proud of who they are. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and match perfectly to each page of the book. I would definitely rate this book 5/5 stars!

Learn more about the book by clicking here.You can add this book to your favorites on Facebook. This book is available to buy at Amazon (it became available July 2010).

Thank You so much Net Galley and Warner Press for allowing me to read this book! I cannot wait to read more books from you in the future!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Net Galley review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."