God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren

About the Book:

As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others…even the seemingly unlovable.

"Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love."
 
In a sturdy format, ideal for the littlest hands at storytime, bedtime, or anytime, God Gave Us You assures each child that he or she truly is a treasured gift from the Lord.

About the Author:

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 30 books, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. She just finished writing a Colorado historical trilogy (the first book, Breathe, Sing and Claim), and has begun a teen series called River of Time (Waterfall, book 1, comes out in February 2011).

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing (including a fair amount of travel writing), consulting and freelance editing (with a little speaking here and there). She’s married to Tim, a liturgical sculptor, graphic designer and musician. They have three kids–Olivia (15), Emma (12) and Jack (7).

You can find out more at her website.

About the Illustrator:

Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Learn more at her website.

Other books in the series:

God Gave Us Two

God Gave Us Christmas

God Gave Us Heaven

God Gave Us Love

God Gave Us The World

God Gave Us So Much – a limited three book treasury 

My Review:

I have read one other book in the series, God Gave Us You, and absolutely loved it!  This book did not disappoint in its wonderful message about different kinds of love.  I liked that it had a grandparent spending time with his grand-cub; grandparents play such an important role in the lives of grandchildren.  Little Cub asks Grandpa Polar Bear important questions about love that I'm sure I will be asked one day by my little girl.  Grandpa Polar Bear explains different kinds of love: between moms and dads, siblings, others outside our family, and God's great love for us.


The author's explanations are simple for little ones to understand.  It can lead to great discussion about how we should love others and treat them the way we want to be treated.  It can also lead to further discussions about how God loves us and about what Jesus did for us.  The book is a little bit wordy but thorough in covering the concept.


This is recommended for ages 3-5.  I tried to read some of it to my 16 month old, but her attention span is pretty short so she mostly enjoyed the beautiful illustrations.  I love the color choices and the cute little polar bears wearing diapers!  My daughter enjoyed pointing at them as I named the animals and objects.  I love the fact this is available in a board book so that little toddler hands can enjoy it without it getting torn.  I'm sure that this book will be dearly loved for years to come!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book 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