USA TODAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERFrom the author of the best-selling When God Made You comes a new illuminating message about God’s design affirming young readers.With lyricism, whimsy, and heartfelt emotion, Matthew Paul Turner reveals the tender emotions connected with watching a beloved child grow up and experience the world. Paired with Kimberley Barnes’s vivid … the world. Paired with Kimberley Barnes’s vivid and playful illustrations, When I Pray for You is a beautifully affirming book, in which children and parents will see their own stories come to life.
When I Pray for You celebrates the dreams, hopes, and longings parents pray over their children, and shares with the little ones how much care and concern a loved one feels for them.
This is a book you will read to your child again and again. Perfect for any occasion, as well as for milestones including baby showers, birthdays, and graduations.
From the moment I saw you,
I started to pray.
Big prayers and small ones
I have sent God’s way.
I prayed you felt safe,
full of joy and content.
When I whispered “I love you,”
you knew what I meant.
more
Matthew Paul Turner’s children’s picture books remain among our family’s favorites, even as we grow out of the traditional picture book ages! Each one of our children has spent time reading the pages and/or admiring the adorable and relatable illustrations, again soaking up each detail and pointing out parts that appeal to each of them individually.
It is a joy to see our children pour over the pages of an affirming and faith-filled book like this one. The bright and cheery artwork and heartfelt prose dance across each page. Turner continues to rise above the usual simplified children’s storybook fare with intelligent vocabulary to enrich and engage thirsty young minds.
Reading this book aloud is a joy!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
When I Pray for You by Matthew Paul Turner is a delightful book. The author has geared this beautiful hardcovered book to 3-7-year-olds and it is a great read-aloud book, simple enough to be understood by all and to be read by the older child as well. It captures well a parent’s and grandparent’s prayers for a child as the child grows through the years and goes through many different experiences. Kimberley Barnes has done a magnificent job of illustrating the book with bold colored whimsical pictures and I love how the children depicted are from diverse backgrounds. What a wonderful gift for a new parent or as in my case, for a grandchild’s third birthday. I cannot wait to read this to her and her siblings over and over until the message of unconditional love seeps into their spirits.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Waterbrook Publishers and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
Author Matthew Paul Turner is very gifted at writing children’s books. I’ve enjoyed sharing each of them with the children in my life, and this one is no different. Beautifully illustrated, as each of his books are, the pictures are sure to draw the attention of your child, helping to open discussion as you are reading to them.
The words in this book. Oh the words. They will hit the heart of each parent and grandparent for they are indeed the things we pray over our children. Poignant, they warmed my heart and even brought tears. It’s wonderful to let our littles know what we are praying for them, and talking about the things we most want for them.
A wonderful book, I encourage you to pick up a copy of it for a parent you know.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
“I pray you love well. That the light in you swells. The the story God writes is the one that you tell.”
What a lovely symphony of prayerful thoughts and words, uttered by a parent who “from the moment I saw you , I started to pray”.
Matthew Paul Turner’s books should find their way onto every family’s shelf.
This is a wonderfully written and illustrated story book. I loved the prayers that they used throughout the book. This is a great book for young children. I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
This book… oh– this is a bedtime book for sure. This is one that your child will remember, repeat, and likely you will memorize. But it will be so worth it.
This book has beautiful illustrations, a soothing rhythm, brings tears to your eyes, and a smile to your heart! And even teens and tweens find their page in the story.
Oh and this book embraces #diversity and #special needs children. I’m so excited about it!
For Parents, it brings all the emotions of a being a parent to the surface. Then it adds in the new sense of trusting God with your whole heart for that child. As well as sharing with your child the love, care, and dependence you have through Prayer.
Throughout the book it shows how praying to our Great Big God has the expectation of His power and response in our lives. It really makes God personal.
It shares that, as you pray for their lives, you have such a sense of awe and joy for the God whom you know personally. That both you and your child need Our Heavenly Father right there, helping us and guiding us in Spirit and Truth.
What a blessing Matthew Paul Turner’s new book will be to so many hearts, minds, and souls.
It’s a pretty amazing book with wonderful illustrations, that are so relevant to a kids life- swimming, light sabers, twirling, kicking a ball,…and it even rhymes. It reaches across the ages with the line, “when you’re no longer a child but not yet a teen.” Sharing prayers through the fun of life and the struggles.
It’s sure to be a hit in any home, children of color, a child in a wheelchair, illustrations that come alive! Illustrator Kimberley Barnes from Bright Agency creates the images that are warm, vibrant, and draw you in.
This lovely book is a must read for anyone who loves a kid. “When I Pray For You” is a the journey of covering our kids (or the kids we love) in prayer.
Matthew Paul Turner has had several other childrens’ books that are just as beautiful as “When I Pray for You,” and I appreciate his commitment to inclusion of all types of kids. I love the fact that not every child represented is the same age, ability or skin tone. The illustrations are simply beautiful and bright.
This is a heartwarming book, filled with hope and encouragement. It reminds those special kids in our life that we love them, no matter what, and lift them in prayer, regardless of their life stages. Both my husband and I did tear up a little while reading, so be forewarned if you’re the sentimental type. 😉 This is sure to be a bedtime story favorite that reminds the child they are loved and prayed for.
“When I Pray for You” is a book that would be a great gift for any child you love. I think it would also be a sweet gift for a child that might not have a mentor who would remind them of their support and prayers for their life. I don’t have enough good things to say about this sweet book.
I was honored to be an early reader for Waterbrook Press and chose to review the book. All opinions are my own.
It is very apparent that this book was written by someone who has children. From the first words to the last, this story shows children that they are loved by their Mommy who is constantly praying for them and they are also reminded that God loves them also and that he is hearing their mother’s prayers. From a young mother praying for her newborn to the mother praying for her young adult child, the many stages of a young person’s life are covered and we are reminded that prayer is an essential part of parenting.
When I Pray For You features the rhyming text that most children love and there are bright and colorful illustrations to capture and keep their attention. This is a perfect book to read to my young granddaughter but it will also be just as enjoyable when she is reading it on her own. Matthew Paul Turner knows and understands his audience and he has definitely created a winner!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but a favorable review was not required. These are my honest opinions.
My Girls’ Reactions:
My girls are always excited to get a new book and as soon as they saw the cover of When I Pray for You, they asked me to read it. Our first read through took awhile as they loved the illustrations and wanted to point out all kinds of interesting things. My three year old especially liked the puppy and the page where the girl jumps out of bed. I’m not sure how much of the story they absorbed at first as they were completely captivated by the illustrations. However, now that I’ve read it to them a few times, I think they are enjoying both the illustrations and the narrative.
My Thoughts:
I enthusiastically recommend When I Pray for You written by Matthew Paul Turner and illustrated by Kimberley Barnes to anyone with a child in their life. The poignant prose had me tearing up the first time I read it to the girls. The book is well-written and perfectly captures so many of the moments and stages children pass through as they grow up.
My favorite sentence (coming from a mom-perspective) is: “’Cause when I pray for you, / God knows this is true, / every word I whisper / is a prayer for me too.” Isn’t that so true? To be the mommy God wants me to be, I need prayer just as much as my girls do.
While When I Pray for You affirms to children how much we love and pray over them, it also challenged me to pray more in those little moments of the day, not just during bedtime prayers with the girls or my personal prayer time.
Lastly, the illustrations in When I Pray for You are absolutely beautiful – bright and whimsical. I especially like the little girl’s wild, curly hair as I’ve got one with hair just like that.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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.”