Review of Taking Root – Conversion Stories for Children by Diana Kleyn
Taking Root is volume one of The Lord’s Garden series by Diana Kleyn – a series that I have already come to appreciate greatly! Too often today the reading material for children is watered-down or simply doesn’t cover some of the most important issues of the Christian faith. I admit I was intrigued to read the second half of this title – Conversion Stories for Children – as I’d never seen a book about this topic written for children. But this book is exactly what the title describes, focusing on “stories about how God gives people new spiritual life by rooting their hearts in the grace of His Son Jesus Christ.”
Taking Root is made up of 45 chapters of stories. Most are about 3 pages in length, but there are a few that can span up to 11 pages (ie: “What Shall It Profit?,” “The Gift,” and “Rebecca’s Refuge”). Each chapter begins with a Scripture verse, and then tells a story that relates to the verse noted, and focuses on the topic of conversion. Each story is based on true happenings, most taken from books of the 19th century and updated to contemporary language and made understandable for children. The stories range greatly when it comes to describing how conversion takes place in people’s lives. They are typically about children grasping what it means to be convicted of sin, but each story shows the different ways the Holy Spirit convicts, showing conviction and conversion of the characters through a variety of means including the Word, parents, teachers, preachers, strangers, slaves, the words of a hymn, prayers of others, tragedy, revival meetings, and even a bird!
Each chapter teaches children about what conversion means – how it affects and changes people and the seriousness and importance of it – and often ends on a personal note with questions to consider about their own lives.
This book is fantastic for teaching children the idea of conversion. Some of the wording can be a bit more mature and therefore young children may need extra explanations (ie: in “A Search for Atoning Blood” a child might not understand what “Atoning Blood” means). But overall this is a great book for children – no matter their age. In fact, I believe adults will enjoy these stories just as much as children will!
