A year ago a friend mentioned how she greatly admired Bob Goff; whenever she had some extra money, she'd order more copies of his book Love Does, as she was always giving her copies away to friends. I picked it up on her recommendation and admired how transparent he was in sharing vignettes from his life. While the chapters can work together as a whole, they can also be read as standalone stories.

Love Does for Kids uses shortened versions of some of those original stories, includes some new ones, and adds in illustrations to make it accessible for children. The same whimsy is present, and each story cleverly transforms the engaging anecdote into an example of better understanding God or our faith. This title would be a good read-aloud with my daughters, and they would both be engaged with the antics.

Perhaps it's hearing how Goff's children wrote world leaders, asking to meet them and then going on a world tour when they were invited, after which some of their connections resulted in hosting those same leaders in their own home. Or maybe we're hearing about the annual parade where everyone in the town participates, no one sits out to watch. Whatever the story, the words and experiences draw you in and leave you reflecting on how you, too, might engage similarly in the world around you to live out your faith.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.)

I cannot say enough great things about this book. If you have a child, get this book and read it together. I fell in love with Bob Goff's book Love Does. I was over the moon excited when I saw him and his daughter wrote a version for kids and was so honored to be selected to read and review it. The language is written to where my six year old had no problems understanding. And it was simply amazing to watch how he connected with the stories, asked relevant questions and watched his heart grow stronger for God through this book. That alone sold me, but there is so much more to brag on with this book. The stories are a beautiful integration of life experiences with how to love God, love others and explain God's love and grace. As an adult I was encouraged reading this book. "Not only does God love you but He really likes you." Such a positive message we all need to be reminded of, regardless of our age. And the anecdotes in each story - they are written in a manner that a kid can relate to (even us big kids) while always pointing us towards God. And as if that's not enough, the illustrations are out of this world great and engaging. This book is the total package whether you read it as a family, your child on their own, you as an adult or even use it in your child's Sunday School class. I can promise you this book will be gifted to many nieces and nephews (and several adults...) for Christmas. I cannot recommend this book enough. Buy it, read it, check it out, and let us all learn to love so beautifully as Christ loves us.

My thanks to Bob Goff, Lindsey Goff Viducich, Thomas Nelson Children's Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It truly was an honor.

Having just read the adult version of this book, it was fun to read through the kids version! I like that some of the stories are the same, while there are some new ones. I love the theme, that Love Does.

Beautiful children's book to learn to become worthy people

First of all I want to mention that I do not have religion, however I am a believer and my position is respectful and open to various religious beliefs.
The narrative of this book is warm, friendly, with the natural simplicity that holds the truth. The authors propose a look towards a Jesus of Nazareth who has the heart of a child.
I believe that the content has a great ethical value for children, who naturally imitate models to follow as a fundamental part of their development, therefore this book offers a model full of moral principles that underpin a solid fundation of quality of life.

A concept proposed by the authors and I agree, is that Jesus taught "a whole new way of thinking, a way that seemed backward and upside down". As a facilitator, educator and therapist, as in my personal journey, it has been very illuminating to recognize a superior Intelligence to which I can surrender, trust and let myself go; in the opposite direction to the common inertia of putting more control over our lives, but with the cost of being frightened, enslaved and limited by our Identity.

Through common situations the authors invite us to see things upside down, for example, "I am no less valuable if I make mistakes", where no one is discriminated against and all are included in divine Love, ... this vision can support children to be inclusive and realize in "learning to become better people because of their behavior". Even the smallest acts of kindness are opportunities to express the loving being that children are, and find meaning in how Jesus demonstrated taking-caring for people and animals.

The authors through common situations and biblical passages draw beautiful imagery to create precious emotions, for example of the way God loves us, as a concrete character and present in their daily life, for example like "a proud dad who is constantly calling the angels over to see pictures of his loved kids from his wallet "," He's been showing pictures of you around so much that I bet the corners of some of the photos are a little bent and worn ".

It's rare these days to find a book that truly captures interest from both of my children, ages 2 and 7, but Bob Goff's 'Love Does for Kids' does just that. The short chapters make for the perfect bedtime read. The stories connect humorous, but always relate-able stories from Bob's life to Biblical truths. The theme that shows up again and again is that God loves us all dearly, despite our mistakes or missteps. The book does not provide references to specific books/verses of the Bible where these Biblical truths are found, but I feel like that's a wise choice for a children's book like this.

Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff and Lindsey Goff Viducich is such a precious treasure to read to your children. In this book, Bob Goff, the author of such beloved books as Love Does and Everybody Always teams up with his daughter to write a similar message designed just for kids. I read through this book with my seven year old son, and I loved seeing the message of God's love and transformative power come alive for him. Bob Goff has a gift for telling a story that stays with you, and this is exactly what happened with my son who kept reminding me of the stories long after reading. I highly recommend this book to parents of elementary aged children. It is the perfect book to pick up and read together at the end of a long day. I loved it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Love Does for Kids has been wonderful reading to my children each night. I have been surprised that my seven, five, and four year old have been so attentive while I read a chapter book with them. They even requested to read more chapters each night. The content is fun, funny, full of love, and always circles back to how much Jesus loves us. We will read this one again!

Every child needs to hear the message in this book. Each chapter offers an interesting story that ties into a life lesson, and Jesus. A story about love throughout, I am so happy this book is now available for my children and for me to purchase for gifts for my nieces and nephews. The illustrations are fun and colorful and perfectly fit with each chapter and each story, and the chapters are short and sweet and easy to understand even for my littlest readers. We tried to take our time to digest each chapter nightly but my kids begged for more and I had a hard time waiting to read to them each night, wanting to know what the next chapter would hold. It was a quick read because they and I were excited but if we would have had some self control with reading it would have lasted a long time. Love Bob and all his messages and this just added to his amazing messages for adults too.

LOVE DOES FOR KIDS is an awesome book for kids ages 6-10. Each story is done in a way that is easy for children to understand. The author takes time to share his experiences with life lessons and shares them in a way that you can use to teach lessons to your children.
It is a great book to read together because it is a great tool to use to teaching children about how to live kindly with those around us.
This book is a great gift for any child and with Christmas just around the corner it would be a great time to buy it for those on your list.
I highly recommend it.
I received an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

From my 8-year-old:
"I think that it has some really funny parts but is also very serious at the same time. It really has made an impact on my life. It has just helped me be more confident in myself. It's really helped me find more ways to love others and to show people God's kingdom and Jesus. The chapters were perfect for me {he's talking about chapter length.} The illustrations are very beautiful and colorful, they are just right. I think that children ages 4 and up would really like this book. It's soothing, but at the same time, it's also very funny. "

As a Mama and a big Bob Goff fan, I loved this book. We have been reading a chapter after breakfast and another after dinner. My son has gone back after almost every meal and re-read everything we've already done. I have never seen him love a book this much and he's a total bookworm. He can't wait to read more and talks about the book all day long. I love that it's a book for kids written from a strong male role model- not many of those exist. I think this would be a beloved stocking stuffer for Christmas this year and a book I would love to see in the hands of every child. By far the best kids book I've seen in a very long time and my favorite Christian children's book.

We were grateful to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of this book to share our honest opinion with you.

Bob Goff is known for sharing about love and motivating others to love one another well. So it's great that he and his daughter wrote a children's book for kids. My first surprise was, a wonder, do I like this book even better than the version for grown ups? And I think my answer is yes. The tone of the stories, the integration of how Jesus and God fit into every type of experience and stories from the Bible seem more connected, more frequent, and deeper in this book. It totally could be me, but this book is amazing.

The illustrations are warm and beautiful. The book is 224 pages. It releases October 23. It's been a while since I read Love Does- but it seems to me that this kids version seems to be more directly connected to the Word of God and who God is, how He shows himself through His Son Jesus, and how it affects our lives.

His daughter, Lindsey, is an elementary teacher and the book shares many stories and experiences from Love Does with a whimsical flavor.

What I liked about the book

warm, child friendly colorful illustrations.
references to different bible stories and events.
Love makes the difference message connected to a message of God's work and love.
Chapters are short, quick, focused reads.
People of different races are depicted in the images.
Bob Goff's attitude and mindset is one that the world needs to emulate, and somehow he gave it to his children with such a spirit of love and joy, it seems natural, and I wonder why all of us can't always be this open minded, and open to seeing the world as a group of our friends.


What I wondered about the book

why not share or link the references to the biblical concepts. I really like the for further study or connections that some authors do.
transitions between stories were abrupt feeling at times, but the book is about love, not a sequential life story, and as the book moves on the pattern appears.
Some stories seem unbelievable- but then again the way the Goff's approach things is counter cultural- and that makes these unbelievable stories- all that much more believable.

How I might use the book:

To discuss how mindset affects everything.
To teach a lesson on how we see someone, an event, our neighbors- is all an opportunity for fun, ministry, and inclusion, instead of a mindset of that's impossible, that won't work, etc. The can do attitude developed by the Goff's is biblically driven and that's why it works.
One chapter teaches the definition of restore and justice- so a lesson intro or background info for a topic that uses one or both of those works- this could be a great hook.
Pick a chapter and use is as a writing prompt- share a similar experience you have had.
Pick a definition or connection to God and seek out verses from the Bible that show that this concept is true- or contain the same phrases. If you can't find a verse- is there a hymn, a teaching, or someplace you've understood the same concept about who God is, and how He loves us, gives us grace, and helps us?
As a read aloud in a Sunday School class, lecture, family, it would work in many scenarios.
Discussing character development, inferences, visualizing, connections, things all great readers use to comprehend a story, as well as some solid analytical skills.
Inspiration and encouragement for what a God centered, love driven mindset can do for a person. Growth-God mindset.

I love Bob Goff and his stories! I love the illustrations in this book and the connection between real life situations and Biblical concepts. I think my favorite was chapter two, room rent. Such a beautiful love shown from the grandma and young boy. I would recommend this book be in every Sunday school room, elementary classroom, and waiting room. I even loved the stories as an adult.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own*

This is a wonderful and fun book for the whole family. I read this with my 4 year old and 6 year old. It led to many great questions from my 6 year old and my 4 year old enjoyed the majority of the stories as well! He especially loved the fun illustrations and would try to peek ahead to find each illustration! We read 1 story each night as a family! It's a great way to open conversations with your kids and enjoy clean, funny storytelling. I look forward to buying a hardcopy when this book releases!

Bob Goff, with the help of his daughter Lindsay, shares with kids stories from his own life that demonstrate principles of a healthy walk with God and how to practically love others. Each of the stories is about 4-6 pages in length and illustrated.

This would be a great book for families to read together for daily devotions or for teachers at Christian schools. Bob and Lindsay have done a great job of adapting some of the stories from Love Does into language kids can understand. (I’m guessing a large part of that is thanks to Lindsay’s experience as an elementary teacher.) There are also several new stories in here too. Kids should enjoy the stories, as Bob has a good mixture of amazing stories and very relatable stories. But they each share a different point that kids can easily grasp and immediately put into practice to strengthen their walk with God and with others. The adults reading with the kids are likely to get a whole lot out of the stories too. Highly recommended for any Christian family with elementary kids in the house, Sunday schools, and Christian elementary school classrooms. I’ll definitely be ordering a copy or two for our school.


I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think when we are children, we often don't feel like we can make much of a difference in this world with all of the grown-ups making decisions. Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff and Lindsey Goff Viducich is a book full of stories of adventures and putting love in action to make a difference in the world we live in, regardless of age.


Throughout Love Does for Kids, Bob and Lindsey share story after story of growing up and living out their faith in Jesus by loving those around them in practical ways. I continue to be amazed at the adventures Bob and Sweet Maria encouraged their children to be a part of. Secretly, I wish I had been a part of the Goff family growing up and lived out some of those fun times. But the thing is, we can all put our love in action in our own neighborhoods and communities. Children are encouraged to do just that through Bob and Lindsey's stories. Along with each story, Bob and Lindsey relate a story of Jesus loving people similarly. At the end of the book is a story that reminds the children to give their life to Jesus and live for Him.


I don't mind telling you that I am already a Bob Goff fan. In face, I've been sending little prayers up that God will send Bob to Iowa so I can be one of those goofy people taking pictures with him to post on social media. I enjoyed reading both Love Does and Everybody Always before reading Love Does for Kids. However, I found a special renewed enjoyment in reading this book for kids. Several of the stories touched my heart in a new way. They also encouraged me to live out some adventures of my own as I live my life for Jesus and encourage those in my area with God's love. The beautiful illustrations added to the book immensely for me. Honestly, the total package is so nice--I am looking forward to buying them and handing them out for Christmas gifts this year.


I received an electronic copy of this book for my review from NetGalley and the publisher. A special thank you to both for letting me read an early copy of this book. #LoveDoesForKids #NetGalley

This is a great book regardless of your religion/or lack of. Personally, I'm raising my  children to follow their hearts when it comes to religion, but this is a delightful and touching book.

I met Bob Goff on a cruise many years ago. He mentioned during his speech he had written a book called love Does. I was so very enchanted with this man's way with words that I immediately bought that book once I got off the cruise. I read the book, listened to the audiobook, and encouraged all my family to read it. Since that time I have read and purchased many copies of the second book written by him Everybody Always to give away.

Therefore, it was my honor to be selected to read and review this new book Love Does for Kids. The authors do a wonderful job of making the stories kid friendly and including relevant illustrations for each story. I found it easy to read for a child of elementary age level. I loved this book so much that I have already preordered two copies for the young readers I know and love. I can't wait to hear what they think of it.

I truly appreciate the invitation to read and review this work. I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher at netgalley and offered my unbiased review.

This book has stories that deal with real things kids have happen in their lives. Bob Goff uses his familiar voice to tell stories with biblical ideals woven in, but never sounds preachy. The stories are told in a way that makes you feel like you are hearing from a friend and provide hope. God loves all of us, and I think you will love this book! These stories would be great to share in a children’s message at church or in Sunday School classes. I would also encourage adults to partake in these stories because it will remind you of things you have felt and the reminder that God loves us is something none of us are too old for!

Awesome book for early readers or, even better, as a read-aloud family book. I love all of Bod Goff's books but now people of all ages can be inspired while being entertained not shamed. You'll find heart touching stories and wisdom on every page - what more could you ask for?

Love Does for Kids is a sweet book with 46 short chapters that share memories from this family and combine them with a Bible story to reinforce a message. I think this would be great to read with Elementary School age kids, and then discuss the story with them - younger kids I don't think will have the attention span to listen to the whole chapter. There are some illustrations, usually one per chapter. Overall a good way to get kids thinking about God's love for them and how they treat others.