Was it a dream or was it real? Amy is sitting in church with her parents listening to a sermon. As she snuggles next to her mother she starts to think about the preachers words. And then she drifts off and dreams about eagles, lions, oxen and angels as they accompany her on her travels.

I learned a few things in Rev Chris and Jenny Lee’s book, “You Are Beloved”. I didn’t know that the symbols of the Gospels in the Bible were an angel (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an ox (Luke) and an eagle (John). I like the way these symbols were depicted in the pictures of stained glass windows of Amy’s church. In general the storyline and the illustrations were good. I did feel that the rhyming in the text felt awkward and didn’t flow as well as I would have liked. I feel the text would have been better served as prose versus rhymes. I think that this book would be good for a late pre-school to early elementary audience. A perfect read aloud story time book.

I want to thank Tyndale House Publishers/Tyndale Kids for the complementary eARC of this book and for selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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God is always with you.
He loves you through all things.
He can guide, restore, and carry you—
You will soar on eagle’s wings.

Amy is sitting in church with her family. It’s a warm and lovely morning at her seaside church. Soon, Amy drifts off to sleep while the pastor recites a prayer by Saint Francis of Assisi. As she dream, she embarks on a journey through lush forests, dark valleys, and sun drenched fields. Along the way, she meets the Eagle, the Lion, the Ox, and the Angel. Each is symbolic of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As she travels Amy learns of God’s character and her own identity, and especially his love for her. Amy is assured that no matter where she goes, or what she encounters, God is always with her.

John is represented by the eagle for God’s divinity and vision.
Luke by the ox as the sacrificial attributes of God and his willingness to lay down his life for me.
Mark, the lion as miracle worker able to defeat evil as well as King with great authority.
Matthew as the angel representing both the human and divine attributes of our Lord.

This book is recommended for young children but I think it can have great meaning for older and even adults as it spoke to me.

4 stars instead of five because…
I felt the rhyming a bit forced. And while the cover art is beautiful, children may question how a child can safely be snuggled up between the mighty paws of a male lion.

I recommend this book as a read aloud and one to pass down through the generations.

You Are Beloved Rev. Chris Lee and Jenny Lee. NG review

A book for 4-8 year olds, this illustrated number carries two, very basic messages of identity and relationship - who you are in God's eyes and who God is.

Lay this foundation right and strong, and your child will grow up able to face the worst storms life can bring without being wholly shaken in themselves. They will be confident in their identity, worth, value and confident in God and know the worth and value of human life to God.

The narrative follows Amy a little girl who dozes off in church as the pastor talks of Francis of Assisi's prayer. In her dream, she encounters Jesus as an eagle, lion, ox and Man/Angel. Traditionally, these are the four facets of the Messiah seen in the gospels.

Amy's encounters with each being in the storms and thorns of life, helps her grow in her love for and understanding of God and she knows he loves her.

The illustrations are lovely and especially pleasing are the transitions from one animal to another. There is rich symbolism in the little book with other animals coming into play. A beautiful book to explain to little ones the intricacies and nuances of life - both spiritual and here on earth as they are begining to slowly understand there's more to life than themselves as its centre, as they grow older.

The book was an ARC Copy from Tyndale Kids, but I'm under no obligation to provide a positive review. The views expressed freely here, are mine and mine alone.

This was such a sweet picture book! It has beautiful illustrations and teaches children that God is always with them, no matter what. The note to parents at the beginning explaning why each animal/symbol correlates with each gospel was helpful in the overall understanding of the story. Also, the symbols fading into one another was a really cool illustration choice, and it could possibly spark conversation about the trinity with older kids.

If you have a pre-school or elementary-aged child, I would highly recommend reading this with them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC!

Such an amazing book portraying God's love! I would happily buy this book for my grandchildren, for my little free library, and for the children who patron me at work. The illustrations are bold and beautiful and very eye-catching. I believe both children and adults would love it, and I can see families passing it down from generation to generation. Highly recommended!

I received an electronic ARC from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley.
This is definitely a read together book as younger readers will have questions as they read. Told in rhythmic text that readers of all ages will appreciate. I love the portrayals of the four Gospels as the actual animals. The way the illustrator blends them into the next animal is powerful to see. This young girl goes on quite the journey with her new friends and learns much about herself and God. Th way Lee represents various trials and challenges makes it easy for readers to draw larger pictures and relate to their own lives. Terrific read together for families and Christian education classes.

“You Are Beloved” by Rev. Chris and Jenny Lee is an excellent story to read to younger children. The lyrical poem is lovely to read aloud and the full-color illustrations are stunning. Perfect for homeschool families looking for a read aloud during Morning Basket or Bible time. Classical Conversation families can add this to their curriculum when they learn about Saint Francis of Assisi in the Timeline song. Also a great book for Sunday school teachers to read aloud. This is a must-buy for Christians who work with young children in their faith journey.
Thank you to NetGallery and Tyndale House Publishers for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

If I could rate this book six stars, I absolutely would! Reading You Are Beloved felt like receiving a warm hug—comforting, uplifting, and full of love.

The illustrations are stunning, each page bursting with warmth and beauty, perfectly complementing the message of the book. The rhyming text flows effortlessly, making it a joy to read aloud, almost like a soothing lullaby.

One of my favorite aspects was the powerful imagery of the eagle, lion, ox, and angel. These symbols added such depth and meaning, reinforcing the idea that God is always present in our lives. No matter what we face, He is there to guide, protect, and carry us through it all.

This book is a treasure, both visually and spiritually. It’s a beautiful reminder of God’s unwavering love, perfect for readers of all ages. You Are Beloved is a book I will cherish and return to time and time again.