Wait Until Then by Randy Alcorn is a beautiful story about a wheelchair-bound young boy and his grandfather who is dying of cancer. They share a great love for baseball. Nathan wants more than anything to be able to run and walk like other kids so he can really play baseball. His grandfather knows this and tries to show him that there are other things far more important.

They have many good talks as they fish, play catch, and just spend time together. As Grandpa explains why we have suffering and bad things, he also talks about a time when all will be made new and Nathan will be able to run and jump just like other boys on the New Earth. Grandpa also tells Nathan and his brother and sister about Heaven and how Jesus is building a special place there for each person.

Alcorn designed this book to be used to open dialogue with children about Heaven—what it is like and how to get there. The plan of salvation is presented within the story. Every page is a full-color illustration of the story. It is recommended for the ages of six through ten and will be a great book to be handed down from generation to generation. — Linda Demorest, Christian Book Previews.com

How do we explain the hope of Heaven to children? Randy Alcorn, who has studied extensively about heaven, has written an engaging story for children that presents heaven in an understandable, scriptural manner.

The story centers around a young boy who suffers with spina-bifida and his relationship with his grandfather who is dying of cancer. Both love baseball. The grandfather had been a major league baseball player in the Ted Williams era and the grandson is unable to play baseball because of his condition, but longs to play.

Wait Until Then deals gently with the very real problems of suffering, death, and the heart's longing for life's difficulties to be resolved and set right in Heaven.

Our children grow up fast, and face a world full of pain and sorrow. As much as we would like to shield them from suffering, we probably would do better to equip them spiritually from their youngest years.

In this story, grandfather and grandson both have reason to look forward to Heaven, while enjoying their relationship on earth. The book is a great tool to use to get a conversation going about what God promises us in Heaven, and how we can best cope with the sufferings of life on Earth.

No suffering is easy, but God promises that one day He will wipe all the tears from our eyes in a New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-4).

The last page of the book also gives some scriptural information for parents about Heaven to further aid discussion. The life-like illustrations by Doron Ben-Ami are wonderful and enhance the book greatly.

The book is published by Tyndale, 2007, and is aimed at grade school children. — P. W.