Gently guides adults and children to see what the Bible really has to say about Heaven and those who live there.

Ten-year-old Jake struggles to understand his grandma's death. But as he spends two weeks at his grandfather's home, he is able to receive answers to his questions about Heaven.

As Jake and Grandpa fish, watch the stars, and take long walks, Grandpa shares what the Bible says about the reality and beauty of Heaven. As Jake learns the truth about Heaven, he begins to better understand and accept his grandmother's death.

As readers uncover the truths in the dialogue between Grandpa and Jake, they will better appreciate the home that awaits all who place their faith in Christ.

Tell Me About Heaven features beautiful paintings by gifted artist Ron DiCianni. If Ron's style of painting looks familiar, it is because you might have seen his painting Safely Home, which was featured in Randy's novel, also titled Safely Home.


What is the difference between the two illustrated children's storybooks about Heaven: Wait Until Then and Tell Me About Heaven?

What both books have in common is a grandfather and grandson discussing Heaven. From there, the differences are pretty major. Wait Until Then is a children's picture book of 2,000 words. Tell Me About Heaven has 14,000 words, is seven times longer, and is long enough to be a sustained story.

Wait Until Then focuses on whether a handicapped boy and a weak grandfather, who uses a walker and is dying of cancer, will one day play baseball. The boy's disability is central to the book, and his parents and siblings are all an important part of the story. Tell Me about Heaven is about a different boy (not handicapped), a different grandfather (not sick or dying), and set out in the country with just the boy and grandfather. It doesn't involve baseball and has many different settings.

Want Until Then has a traditional "each painting captures the story" approach. Tell Me About Heaven's art is not illustrative of the story itself but of certain concepts discussed by grandfather and grandson. They are more like illustrations of the book's theology, not immediate scenes (except the book ends).

It is Randy's hope that both books will serve as resources for families as they teach their children truths about Heaven.

Book Response

This is a great book about Heaven. It is well written, nicely illustrated and theologically sound. Alcorn really does a good job of demonstrating the 'tangibleness' of Heaven. Too often people think of Heaven as something ethereal, with clouds and disembodied spirits. This is not what the Bible teaches us. We await new bodies on a New Earth. Alcorn does a great job of showing this corporeal, physical element of Heaven. This of course leads to speculative questions (like "Will there be animals?", "What about my pets?, etc.). Some may be dismissive about such questions, but these are the questions that come up. If you are going to write for children, you ought to address questions they ask. So this is well done. Alcorn is clear about areas where the Bible does not give a specific answer and then is willing to venture his best guess.

The way the story is told is well done also. A young boy, Jake, is making his regular two-week summer visit to his grandparents in Oregon. However, this year he is a bit apprehensive since his grandmother had died in the last year and he does not know what it will be like. However, his grandfather is a godly man who knows his Bible well, and they have numerous conversations over the two weeks as they enjoy the wonderful scenes of Oregon, eat together and gaze at the stars. So the discussions about Heaven are not abstract but arise naturally within the believable relationship between a grandfather and grandson. This led to good discussions with my boys. Along the way the point is clearly made that only those who repent and believe go to Heaven. Thus, this is a good evangelistic tool as well.

Lastly, there is another side benefit to this book. It provides a nice picture of a grandfather who is intentional about being involved in his grandson's life, enjoying life with him and teaching him about God along the way. Such examples are always a good challenge to me as I seek to be intentional in parenting.

This is a great book and we warmly recommend it. - Review By Ray Van Neste, The Children's Hour

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