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.
Reader Responses
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
