God is Proud of Who You Are is a beautifully illustrated, Christian-themed children’s picture book. Using the song Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star as a template, the book offers rhyming, child-friendly prayers and assurances.

The story begins with the lines, “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star/ I’m in love with who You are// Brought to me from Up Above/ God has filled my Heart with Love.” The text then moves into praising God and delivering messages such as “We love God and God loves us” and “You are in the plan God made.”

The rhyming is smooth and satisfying, whether read or sung, Capitalization is used liberally, often with words that don’t require it, like “Up,” “Hope,” “Day,” and “Night,” but whether intended for emphasis or to indicate concepts touched by the divine, the choice doesn’t detract from the text.

With no more than four lines on a page and simple vocabulary choices, the narrative is designed for children to read or follow along with a parent easily. The illustrations’ colors, images and tone are soothing throughout as they depict wondrous scenes, such as two children staring up at a night sky studded with stars. Most pages feature silhouettes against the sky at night or dusk; thus, the few that portray daytime scenes can be somewhat jarring.

The story’s main shortcoming is that it’s unclear from the beginning whose voice is speaking. The first lines seem as if written from a child’s perspective, but readers later learn that the narrator is actually a parent, presumably reading to his or her child. The first image to support this interpretation doesn’t appear until the middle of the book.

Intended to appeal to a religious audience, the book contains clear Christian imagery like crosses and a depiction of Jesus. Children and adults open to the subject matter will find God is Proud of Who You Are a wonderful, calming book to wind down with at night, perfect for bedtime reading.

Also available as an ebook.