All of Creation: Understanding God’s Planet and How We Can Help by Betsy Painter with Josh Mosey

Betsy Painter, creative writer and conservation biologist, loves God’s good creation and is acutely aware of the problems plaguing God’s world. However, she’s convinced that Christians, her family in the faith, have “the reason, the hope, and the resources to make a difference.” Painter formats her book for middle grade readers–young people and adults can also benefit from her writing–to “help connect our hearts with our actions.” 

Painter accomplishes this by exploring specific habitats or systems in our planet alongside investigating biblical themes and lessons that reveal the wonder of God’s creation and God’s magnificent care of it. Each chapter ends with a section of suggestions for how kids can make a difference and lists organizations that are actively involved in creation care. (She also mentions the work of World Renew, the relief agency of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.) 

All of Creation is brimming with scientific information about fresh water, endangered species, mountains and minerals, air and sky, pollinators, wetlands and more. Additionally, Painter’s narrative is brimming over with the hope of the Gospel for a broken world. 

A concluding paragraph sums up the tone of her entire book: “Romans 8:22 tells us that creation is part of God’s ultimate redemption plan: ‘The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.’ We see those groans in the environmental disasters, disease outbreaks, diminishing polar ice, famines, and floods. Jesus came to earth to heal and restore…. But Jesus came for more than just people. He came to restore ALL of creation to himself. When Jesus comes back at the second coming, creation will go back to the way God originally made it to be. This is our hope.” 

Worshipful, accessible, practical and aesthetically pleasing, Painter’s book will have a deeply formative impact not only on children’s minds, but also on their hearts. (Zonderkidz)