YOUR BRAVE SONG

A young girl faces a “big day of big things” with a song about Jesus’ love.

The start to Una Rayne’s day is a metaphor for her feelings; the thick fog keeps her from seeing the way forward. But before Una Rayne can express her fear, her mother is there saying that in the child’s heart “lives the biggest and greatest song. The one that makes you brave.” And as Una Rayne dons her backpack and sets off, her mama sings it to her: “Jesus loves you, / Makes you strong. / In Him you’re brave / And you belong.” As the song reverberates, the fog disappears. When Una Rayne can’t find a place to belong at lunchtime, her song leads her to make her own space, and she attracts new friends to her, to whom she teaches her song. Toward the end, the book turns toward overt religious teaching, though the messages are welcome and needed: “Jesus…is Love Himself. And His whisper beats inside our hearts.” A final scriptural quote from Zephaniah ends the book on a page with space for a child’s photo. Grimes’ illustrations are full of marvelous textures and patterns, especially in the leafy green trees, and facial expressions and gestures do a lot of the heavy emotional lifting. Una Rayne presents Asian; her mother has light skin and straight, light-brown hair. Background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A song of Jesus’ love sure to strengthen children when their bravery lags.