God Counts: Numbers in His Word and His World

A simple book for very young readers, using the very simple act of counting to engage your child and tie things we observe in creation with explicit acknowledgement of our creator. New Growth Press has recently published a variety of really good options along this line. They are delightfully illustrated, cleverly told, engaging books that my youngest daughter asks for repeatedly, and my second youngest now picks off the shelf to read on her own (she’s a beginning reader.) These books provide great source material for dealing with hard topics (failure, anger, fear, ethnic diversity, and marveling at God’s creativity!) and provides parents with guides for discussion along these topics. My girls also love the tear-out pocket bible verses included in each. The best part about these stories, is that they aim at pointing a child to Christ in faith, rather than simple behavior modification and moralism, in accessible ways. Oh, and the messages of the books are good reminders and encouragement for me, the parent, as well. :)

In this engaging, illustrated children’s book by Irene Sun, young readers learn how numbers declare the glory of God, discovering Bible stories and the truth, beauty, and goodness of our sovereign God through numbers and patterns. With countable illustrations and an easy-to-learn structure, children who are always seeking, finding, tracing, and counting numbers will be captivated by God Counts. Through simple language kids will understand, God Counts shares theological truths and helps children become familiar with Scripture, exploring the patterns of creation, numbers in the plan of redemption, and the intimacy of a personal relationship with God. This children’s book explores how God counts every fish in the sea, every star in the sky, every hair on their heads, and every tear in their eyes. This playful children’s book serves as a beginner’s theology book for young readers who love numbers and patterns, introducing the Trinity, the God of order, the holiness of God, the problem of sin, the rescue and love of Jesus, and much more. Children who love to count will be filled with wonder, leading them to understand deeper truths about God, themselves, and the world around them. There are a lot of children’s books that explore God’s creation through letters. I’ve not run across any that did so through numbers, not until now. In God Counts, theologian Irene Sun invites young readers and pre-readers to master their numbers through learning about the way God uses numbers in the Bible to teach us about himself. I have to admit that I was skeptical at first. Other than a few number combinations—3 for the Trinity, 2 for animals on the ark, 7 (or 6) for days of creation—I wasn’t sure what concepts Sun would use to fit the construct of counting. I couldn’t envision how it could be done and not seem contrived. I was wrong. So wrong. And Sun defies convention and expectation. 2 wasn’t about animals on the ark. 12 wasn’t about the disciples. Instead of searching for a number in Scripture and plugging it into her book, Sun gets deeply theological. The concepts she covers range from how God speaks to us, how we were not made to be alone, that we were created to reflect God’s character. This is not a counting book. This is a theology book. When I turned to the back cover, I found that Sun studied liturgy and literature at Yale. She definitely brings that academic background to this book, applying it at a level that your youngest readers and pre-readers will be able to follow. She’s also written a recent article called You Can Teach Theology With Picture Books, which you should definitely read.

I'm so in love with this book. If you only pick up one book on this list, make this one it. The illustrations are stunning. It's a beautiful mix of learning about counting and learning about Jesus, which I love and I think Charlie will love to as he gets older.

My youngest daughter is three and her favorite thing to do is read with her mommy. We are always looking for fun books that we can read together. I personally love those books that have a bit of Jesus in them. This is a new favorite of ours! God Counts: Numbers in His Word and His World. Numbers are so much more than just digits. Every number has a powerful purpose in the Bible. While that sort of teaching may be a bit too much for younger ones, this book has a beautiful way of showing even our littlest ones that numbers have great value for God. Every page speaks to a number and a lesson we can learn from it. As we read about the number two we are reminded we are not alone. We learn there are six things the Lord hates. God hates sin and sin is what keeps us separate from him. The pictures are so warm and inviting. I cannot tell you how many amazing conversations we have had. She is only three but every image is beautiful to her. And she loves every bit of each page. This really is a fun book to read. My daughter traces and counts; she loves seeking out animals and the stars. It really is an amazing book. artistically and literally. One we are enjoying over and over and over again.

There are individual pages addressing each number 1-12, plus a page on ‘infinity’ and ‘God counting’. I was able to keep my son’s attention while sharing this book with him. The colors are beautifully chosen and the illustrations are perfect for little eyes. Each page has a simple sentence or two relating that number to God’s word, along with a verse or two from the Bible that supports the text. For example, “Four tells us God made everything beautiful.” What does the number 4 have to do with beauty? Genesis 2 speaks of the four rivers God made and Revelation 4 speaks of four creatures standing before God’s throne. Both the rivers and the creatures are beautiful simply because they were made by God. One could easily read this in one sitting or use each number as a start to a Bible lesson for almost any age.