5 Reasons to Read “Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know”

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

What is one of the questions children most commonly field from adults? I would venture that it is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And yet, to the child of God, young or old, the question of vocation is secondary. In her beautifully written and illustrated book, “Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know,” Melissa Krueger highlights the importance of teaching our little ones from a young age that a far more important question exists. Our greatest dream for our kids isn’t that they achieve professional or financial success. Rather, it is that they love Jesus with all their hearts. Simple, isn’t it? And yet, while we might know this in theory, both our children and we need the reminder. 

 

Who is Melissa Kruger?

In case you’re not familiar with her, Melissa Kruger is an author, Bible-teacher, and the director for women’s initiatives at The Gospel Coalition. She is also the wife of Michael Kruger, the president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. As I mentioned before in my review of Nancy Guthrie’s children’s book, I love it when solid theologians write children’s books. Because they take the profound truths they teach to adults and give us words to communicate them to the youngest of children.

 

4 Strengths of “Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know”

1.     It Offers Hope

Despite the difficulties our children will face in a fallen world, she paints a picture of hope and encourages our kids to dream big. You want to be an astronaut? Go for it! You dream of becoming a doctor, a chef, or a teacher? You can do it! She helps us prepare our children for trials, but also speaks of the good things in life they can look forward to. 

 

2.     It Inspires Girls

Along these lines, she doesn’t limit our daughters to stereotypical “girl jobs.” Girls can be masons, doctors, and astronauts. She also depicts fathers (as well as mothers) nurturing their kids and even helping them with the housework.

 

3.     It Values All Professions

She doesn’t pit the honest, hard work of masons and gardeners against that of doctors and astronauts. We as parents can sometimes be guilty of exalting certain professions before our children and minimizing others. Almost any vocation can be lived out for the glory of God.

4.     It Depicts a Diverse Body of Christ 

She depicts men and women, boys and girls of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Those from the majority culture might take this for granted, but most cultural minorities of my generation grew up reading books by and about members of the majority culture. Her inclusion of people of various backgrounds reminds us all that the Bride of Christ consists of the redeemed from every nation, tribe, and tongue. 

 

Let’s Teach our Kids to Love Books

As I write these words, I’m preparing for what may be a long summer due to ongoing COVID restrictions across Canada. Like most parents, I want to nurture my children’s minds by inculcating in them a love for books over screens. If you’re looking for books for young children that will fuel gospel conversations, look no further than “Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know.”