Flashlight Night: An Adventure in Trusting God

Product Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In her first picture book, New York Times bestselling author and mother of three Elisabeth Hasselbeck reminds us that little hearts can be anxious too—and that God is always listening to their prayers.

Flashlight Night is narrated by a boy whose parents have used chalkboard paint to create a wall where he and his siblings can write out all their fears, cares, and concerns:
Will I learn to blow a bubble? Tie my shoes? Stay out of trouble? Be the friend they choose?

The boy shares the wall with a friend, who records her own prayers. Later, they visit the chalkboard wall at dusk with a flashlight. The boy’s mom shines the light on some prayers and turns it off at other times, pointing out that their prayers (and the children’s faith) are still there, even in the dark, and that God hears every request.

Mom says, “Sometimes we see God’s yes,

and other times we don’t.

But just because it hasn’t happened,

doesn’t mean it won’t.

“Even when it’s dark and dim

and when we cannot see,

let’s choose to place our trust in God.

He’s close to you and me.”

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-The illustrations are charming, the intentions are sincere. Hasselbeck’s book lacks adventure and and a sustainable rhyme scheme, but offers children a metaphor for teaching Christian faith and trust in God. Hasselbeck, with her three children credited as coauthors, tells of a young white boy and his friend, a Black girl with long braids, writing their prayers in chalk on a large wall in the boy’s attic. The children pray for a variety of outcomes: material gain, success at school and sports, good health for a sick friend. The prayer wall features in the title metaphor when the boy’s mom asks him to shine a flashlight on the prayers God has answered and turn it off for those in which an answer is yet to come. Even though the light is not shining on them, the boy knows they are there. The characters have the round faces and small happy mouths of Precious Moments figurines, while the handwriting on the chalkboard looks way too neat to be a child’s. VERDICT With an ending prayer to God about faith and trust, and a trio of Bible verses about belief, this is a worthwhile addition to Christian collections, aimed more at parents seeking books about faith than at children.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“
Flashlight Night is such a simple yet creative way to help kids (and even adults) understand the act of having faith in things we do not see. This book will help kids not only learn to share all their hopes, dreams, and troubles with the Lord, but also to be patient in prayer and continue to believe even when they might not get the answers they are looking for.”
—Super Bowl–winning NFL quarterback Nick Foles and his wife, Tori Foles, certified health coach
“This book feels like a soft knock on the door from a dear friend. It’s an invitation to climb the stairs together, grab a piece of chalk, be honest about our struggles, and wait together with hope. This book is not only a reminder but a beacon reflecting the Great Light that all of us—kids and grown-ups alike—need so desperately today.”
—Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, director of child and adolescent counseling, Daystar Counseling Ministries, and author of Raising Worry-Free Girls
“
Flashlight Night serves as a warm and endearing reminder for children of all ages that nothing is too big or too small for our God. Elisabeth empowers readers with the confidence that they can pray bold prayers to the Father that deeply cares for their hopes and dreams. All families need this book in their home!”
—Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal
“As soon as we finished the book, my kids wanted to create our own prayer wall. It helps to show that God actually hears and answers our prayers while helping to cultiva