BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In a culture filled with athletes, entertainers and online personalities competing for children’s attention, the B&H Kids “Here I Am!” series seeks to introduce young readers to a different kind of role model: men and women whose lives were marked by faithfulness to God.
Through biographies of Augustine of Hippo, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Lottie Moon, Lulu Fleming and Elisabeth Elliot, the picture-book series offers children examples of believers who persevered through hardship, trusted God and left a legacy of faith.
“Kids are going to have TV stars and musicians and sports heroes who can fail them,” said Michelle Freeman, editor of the series. “When we can look back at these people who have lived a good life and lived it well, as much as any of us can, they are able to see that with the ups and downs, they continue to serve God.”
For Freeman, the series is about more than introducing children to historical figures. It is about helping them understand that God has worked through faithful believers throughout history.
“We need to explain to children that people you read about in the Bible were real people,” Freeman said. “Why not continue to show there are people of faith in every moment of history?”
With more than 20,000 units sold across its first five titles and a sixth installment featuring Elisabeth Elliot, written by Megan Hill, releasing in August, the Here I Am! series continues introducing young readers to believers who trusted God in vastly different times and circumstances.
“If someone were reading the whole series, they’d be able to say, ‘Wow, there’ve been believers for a long time,”’ she said. “It looked very different when Augustine was alive, but there’s still the one God, and these people were trying to serve Him well.”
The series was intentionally designed to reflect a variety of Christian experiences. Its subjects include men and women from different eras, ethnic backgrounds and areas of ministry, ranging from fourth-century theologian Augustine to missionary pioneer Lottie Moon and author C.S. Lewis. Together, the books show children there is no single path to faithfulness and that God has used ordinary people in different places and circumstances to accomplish His purposes.
One of the most recognizable aspects of the series is its use of animal narrators, a concept that originated with the first book and has carried through the rest of the collection. The narrators help make church history approachable for young readers while adding humor and lightness to stories that often involve difficult circumstances.
The books also include interactive elements tailored to each subject. Children might search for hidden birds throughout “Elisabeth Elliot,” search for lions in “C.S. Lewis” or solve secret codes in “Dietrich Bonhoeffer.”
Freeman described the books as “primers” designed to introduce children to important Christian figures without overwhelming them.
“They introduce the character to the child, show them as a model of living a life for Christ, but hopefully plant a seed that later the child will want to learn more about this person,” she said.
While the books present biographies in an age-appropriate way, Freeman and her team made it a priority not to shy away from difficult circumstances their subjects faced.
“We don’t want to just gloss over everything,” she said. “Letting kids see some of these serious situations and how people have had to stand up for their faith, it gives them strength to face hard things too.”
Ultimately, the creators hope the books accomplish more than simply teaching church history. They hope children will see God’s faithfulness across generations and trust Him in their own lives.
“God was working through all these generations,” Freeman said. “He’s going to work in mine as well.”
Ella Nichter is a summer intern for Lifeway’s corporate communications team.
