Book Review: Philippians: God's very special letters.

I first heard about God's Very Special Letters: the Epistles for Kids via social media. A friend I trusted as someone who keeps an eye out for quality Christian kids books shared a link to a Kickstarter campaign that was raising funds to publish three children's books. What caught my interest initially was that this was an Australian author/illustrator team. A closer look showed these books were going to be something totally unique: new translations of Philippians, Colossians & Philemon, and 1 Peter, written and illustrated specifically for children! 

​If you haven't heard of Kickstarter campaigns before, they are essentially a crowdfunding model for getting new and original projects off the ground. Although I haven't run one myself, I've seen friends do them and have supported a number of projects I've believed in (including God's Very Special Letters). Not only do Kickstarter campaings raise necessary funds, they also seem to be great ways of connecting with an audience which is always a great thing. I personally felt invested in this project, because I had 'backed it'. I looked forward to updates and was genuinely excited when my copy of Philippians  arrived! 
(I will admit that the cynical side of me that worries about the state of the Christian publishing industry was disappointed to hear no traditional publishers were willing to take the financial risk to support this important project. But maybe, in the end, the crowd funding option ended up being the better thing. The finished product is certainly beautiful and not lacking anything. I just feel like the trad publishers missed out here. Back to my review...)

God's Very Special Letters is a series of books, where the basic concept is to create a new translation of the epistles, illustrated in a way that draws out the key themes and contexts for kids to understand and grow with (and, lets be honest, this format can help us adults too!).  Philippians opens with an explanation of the historical context of the letter, explaining who Paul was and why he wrote this letter to the church in Philippi. After this introduction, the text of the letter itself is numbed by chapter and verse, just like in a traditional Bible. At the end, there is a useful glossary of more complex terms the writer, Matt Dodd, chose to leave in. There are also some suggestions for how to read the book with children. ​

What I love most about this project, is the way the Thom Bransdon's illustrations illuminate various stories which are either implied or embedded in the Biblical text. This visual narration expands sections of text that can otherwise feel a distant or confusing. The translation its self is extremely accessble and doesn't feel at all dumbed down or as if the meaning has been compromised. I've read Philippians many times over my life, but found sitting with this version and the invitation the pictures offer to imagine this familiar text anew incredibly encouraging.
Even if you havent got kids, I'd recommend purchasing one of these books for your own devotional reading. Art has a way of whispering to our hearts and imaginations, allowing us to connect ideas with meaning at another level. That's what this book, and I'm guessing the entire series, will do.
​Enthusiastically recommended and quite probably my favourite Christian children's book of 2026!

All the details you need: 
Title: Philippians, God's Very Special Letters: The Epistles for Kids
Written/Translated by: Matt Dodd
Illustrated by: Thom Bransdon
Publisher: The Open Word
Available from The Open Word online store or Amazon