Seth and the Very Scary Storm

Even if children haven’t personally experienced suffering, they are often keenly aware of disasters near and far—bad weather, news of war, school shootings, and more. And they might ask the age-old questions that come from suffering: Is God mad at us? Why did God let this bad thing happen?

In this poignant yet hopeful picture book, young Seth is trying to understand why a tornado hit his neighborhood, and he worries that the black and purple sky will return. His mom helps him work through his fears by sharing the story of the man born blind in John 9, showing Seth (and young readers) that Christ is always working and is our comfort and courage even on the hardest days.

Seth and the Very Scary Storm is a comforting choice whenever children are worried about real-world news, near or far. Parents and caregivers can use the story, and the discussion questions at the end, to have gentle conversations with their child about fear and suffering, always showing them a God who loves us through it all.

Courtney Reissig is an author and Bible teacher living in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is the author of numerous books and Bible studies, including Someone to Believe In: Embracing the Savior Who Stays the Same When Everything Else Changes. Whether she is teaching the Bible to a room full of women or teaching literature to a class of high school students, Courtney is passionate about readers of all ages finding their experience in a compelling story.