The last few months have been very eye opening in our home. I have been able to peek into the hearts of my children and see some beautiful things - as well as some things that should not be, so I was quite eager to have the opportunity to review a copy of Mateo’s Choice: Basic Discipleship for Children Ages 5-8, written by Anne Marie Gosnell. What a wonderful way to help our children to not only develop character but also become a disciple of the Lord Jesus.

This is a fun and simple book. My children range in age from three to thirteen and, I was able to use this with every one of them. Each page has a short lesson listed.We follow along with Mateo as he makes decisions about: following Jesus, praying, reading the Bible, dealing with a bully, and giving to others. Each page lists a scripture (because we need to know what the Bible says) and has someword definitions.

There is so much more to being a disciple than simply believing in Jesus. This is a wonderful resource to help children see exactly what it means to follow Him without being too busy or complex. From the very first page when Mateo must decide if he will become a disciple, we read about the many things we will experience when we make this choice.

My girls were excited to see that the pages of the book use many of the same scriptures that they are learning right now in our church’s Bible Quiz program. This book really compliments all that we are working on right now: having a heart and mind that is sensitive to and obedient to, the Word of God.

In all situations in life, as we follow Jesus, we need to ask ourselves, what would He do? We are to train up our child in the way they should go, and this book helps us do it better. Jesus wants us to love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Simply read one page a day. Keep your Bible handy for children like mine who want to find and read the scripture used for himself. As we read together, we see what God has to say.We see what it means to be set apart, to tithe, to be dead in your sins. Every word matters to every one of us. Through study and prayer, we can see that these words are written for even the youngest of us.

I love being able to use this with all four of my children and seeing and hearing the conversation that comes about as we talk about each choice Mateo must make. We had some pretty deep and life changing discussions because of this little book!

-Product review by Jennifer King, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February 2019