Exploring Wild Faith: A Devotional for Kids by Valerie Ellis

Valerie Ellis talks with BookWorthy about how God's creativity shows us so much of His character.

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Valerie F- Welcome to Bookworthy, where we talk about the heart behind the books your kids are reading. Today, we're talking once again with author Valerie Ellis. Valerie joined us back in season one with her Christmas book, Share the Joy, but today we're going a little wild with her Wild Faith devotional for kids, 52 Amazing Animals That Point to One Great God. Welcome back to Bookworthy, Valerie.

Valerie E- Hello, I'm so happy to be with you again, Valerie.

Valerie F- And it's weird to kind of like, saying Valerie and I'm Valerie. It's going to be super fun to write the transcript, too. It's like, who's talking? Well, we'll figure it out. But to get us started, let's start with our random question of the week.

Valerie E- Okay, my favorite board game might be. I think it counts as a board game. Dominion is like a card, like a deck-building game. It doesn't actually have a board, but it has different cards you can add to your deck. You buy them and then your deck is kind of your own, but you're all playing for the same goal of trying to get coins and properties and things like that. So it's fun because it's a quick learn, which I need. My kids are super into board games, which is why I hesitated so long because I was like, We actually play so many board games and it's really, really fun. I love that. And so now I have to ask them what their current favorite is. Tonight over dinner.

Valerie F- It's a good question to ask. Have like, I think if you can't quite see on my shelf, but there's like two shelves of board games over here, and then more shelves upstairs. My kids love them. It's kind of when my kids were really little, it was like, what can we do? Just a busy little hands in a controlled environment, and board games was what we ended with. And it's become a habit in our home. And I think right now we're kind of on a card game too called Flip Seven, which is kind of fun. It's kind of a test-your-luck game. I don't know, my kids, we play a game called Farkel, which is a dice game. And it's kind of like a family game. So this is a little similar to that, but without the addition.

Valerie E - Right, yes. We have also been learning board games from the grandparents, or card games from the grandparents, which has been really fun to kind of have that generational influence. So Kings in the Corner is one that we were playing, if you, I'm sure, people could look it up. But I will say about Dominion, not for little ones, it has some cards that you might even want to take out some of the choices of cards you can buy, just because, like, not for every family, but the fun of it, you know, it keeps it going. Keeps everyone interested. So disclaimer.

Valerie F-  Yes. You say Dominion and remind you that you kind of can get a hint at what you're trying to do. Read instructions carefully. Too fun. Well, Valerie, tell us a little bit about your book, Wild Faith Devotions for Kids.

Valerie E- Yes, so the subtitle is 52 amazing animals that point to one great God. And that's what I really tried to do with the book: look at animal traits and behaviors, and know that kids love that. And I myself am a big animal lover. And so, and then what can that remind us of about the Christian life? How can that point us to God? So each one is very inspirational. So none of them are like don't be like this animal and don't be like that animal. They're more like, look at the animal and say, How can this point us to God? How can this help us grow in God? And so, you know, it's a struggle when you write a book like that for kids because you don't want to make it sound like, well, if you do A, B, C, D, then you get the Christian life, you know? And so in the intro and throughout, I definitely reference how growth comes from God. You know, like we put in the effort because we love God and we want to grow closer to Him, but that transformation comes from God. So it's for kids seven and up. So I feel like, you know, the younger ones might not need that kind of coaching, but then as you get older and you don't want the kids to be like, just feeling like that, all the adults are telling me to rely on my own efforts. No, like it's still about grace and Jesus, but we can definitely position ourselves to grow more fully in God and enjoy the life He has for us.

Valerie F- I love that for like little kids, which is the lower end of your age range, just the love of animals and the facts that you more than likely have in there that just kind of draw their interest because every little kid loves animals in some sense, maybe not touching the slimy snake, but it was like the idea of a creature that they don't know anything about. But then, to lean a little bit more into the Christian life, a little bit for the older kids, picking up the book just goes a little deeper when they're ready. And even for us as adults to be like reading it with our kids and be like, you know, next time we drive by such and such and we see a, you know,

egret or a, you know, what is it? Trying to see a blue heron, because we saw one this morning. It was like, Hey, what can this remind us of a God? Just bringing that conversation up, taking the interests of our children, and pointing them to God rather than forcing God on our kids. And using that as a discussion, I love how you're talking about questions that you can ask them because that's when kids really start to make their faith their own when they're processing it with you out loud, versus always just the input from the adults. So I really love that, and what is it? I have three boys, and two are external processors. And so they like to talk a lot. And so we talk about faith, you know, a lot, which is a good thing and lots of fun. And, but I have one that is an internal processor, and I'm like, anything going on in there? But he'll he'll bring up these really deep things every once in a while. You're just like, okay. You are listening, you are processing, just in a different way. And so it's interesting how each kid can take the information we're given and just process it so differently. Now, what kind of research went into this book to come up with 52 animals to point to God?

Valerie E- That's a really good question. And I had a lot of fun with the research, but it was challenging at times because, you know, not everything that you read on the internet about animal warnings is true. There are a lot of things out there that are just either old things that science has, you know, scientists have said, no, it's not really that way. Or just popular myths that we all, you know, kind of like, yeah, that makes sense, but it's not.

So there was some research on the internet, but I also went even deeper into journal articles and really tried to make sure that the things that we brought up, hopefully, weren't things that are going to change in the next five years or 10 years, but also things that have really been substantiated with research. Now, not all of it, don't get into all of that. It's very fun. It's an introduction to the animal, but I wanted to make sure if they wanted to dig deeper because I know kids, you know, they have that insatiable curiosity, that they wouldn't find something

different from that end. And then, as far as the biblical side, sometimes I would start with that. I would start with you. I want to convey this important topic of discipleship to kids. So what could be an animal that would, you know, point to that? And other times I started with the animal. Like, this animal is so cool. Like, how does this remind me of God? Or it would just come to me. Like, I think in analogies. So sometimes it would just come to me. Like I'd hear something about the cat or the sloth or whatever. And I'd just be like, you know, it's just right there. Others were more of a struggle. And so when I was starting with the spiritual topic, I would sometimes dig into, like, well, what animals do these things, or what animals have this physical trait? And then I had a really good, um, copy editor at Waterbrook who also really dug in and just made sure that we were, you know, on point and found some even mistakes with all of that research I did. So, you know, that's why it's always great to have that team behind you. And I really appreciate that. And then, even looked for the images of the animals. So each devotion has an illustration by Jen Bricking, and she did an amazing job, and a photograph, which is amazing. It's something I really wanted. I was really happy they were able to do it because I think kids love to see the real animal, and they blended them beautifully. So, finding those photographs and making sure it was the right species we're talking about and the right, you know, like environment that we were talking about was a challenge, and that we all kind of came together, and I really love how it turned out.

Valerie F- That's a lot of fun. What was the most bizarre animal that you had to research?

Valerie E- You know, one that I feel like a lot of us in the past five years have maybe heard about, like pangolin sloth, and those are bizarre axolotls, which are very popular, and they're in there. But one that I didn't know about was the decorator crab, and it basically has a shell that's kind of like Velcro, and it will find sponges and seaweed and different things around and stick them onto its shell. I was like, is fascinating and but you know it's doing that to camouflage and so I make the point in the devotion like Jesus definitely doesn't tell us to like hide our faith or anything like that so how does this relate and so I related it to where it says

not a decorator crab, but cute none the less

clothe yourself in humility and compassion and kindness so we can be like the decorator crab by you know clothing ourselves in all of these virtues, but not taking credit for them and having that humility where we're kind of like hiding behind the cross and saying like, it's Jesus in my life that is, you know, allowing all of these good things to come through me. And so that is kind of like the analogy we used for that one. But that was an animal that I even learned that whenever, cause each devotion has a fun fact that's just kind of not related to the analogy, just another fun fact about the animal. And I probably could have done five fun facts for each one.

So I'm hoping kids will do their own research and find more fun facts. But for that one, the crab has an exoskeleton. So when it gets out of its shell and the new shell is growing, it will recycle some of those sponges and the different, I don't know if it's corals, but algae and things like that onto its new shell. I was like, That's so industrious. I just love it. I love it.

Valerie F- That definitely seems like an analogy that could keep going and keep going, how we have to put off our old self and take on the new self. And it's like, well, what are we going to bring back? It sounds like a very interesting creature. I've loved it. I have a kid who's very interested in oceanography. And so we've done a lot of talk about the Ocean census that they recently did, and just kind of all the bizarre creatures that we're still discovering in the ocean that are still so unique and specific and colorful, and I love how God did that.

Valerie E- Yes, and they process, you know, like food and light just so differently. Yes, and so I did include some bioluminescent animals, and I just love all of the things we're learning about science. But like I said, I did try to include things that were like, well, we've learned this for sure, not like it's burgeoning information. But yes, I love learning about things like that. And I think, you know, I've been thinking a lot about kids and wonder and the ages that our kids are, those teen tween ages, sometimes it can seem hard to keep that wonder in their lives. So they seem to be almost too cool for school. But things like this book and things like getting out in nature or even doing things together or even reading biographies, anything we can do as parents, caregivers, and teachers to spark that wonder in kids is going to help us, you know, stay closer as a family or classroom, and also help point them to God. Because when we keep that wonder and we keep that perspective of like all God has done, all he's created, it just makes it easier to stay open to like what God has for us. So anyway, I've had fun learning about that aspect too.

Valerie F - I know with my kids, with all the books that I receive, having a few picture books or younger books around there, even the teenagers will pick up those books and be like, Huh, I'm going to read this.

Valerie E- That's right. If you don't say this is for you and you just leave it lying around, somehow it gets read much better.

Valerie F- Yes. I always say you're never too old for a good children's book. Too fun. Now, of all the creatures, which one did you want to put in there the most?

Valerie E-  Well, I wanted to get all of my kids and my family's favorites in there, but I only managed to get my own favorite in there because I was very picky about the different analogies and the things I wanted to bring out. But the octopus is one that I wanted to go in. It's a long-time favorite of mine because it has so many cool things. Has nine brains, basically a central brain and one in each arm. It has blue blood.

Its brain is in the shape of its stomach, which is in the shape of a donut, and no, I'm getting that part wrong. Anyway, so it's just so many cool facts and just all of the suckers, and it can camouflage not just, I'm getting really excited here. It can camouflage not just color, but texture, and it can also mimic other animals. So it's amazing. But the other amazing trait it has is that it can grow back arms.

And so in the analogy, we talk about how there are times in our lives that are really difficult. It could even feel like a huge loss, like an octopus losing an arm. But when we are patient and we wait on the Lord, he can restore that. And sometimes it takes time, but along the way, God gives us gifts, like other people and ways to move our bodies and ways to be creative, and his word, and just reminders of his love that can get us through those difficult times. So that one ended up starting with my favorite animal, but also being one of my favorite devotions, not because I like to bring up hard things with kids, just because I know that as a parent, it can be hard for me to prepare kids for those hard times, because like when things are going well, you're just like, okay, we're going along and you don't want to necessarily bring up difficult things, but it is helpful when those times come for them to kind of have that foundation.

Valerie F- Being proactive and communicating with our kids about, you know, the world is a broken and hard place, allows us to not have to be quite as reactive when the hard things come. So I love that approach. Now, tell us a little bit about your writing journey.

Valerie E- Okay, so I love books, but I did not grow up thinking I would want to be a writer. I just wasn't on my radar. Well, actually, I will say that, and I may have mentioned this in Share the Joy. When I would play Barbies with my sister and our friends, we would give them, of course, jobs. And writing was sometimes one of my Barbies' jobs. So maybe it was back there in the subconscious thing. And I liked writing. But I really started thinking about kids' books when my two-year-old, who's now 14, wouldn't want to read any Bible books with me. He went through a phase where he only wanted to read vehicle books, and any other kind of book would just get the toddler veto, like, No, just slam it closed. And he wasn't really opinionated about anything else. It was kind of funny, but not funny because I was like, that was back in the days, like where we had the Christian bookstores. You could go browse and be like, well, I brought these home for you, and you don't want to read them.

Of course, faith was important to me. And I just remember one day lamenting when I was putting books back on the shelf, like, God, why aren't there cars and trucks in the Bible? Like if there were cars and trucks in the Bible, then I could get this kid to read some Bible stories, and that'd be wonderful. And then I just kind of pause. I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit, but at the time, it felt like a silly thing to think, like, could we make a book that has cars and trucks in it? And so I was like, well, no, because I don't want to ruin the Bible stories. And I'm very likely that you probably have loved the Bible. Don't want to have to go back and reteach kids things.

I was in children's ministry as a teacher. So I know how hard that can be when they're like, wait, I thought it was this, you know. But then I thought, well, what if we tap into kids' love of silliness? You know, like when you're getting them ready for bed and they just don't want to. I'm talking about little kids, not our kids' ages. But you can do silly, and I kind of miss that we can't do these silly tricks anymore, but you could be like, do these PJ pants go on your head? No. Oh, do they go on your arms? No. Like, where do they go? They go on your legs. Like, let's put them on. And so we kind of took that same tack with this book. So you get an introduction to the character. You get, sorry I lost my train of thought because I'm like, I'm supposed to be talking about my writing journey. I'm talking all about the book, but it is like the beginning of my writing journey. Okay, so you get the intro to the character and then the silly question. Did Noah build a cruise ship to take all the animals you have in that modern vehicle? Or did God rescue Jonah with a submarine? When he was in the water, what happened? And then when I'm doing school visits, it's really fun because I can coach the kids to be like, No, that's ridiculous. And then they're all saying it like, No, that's so silly. And they get to be the smart ones. And then you turn the page and you get the real Bible story of Noah and what actually happened, of Jonah, what actually happened. And we tried to include lesser-known stories as well, Ruth, and even for the garbage truck at Josiah, and how he got rid of all the idols.

And so, trying to get those lesser-known stories in there for parents. So anyway, I had this idea, and I was like, it wouldn't let me go. I was like, I think that this could help other people. Not just that I want it for my child, but you know, kids, this is like a perennial interest of two to five-year-olds. They love cars and trucks. And so what if they were all asking, like, read me this book, and then you get to introduce the Bible stories. And so each story kind of ends with a refrain. That's something that came along in the journey through some edits. It wasn't always planned. And then we added kind of like a fun fact for each story as well. And we have the biblical reference in there. I'll hold it. So this is Let's Go Bible Adventures. And so you can see it kind of maybe creates some cognitive dissonance for someone who's like cars and people in Bible dress. Like, what is that about?

But really tried to stay true to the Bible story. So when I had that idea, it kind of started as a picture book idea. I thought, well, I'll do four stories and then they could read it at bedtime, and how fun would that be? And then I joined a critique group, joined different coaching groups, and eventually got to the point, tried to learn about the publishing industry, and got to the point where

Valerie E- I was like, I think I'm ready to pay for a critique and really get some good feedback. Plus, I had, you know, like an agent that I was kind of following and hoping she would critique the book and be like, This is amazing. Like you have to be my client, which did not happen. But, so I was, so, but she said, you know, you should expand it to more stories. And I was kind of like, that would be impossible because that would be so hard. So, but I did, I expanded it to eight, and I was like, okay, I'm done. And then I expanded to 12. And then, you know, long story short, I kept going to conferences and, you know, meeting with people and kept kind of running into the same questions. I was okay that we're going this deep into the creation. I mean, this is a bookish podcast, right? So we're, I don't always go this deeply into the book process, but so people kept saying like, well, the cars and truck thing is more for two to five year olds, but picture books are more for three to seven or eight year olds. So we're not sure. Or they would say, like, you've got a lot of lesser-known stories in here because that's how I started. Cause as a mom who had already taught her kids all of the traditional stories, I knew what I wanted for them, but I wasn't thinking about the market as a whole. So they were like, well, what about, you know, Noah, what about.

What about baby Jesus? That's kind of important. I was like, okay. And so just things like that really caused me to reach out to someone who had done a conference that I didn't know had also, in that time, become an agent. And so we had several conversations about how to fix some of those problems and ended up working together, which has been amazing. And so she suggested a storybook Bible, which I thought was ridiculous to write my first book as a storybook Bible. That doesn't make any sense. And so I actually kind of pushed back, which I think we both laugh at now. I know I laugh at it. Think she does too. And how many objections I had, all my objections about why that was not such a good idea, but then I paid for another critique, and they kind of had the same objections as always. And so I said, well, here are some things we've tried to do to overcome those. And she was like, What about a storybook Bible? And I was like, Oh, okay. So I still wasn't convinced. But then once I started to put it together and, get out of the mindset that I'd already found all the stories that could have to do with trucks and transportation, we ended up just expanding it to 40 stories, 20 old Testament, 20 new Testament and making into a storybook Bible, had another editor suggest the name, another one suggest the refrain. And so just all of this, you know, like gathering, I mean, it was a long process and there were times when I would read, especially when I'd read a rhyming book to my, cause this book's in rhyme. So I'd read a rhyming book that really worked and really clicked. And I was like, that could be my book. My book has to come out right now. It

needs to come out right this minute. But you know, it was a long process of a lot of input and a lot of people helping out, and just seeing the vision of it, and just really helping me along the journey. So, you know, I started at that time, our everyday parables as a website to reach out to parents, teachers, and children's ministers and give book recommendations because I was reading so many books and just loving it and wanting to share that, and sharing, you know, tips about how to talk to kids about God in everyday moments. And so, you know, it all kind of came from this book and yet has blossomed into like, you know, speaking events now and conferences. And I know you do a lot of that too with your books and then just with your, you know, just with things that life lessons that you've learned, which I really love. So, yeah, that's kind of the journey. So then, once we got it into the storybook Bible format, I still had just the 12 stories written, but I had the table of contents for the others.

So then we put it on submission, got some offers, and went with Tyndale, which has been amazing. And then in that time also Share the Joy, which was my first book, which we talked about on the last episode. It's a Christmas lift, the flat book. And then Wild Faith also came from that. And that one took a little longer to get the contract and everything. So, they all kind of were under contract within, I'd say, seven months. So it was each one, thankfully, took a different amount of time to write and illustrate. So they've kind of come out in a good stair step. And it's been really fun to see. Also, they kind of came out in age order. So Share the Joy is zero to four. Let's Go Bible Adventures is for two to six. And then Wild Faith is seven and up, which I didn't realize how much I would enjoy writing for that age group.

And I'm looking forward to, I mean, the book will be out by the time this podcast drops, but when we're talking about it, it hasn't yet come out. So I'm really looking forward to going into schools and talking about these animals. And I'm sure, you know, kids will bring up different trials they're going through in their lives and just, you know, trying to be that encouraging voice to them as they navigate childhood, which is not easy. So yeah, that's kind of my journey.

 REPLAY of Share the Joy Interview with Valerie Ellis

Valerie F-  I love hearing about it. I remember from our interview last time that one of the most impactful books for you was the Jesus Storybook Bible. So it's kind of neat that you wrote your own little storybook Bible. And I love what God likes to throw, little things that she's like, you know, this is your favorite book. Well, let's see you do it your way.

Valerie E- He is so kind and right, and I couldn't really compare the two because, you know, mine has eight lines of rhyming text. It's an introduction to the Bible story and very different, but I love that you brought that up and that you remember that from our last interview. And I'll tell you that when I see them on the shelves together, like at Barnes and Noble or when I went to Baker in Michigan, I definitely am snapping a picture of those two books together on the shelf. That's 100 % true.

Valerie F - That's a must-take picture for sure. Well, Valerie, what can we expect next from you?

Valerie E- So I am really focused on school visits and talking to moms just about how they can help their kids, like at-home discipleship, and encourage them, and really draw out their stories, and to help make their faith their own. And as far as books, I have started writing again after a long time. I wasn't writing because there was so much to do with, well, the books.

None of the books was complete when they were contracted. So then I had those deadlines, which were really fun. But then also just so much to do with the marketing, and you understand being an author yourself. And so I really wanted to put my whole self into that. And, you know, I really see this as a partnership between my agent, the publishers, and that whole team, and they're putting all of, you know, their work and effort into it. So I wanted to do that too. But then I woke up about a month ago, and I was like, Today, you start writing something today. And I'd had a bunch of ideas that I'd written down. Some are devotional summer picture books. So, I just picked one that felt like really accessible, like had floated to the top, inspired by my kiddo. So I can't really talk about it, but I did write something down and I sent it out to people to look at. And so it's happening. I don't know if that will be the next thing that comes out, but I definitely want to write a character-driven story, something with a narrative, because so far I haven't done that yet. So I've done, you know, the lift the flat, which is the rhyming, and then the storybook Bible and the devotional, which have been amazing. But so we'll see, we'll see if I can do that narrative. I want to thank you for what you've done. You've done a great job with that.

Valerie F- Yeah, that's where I like to sit. I like good little stories. It's where devotionals and a rhyme are a way to stretch myself. Even though I will find myself rhyming when I'm trying to do narrative, I'm like, No, I can't do it. Can't do that because I have to change everything.

Valerie E- That happens, yes. Yes, and there was a time when I thought that I might take Let's Go Bible Adventures and write it in prose because the rhyming was tricky. But then I ended up loving the structure of it. And so I just worked hard to make it work. But yeah, good prose is good too.

Valerie F - Well, where can people find out more about you and your books, Valerie?

Valerie E- I would love to connect with you on my website. I have lots of free resources, free resources for each book. Even if you don't grab the book, the resources work as fun ways to talk about animals and vehicles with your kids and Christmas. And the Christmas one feels like, even though that book is for the youngest kids, the activity pack is for all ages. And so that's a fun one to grab at Christmas time. And so that's www.Valerieellis.com.

And then that also talks about my school visits and my speaking events. And then if you're looking for more book recommendations or ideas for parenting and holidays, you can go to www.oureverydayparables.com. There are a lot of free resources there, too. And I can link to some of them for your listeners, Valerie, if you like, in the show notes, and then on Instagram, I am Valerie Ellis. And if you find me on other platforms, I might go there a couple of times a year, but Instagram is where you'll find me most often.

Valerie F- I'll make sure to have all those links in the show notes so people can find you really easily.

Valerie E- Thank you. It's been so fun chatting.

Valerie F - Well, it's been good talking with you, too. Thank you, Valerie.

Valerie E - Thanks so much.

Valerie F - And thank you for joining Valerie and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links that we discussed, and let us know in the comments what your favorite board game or card game is. So be sure to like and subscribe to discover more great books together.

Happy reading.