3 Picture Books! – Summer 2026
By Lindsey Cornett
Englewood Press Managing Editor
Wherever I Go: Psalm 139 for Kids
Becky Cerling Powers (Author), Karen Vermeulen (Illustrator)
Hardback: Flare Books, 2026
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In this picture book, author Becky Cerling Powers has paraphrased the memorable text of Psalm 139 into kid-friendly language, making the scripture more accessible to families. Meanwhile, the whimsical and inclusive illustrations by Karen Vermeulen fill the book with humor, fun, and emotional depth.
The people are expressive—we see buggy eyes, wide smiles, blushing cheeks, and furrowed brows. Their bodies, too, are alive with movement and action. This is in keeping with the spirit of the psalm, which begins (in Powers’s paraphrase), “You know everything about me, Lord! You know when I sit. You know when I stand. You know every move I make.” Connecting the psalm with the boundless physical movement and energy of young children is a meaningful way to unite holy scripture to the lived experiences of kids.
One illustration, corresponding to the line, “You know the paths I take,” depicts a rollerskating redhead with long braids. She is balanced on one foot, arms splayed wide, tongue sticking out in concentration. Across the rest of the page are thick, blue tangled lines, suggesting the circuitous and winding path she walks—or skates.
My favorite illustrations, though, are the double-page spreads. A particularly poignant image shows two small, wide eyes in the dark; the rest of the page fades from black to bright yellow, like the glare of the sun in outer space. “If I tried to hide in the darkest dark,” Powers writes, “I couldn’t escape your sight, because hiding from you is impossible. Wherever you are, there is light.”
I wish more pages had been given this treatment. The aforementioned rollerskating page, for example, could be even more impactful had the curly path spread across two pages, with the text perhaps following those twists and turns. (Imagine a flip-out!) The text, though spare, is making large statements about the child’s relationship with the God of the universe. Spreading more illustrations across two pages would allow breathing room for both the words and pictures and slow the pace of the reader—always a valuable practice when contemplating scripture.
Powers did not reinvent the wheel here, but there is a reason Psalm 139 is so beloved by readers of scripture and people of faith. She is faithful to the original text and respectful of young readers, while the whimsical yet poignant illustrations breathe new life into a child’s encounter with ancient Scripture.
Never Alone: Jesus is the Friend Who’s Always There
Faith Eury Cho (Author), Gillian Reid (Illustrator)
Hardback: WaterBrook Children’s, 2026
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Never Alone is the first picture book offering from Faith Eury Cho, who typically publishes Bible studies and devotionals for adults. In this story, we encounter a little girl who is supposed to be settling down for a night of sleep. Instead, she is tossing and turning as she ruminates on her difficult day and wonders if God is present.
The strength of this book lies in its playful language and dialogue, which is supported by the illustrations. I’d dare any reader not to be sucked into the story by the opening few pages. First, the girl and her stuffed bunny stare into the distance, with text that reads, “tick tock, tick tock.” On the following page, the reader observes her from afar as she tosses and turns, with text that simply says, “swoosh…shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle sigh.” From there, most of the story’s text is the girl’s inner monologue. (On the back cover, the girl is referred to as Mena, but she is not actually named in the story.)
For most of the book, she lobs question after question at God in rapid-fire sequence that most parents and many kids will relate to. She prays, “Dad says you live inside me. Wait a minute…Like really INSIDE me? Hello??? Are you stuck in there? Is Jesus in my belly button?” Many kiddos and their caregivers will delight in this funny text.
However, the story as a whole is uneven. At one point, the girl’s dad offers an admonition that “Be sure of this, and always know–Jesus is with you. You are never alone!” This is the truth on which the book’s resolution rests, but this prayer doesn’t flow with the rest of the narrative; it is just set off with quotation marks and feels disjointed. Later, the little girl makes an abrupt transition from upset and uncertain to calm and assured of God’s presence.
Despite the uneven storytelling, this is a sweet portrayal of very relatable childhood experiences and emotions. It is not difficult to imagine the book earning a prominent place in the bedtime story rotation of Christian families.
The Boy with Big, Big Energy
Britney Winn Lee (Author), Jacob Souva (Illustrator)
Hardback: Beaming Books, 2026
Buy Now: [ BookShop ] [Amazon][ Kindle ]
“There once was a boy with a lively laugh whose body was constantly moving. And no matter how still he needed to be, he couldn’t stop bouncing and grooving.” So begins Britney Winn Lee’s latest picture book, the fourth in a series that includes The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings; The Girl with the Big, Big Questions; and The Kid with the Big, Big Ideas. No doubt, reading those first two sentences brings to mind children in your own life who might relate to the title character.
In this story, when one of the boy’s friends is hurt, he is able to quickly spring into action to help. His big energy, quick thinking, and communicative nature are just what’s needed in the moment. The narration becomes a little didactic toward the end, and the rhyme and rhythm feel unnatural in a few spots along the way. Nevertheless, this is a book that would be much appreciated in many, many families and classrooms.
Like all the books in this series, Lee writes with an obvious love for her subject matter. This fourth book strikes me as a particularly valuable addition to the series, as big, big energy can be a significant challenge in homes, classrooms, and elsewhere. Lee has given us a book that shows love for the children in our lives whose energy levels may cause trouble or inconvenience. Readers with—shall we say?—more limited energy will find their empathy and compassion activated by the authentic frustrations and disappointments expressed by both the main character and those who interact with him. Lee is adept at conveying the value, dignity, and gifts of the behaviors and characteristics that society often tries to squash in children.
Jacob Souva’s illustrations are remarkably effective. In each picture, he depicts the boy surrounded by auras of color and shape that resemble flames, lightning strikes, clouds, or rays of light. Though he works digitally, the art has the appearance of mixed media collage; the colors and textures reinforce the big big energy at the center of the story. It’s a creative and impactful way to convey personality and emotion, and even young readers will sense the meaning.
Unlike the other two books in this set of reviews, The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings does not contain any overt references to faith or scripture, widening its potential audience. At the same time, the love of God for children and the unique ways they bear God’s image shine through the story.
Lindsey Cornett
Lindsey Cornett is a loud talker, obsessive coffee drinker, and lover of the written word who lives in downtown Indianapolis with her scientist husband, 3 kids, and crazy Bernedoodle. Most days, you’ll find her wrangling the dog, managing snacks, reheating her coffee, and trying to savor as much joy and gratitude as she can in the middle of these very full days. Lindsey writes a monthly-ish email newsletter about the intersections of faith, community, and curiosity at lindseycornett.substack.com.
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