Review: The Mind Muddler by Jo Boddam-Whetham

“God made our minds to run on his track
but instead we chose the track that was cracked.
Like fools we live in a tunnel of lies;
and fools without God can never be wise.”

I do not think that a book like this exists in the children’s market – or at least, I have never seen a book that tackles this particular topic aimed at children (feel free to let me know of others in the comments!).

Over the past few years, 10ofThose have been publishing a number of well thought out children’s books. The Mind Muddler joins this ever-growing collection, and it is one of the best so far. Let me tell you why…

Firstly, the content is fantastic. Jo has taken the opening chapter of Romans, and used it to show how sin has ‘muddled up our thinking’. When we teach sin to children, we usually do not talk about the way it affects our understanding (what theologians refer to as the Noetic effects of the fall). In a world that prizes good thought and reason, this short book helps children to understand that even that has been affected.

Secondly, the rhyming actually works! That may sound odd, but my daughter has a number of ‘rhyming’ books that simply do not rhyme. This makes the book read really well and holds your attention.

Finally, the artwork by Rebecca Watts matches the style fantastically. Full-page illustrations that carry the theme of what is being said are present on each page. If you were to work slowly through the book, you could ask your child what is going on in each picture.

This is one of my favourite books that my daughter now owns, and is perhaps the best children’s book that I have seen this year. I highly recommend it to all parents, particularly those with children aged 4-8.

The author has put together a free download for looking at the Biblical truth behind the book that is well worth a look here.

Big thanks to 10ofThose for providing me a complimentary copy to review!