Ronnie Wilson's Gift [Hardcover]

Francis Chan (Author), Jim Madsen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

A little boy’s attempts to give Jesus a gift teaches him the truth that what he does for others, he does for Jesus.

 

When Ronnie Wilson learns of Jesus’ sacrifice, he wants to give Jesus a gift in return. But how can he get it to heaven? With each attempt he performs a simple act of service for someone in need, and eventually learns that what is done for the least in God’s kingdom is done for Jesus himself.

 

In the delightfully illustrated book Ronnie Wilson’s Gift, bestselling author and prolific speaker Francis Chan continues the series of children’s parables he began with Halfway Herbert and The Big Red Tractor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bestselling author and prolific speaker Francis Chan serves as president of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley, California. His books for adults, Crazy Love and Forgotten God, have sold more than a million copies worldwide. His other books for children include The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village and Halfway Herbert.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781404770
• ISBN-13: 978-0781404778
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A child's special gift for God April 11, 2011

By Christine M. Irvin

Format:Hardcover

Ronnie Wilson's Gift, written by Francis Chan, best-selling author of Crazy Love, is a touching story of a young boy's wish to give a special gift to God.

When Ronnie Wilson learns the reason Jesus came to earth, he is amazed. He thinks God's gift is so amazing he wants to give God an amazing gift in return.

But what can he give? His teddy bear is old and worn out, and he has only six dollars and forty-seven cents in his piggy bank. But, he has something truly special, something he loves more than anything else - his baseball glove, signed by his uncle, a player in the big leagues. He wants to give it to God.

He tries to mail it to Heaven. He can't do that, but on the way home from the post office, he meets a man who is hungry. So, he gives the man some of the money he was going to use for postage so the man can buy a hot dog. Later, when he's jumping on the trampoline in his backyard, trying to jump high enough to get to Heaven, he sees that his neighbor, Jesse, is playing by himself. So, he invites Jesse over to jump on the trampoline with him. And, the next day, when a little girl loses her balloon at the carnival, Ronnie gives her the balloon he just bought for himself, even though he was going to tie his baseball glove to it to see if it could float to heaven.

Ronnie is discouraged that he hasn't found a way to get his ball glove to Heaven. But, in a dream, God tells him that when he fed the hungry man, played with the lonely boy, and gave his balloon to the little girl, he was not only helping them, he was helping God. Ronnie understands that he doesn't have to send his ball glove to Heaven to give to it to God; he can give it to someone else and that, in turn, helps God.... So, the next day he gives it to his friend Keith, who has always wanted to play on a real team but never had a glove. Ronnie knew his gift would be special that way.

The author includes this verse from Matthew 25:40 at the end of the story: "And the kind will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" The author also includes a letter parents at the end of the book explaining the importance of the parents' responsibility to teach their children about God.

The illustrations by Jim Madsen are colorful and expressive and kid-friendly.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 4-8

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book! March 11, 2011

By mommy23angels

Format:Hardcover

My 4 year old and 5 1/2 year old sons love this book! It is insiring them to think of ways they can be like Jesus to someone else. Great for my husband and I too! I'm going to be buying this one for upcoming gifts!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Helpful Book to Teach Your Kids About Generosity & Worship October 26, 2011

By Aaron Armstrong

Format:Hardcover

Some passages in the Bible are really easy to explain to your kids. Others.. not so much. Matthew 25:31-46, with its image of the last judgment and Jesus declaring that those who cared for one of the least of these His brothers, you did it to Him (Matt 25:40), can get really messy if not handled well. So imagine my surprise when I learned that Francis Chan decided to make it the focus of his latest kids' book, Ronnie Wilson's Gift.

Ronnie Wilson's Gift tells the story of a young boy who, in response to learning why Jesus came to earth, decides to give Him his most prized possession--his baseball glove signed by his uncle (a professional baseball player). But as Ronnie tries to figure out a way to deliver his gift to heaven, he finds out that giving Jesus a present really happens by caring for those He loves in their time of need.

Chan does a very good job communicating this important message as we see Ronnie buy a man who has lost everything he owns in a fire something to eat, plays with his lonely next-door neighbor and gives a balloon to a little girl who'd just lost hers. These are very simple, relatable examples that help kids understand that generosity is a natural part of the Christian life. Generosity doesn't have to be extravagant or earth-shattering; it can be as ordinary as buying a hot dog for someone who's hungry.

Turning to the visuals, Jim Madsen's illustrations are fantastic. While I enjoyed the technique used for Chan's previous kids books (think Illustrator-chic meets flannel-graph), Madsen's more classical style does an excellent job of communicating the story's tone while still maintaining strong kid appeal....

The Big Red Tractor & The Little Village and Halfway Herbert were big hits with our eldest daughter and I hoped that she'd like Ronnie Wilson's Gift just as much. I was not disappointed. We read the book twice the first night I gave it to her and she wanted to read it again the very next evening. What's more important, though, is that she actually got the big idea--that generosity is a response to the grace that God showed us in Jesus, and that helping those in need is a way that we can worship Him. If you're looking for a helpful book to add to your children's library, you won't go wrong by adding this one. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaches an AWESOME lesson! September 2, 2011

By C.N.

Format:Hardcover

This book teaches that by helping others/ those in need, we are giving our best gifts to God Himself. The boys most treasured possession is his autographed baseball glove and by the end, He gives it away to a little boy who has no glove. Very touching and sweet. A great book to teach children such a precious message!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book! August 6, 2011

By Alexandra E. Clayton

Format:Hardcover

It is a rare find to find an engaging book based on biblical truths that kids and adults enjoy! This one is it plus more! It is a great story that spurs on great conversations! Our kids have been talking about it and asking about ideas from it all week. Great gift also!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Christian Children's Book We've Read June 29, 2011

By spporter

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

At nearly two, our son is starting to enjoy cuddling up to a good book read by his mother or me. We have quite a collection of books that was given to us by his generous grandmother, including great titles from Dr. Seuss and Arnold Lobel. There are good lessons in these for children. There were a few Christian titles, but we still wanted to expand our boy's choices of Christian children's literature to fuel a hunger after God early in life.

As part of that quest, we came across the book, Ronnie Wilson's Gift by Francis Chan. The book tells the story of little Ronnie Wilson. One day in Sunday School, Ronnie learns that Jesus gave him the ultimate gift through His death and resurrection. Ronnie is so thankful that he wants to give Jesus a gift in return, but it's hard to get your favorite baseball glove to heaven. During his attempts to send Jesus his gift, Ronnie takes the time to help some people in need.

At the end of the book, Jesus appears to Ronnie in a dream and tells him that all those things he did to help others was like doing them for Jesus, so Ronnie gives his baseball glove to a boy in need of one.

My wife and I cry every time we read it to our son. Not because the story is particularly moving but because Jesus is particularly moving. That He would empathize so much with those in need that He makes charity given to them equivalent to charity given to Him, our King, is mind-boggling! No wonder we'll sing of His love and His mercies forever.

If you're looking for a gift for a child in your life, I whole-heartedly recommend Ronnie Wilson's Gift.

This review was originally published on my blog--Manifest blog: Entering the Manifest Presence of the Divine.