“A children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.”

A Few Timeless Clues from C.S. Lewis, Sally Lloyd-Jones, and a Parent’s Heart

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find shelves overflowing with children’s books.

Some are funny. Some are beautifully illustrated. Some teach letters, numbers, colors, or manners. Others simply make children laugh out loud.

But only a handful become the books families treasure year after year.

Why?

What separates a good children’s book from a truly great one?

C.S. Lewis once wrote:

“A children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.”

I love that!

Lewis wasn’t saying children shouldn’t love children’s books. He was reminding us that the very best stories speak to two hearts at once—the child snuggled on a parent’s lap and the parent turning the pages.

That’s why books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, and The Jesus Storybook Bible endure. Children delight in them, while adults discover something beautiful and true each time they read them.

A truly great children’s book grows with the family.

More Than Entertainment

We often judge a children’s book by one simple question:

“Did my child enjoy it?”

And that matters! Joy and laughter are wonderful gifts.

But perhaps there is an even better question:

“Did this story leave my child—and me—a little better than before we opened it?”

Great stories shape hearts. They awaken imagination, cultivate virtue, inspire wonder, and open the door to conversations that continue long after the book is closed.

And the very best ones bring that familiar request:

“Can we read it again?”

And somehow, even on the fiftieth reading, Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa says:

“Absolutely.”

Every Story Can Whisper His Name

One of my favorite children’s authors, Sally Lloyd-Jones, beautifully expresses what I believe is the highest calling of storytelling:

“Every story whispers His name.”

Not every story has to mention Jesus by name. But every truly good story can reflect something of the heart of God.

A story about courage can remind us of the God who strengthens His children.

A story about forgiveness can reflect the God who forgives us.

A story about sacrificial love can echo the greatest Love ever shown.

And a story filled with wonder can remind us that creation itself points to its Creator.

Children may not recognize those connections immediately. But through years of reading, listening, wondering, and asking questions, those whispers can begin to shape a heart.

Choosing Books That Matter

So when choosing books for your children or grandchildren, certainly ask:

Is it beautifully illustrated? Is it funny? Is it educational? Will my child enjoy it?

But let’s ask a few deeper questions, too:

Will I enjoy reading this for the fiftieth time?

Will it spark meaningful conversations?

Will it cultivate wonder?

Will it help my child recognize truth, goodness, and beauty?

Will it whisper something about the heart of God?

If the answer is yes, you may have found more than a good children’s book.

You may have found a treasure your family will keep for years.

Why We Write

At Zoom Zoom Books, our dream has never been simply to publish books.

Our prayer is to create stories families will return to year after year—stories that celebrate childhood, inspire wonder, strengthen the precious bonds between generations, and gently point little hearts toward Jesus.

Because someday the toys will be packed away.

The tiny clothes will no longer fit.

And that little child will somehow be all grown up.

But perhaps one well-loved book will still sit on a nearby shelf—its pages worn, its corners bent, its cover softened by little hands.

And one evening, that grown son or daughter may pull it down, gather a child of their own into their lap, and begin reading the same words that once shaped their heart.

What greater gift could a children’s book ever give?

Carrie’s Reading Corner

When Gary and I began writing Zoom Zoom Out the Womb!, we weren’t trying to write a bestseller. We were trying to write the kind of book we would never grow tired of reading to our grandchildren.

C.S. Lewis challenged us to write a story adults could treasure as much as children, and Sally Lloyd-Jones reminded us that every story can whisper the name of Jesus.

Those two ideas have become guiding lights for every Zoom Zoom book we hope to write.

This Week’s Family Challenge: Pull one favorite children’s book from your shelf and ask yourself, “Why has this one endured?” Then tell your child or grandchild why you love it.

You may discover that the conversation becomes just as memorable as the story.