I Can Learn to Pray is a children’s Christian devotional written by Holly Hawkins Shivers and illustrated by Becka Moor. In some ways, it reminds me of an activity book, because the “Praying This Week” sections (which were my favorite parts of the book) give unique activity ideas or exercises related to praying and growing closer to God. The book challenges children to think about different aspects related to their faith, while also teaching important lessons.

Because there are 52 devotionals, parents could read one devotional with their children each week for a year. I think that children ages 5 to 10 would most enjoy this book. (I later noticed that Zondervan recommends this book for 4 to 8-year-olds; perhaps some 9 and 10-year-olds might find certain pages to be a bit juvenile.)

This book is a fun way for parents and children to learn and play together. For example, Week 15, “Pray for my Troubles” talks about how to play a fun “rescue” game; the kids pretend that they are falling into quicksand, and the parents pretend to rescue them, which illustrates how God “pulls us up into His arms and holds us close” during difficult times in our lives. Other notable sections in the book talk about God’s wisdom, the Lord’s Prayer, and how Jesus raised Lazarus.

The binding on the spine was different from other Thomas Nelson books I have had in the past, and the pages made a crinkly noise when I opened the book or flipped through several pages at once. I can also see a thin line of glue on the binding.

You can find I Can Learn to Pray here.