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Niko's Night and Day: A Story of Opposites in God's Creation
Based on Luke 15, winsome text and compelling illustrations combine in this children's picture book that teaches children about God's creation, about being lost, and about the joy of being found.
Parents, grandparents, and loved ones of children ages 4 and up will cherish this book as a starting point for conversations about God's creation, Jesus seeking those who are lost, and repentance and forgiveness in Jesus. As Niko searches for his lost train in the woods, parents can open up a conversation about how Jesus seeks us out to save us!
Niko's Night & Day praises God's creation from a child's point of view while building vocabulary, teaching about opposites, and encouraging higher-order thinking skills.
Parents, grandparents, and loved ones of children ages 4 and up will cherish this book as a starting point for conversations about God's creation, Jesus seeking those who are lost, and repentance and forgiveness in Jesus. As Niko searches for his lost train in the woods, parents can open up a conversation about how Jesus seeks us out to save us!
Niko's Night & Day praises God's creation from a child's point of view while building vocabulary, teaching about opposites, and encouraging higher-order thinking skills.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 14, 2019
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Oakes
18 books1,454 followersColleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, the Wendy Darling Saga, The Black Coats, Sister of the Chosen One and Eleven Houses.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 14, 2019
First of all, Colleen Oakes is a winsome Lutheran author, in this children's book and in her books for adults. In her debut work for children, Niko's Night and Day: A Story of Opposites in God's Creation, she tells a story about a little boy who wakes up and realizes he lost his favorite toy.
Using lovely language, she describes his walk outside, comparing daytime memories with the nighttime experiences. Well-suited to young children, there's nice use of onomatopoeia, counting, and exploration of nature.
Note, in this case God's creation is a reference to the outdoors and not the creation story. :)
God is incorporated as a known, comforting presence, watching over the boy, and as someone who is naturally thought of throughout one's day and night.
The closing lesson read aloud is that "the God who loved him was the very same God who had created the sun and the moon, the stars and the rivers, the wildflowers and the animals . . . and Niko himself." After that comes a closing lesson for the reader, which explores how, not only do children of God wonder at God's great creation, but also experience lost and found situations. Then the author goes on to summarize how God cares for us, searches for us, and finds us in three biblical parables.
Be sure to look through the Inside feature to see the illustration work. It's excellent work.
I was given advanced viewing of the book, but the review is entirely my own.
Using lovely language, she describes his walk outside, comparing daytime memories with the nighttime experiences. Well-suited to young children, there's nice use of onomatopoeia, counting, and exploration of nature.
Note, in this case God's creation is a reference to the outdoors and not the creation story. :)
God is incorporated as a known, comforting presence, watching over the boy, and as someone who is naturally thought of throughout one's day and night.
The closing lesson read aloud is that "the God who loved him was the very same God who had created the sun and the moon, the stars and the rivers, the wildflowers and the animals . . . and Niko himself." After that comes a closing lesson for the reader, which explores how, not only do children of God wonder at God's great creation, but also experience lost and found situations. Then the author goes on to summarize how God cares for us, searches for us, and finds us in three biblical parables.
Be sure to look through the Inside feature to see the illustration work. It's excellent work.
I was given advanced viewing of the book, but the review is entirely my own.
May 13, 2019
Surprised by Paradox
5/12/2019
0 Comments
Surprised by Paradox by Jen Pollock Michel is quite an interesting book. I thought this book would be really interesting from reading the description when the publisher sent over the excerpt of the book to join the book launch team. When I read the description, I sort of ignored the title. I didn’t think much of the book. It was not until I was invited to join the launch team that I realized the book was called Surprise by Paradox. The words surprise and paradox do not seem positive. When sharing those sentiments in with the book launch team, Jen asked about why the words are negative and off-putting. For surprise, I personally don’t appreciate surprises. I like to know what is going to happen and when. Paradox is such an off-putting word. The very nature of the word tells me to be contradictory to what is the truth and what I know.
The book was so good. It brought up many different things that caused me to think through many things. I really enjoyed the first chapter a lot. It’s hard to boil down the good parts of this book. I highly suggest reading it. There are so many different paradoxes that Jen brings up throughout this book. If I were to tell you one paradox in this whole book that really was enjoyable is the Great I And.
"The incarnation is God's burning bush: a mystery demanding a closer look" (24)- this is a really interesting idea. Not something that I would have ever thought about. It makes sense though with the knowledge that Moses did go up to the burning bush to check it out. I would say the incarnation is something that causes me to see the paradox of "The Great I And". The use of Psalm 19 in this chapter was done really well. I think that it is used well because it shows evidence for the incarnation of God being a burning bush.
I really appreciated and enjoyed the lines “In the incarnation, God embraced contradiction in his own being and sustained tension in his own flesh. The incarnation suggests to God’s people the holy possibilities of and, this little word that rests at the bottom of every paradox” (28). The paradox of Jesus being fully God and fully man as he became incarnate to walk with humanity is both a contradiction and tension.
I highly recommend this book and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have had the opportunity to be a part of this book launch team. The theology of paradox is complex and not very easy to understand. It is not something that I am afraid of but something that I really want to dive into further. There are so many different paradoxes throughout the scriptures. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher Intervarsity Press for my honest review of this book.
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Niko's Night & Day
5/12/2019
0 Comments
Niko’s Night & Day is a great book. The author is Colleen Oakes. In this book Niko loses his toy train and goes all around to try to find his train. As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think of the story of the lost sheep or the lost coin in Luke 15. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep behind to go search for the one. Niko goes all over to find his train. He remembers what the day looked like and tried to find the train at night. When he finally finds his train, he is so happy, and he tells his train that he is so thankful he found it and that he is sorry that he forgot it.
The story that the author is very well done, and the pictures are too. One of my favorite children’s ministry program is Lift Eastbrook Afterschool. Having the opportunity to read with students who are looking to get better at reading and overall social skills is such a joy. Having read this book, I know that this is a book that I want to take to Lift and read with the kids. Not only is it a book that the kids will be able to read outloud, but it is also a story that explains the scriptures. I truly enjoyed this book. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher Concordia Publishing House for my honest review of the book.
5/12/2019
0 Comments
Surprised by Paradox by Jen Pollock Michel is quite an interesting book. I thought this book would be really interesting from reading the description when the publisher sent over the excerpt of the book to join the book launch team. When I read the description, I sort of ignored the title. I didn’t think much of the book. It was not until I was invited to join the launch team that I realized the book was called Surprise by Paradox. The words surprise and paradox do not seem positive. When sharing those sentiments in with the book launch team, Jen asked about why the words are negative and off-putting. For surprise, I personally don’t appreciate surprises. I like to know what is going to happen and when. Paradox is such an off-putting word. The very nature of the word tells me to be contradictory to what is the truth and what I know.
The book was so good. It brought up many different things that caused me to think through many things. I really enjoyed the first chapter a lot. It’s hard to boil down the good parts of this book. I highly suggest reading it. There are so many different paradoxes that Jen brings up throughout this book. If I were to tell you one paradox in this whole book that really was enjoyable is the Great I And.
"The incarnation is God's burning bush: a mystery demanding a closer look" (24)- this is a really interesting idea. Not something that I would have ever thought about. It makes sense though with the knowledge that Moses did go up to the burning bush to check it out. I would say the incarnation is something that causes me to see the paradox of "The Great I And". The use of Psalm 19 in this chapter was done really well. I think that it is used well because it shows evidence for the incarnation of God being a burning bush.
I really appreciated and enjoyed the lines “In the incarnation, God embraced contradiction in his own being and sustained tension in his own flesh. The incarnation suggests to God’s people the holy possibilities of and, this little word that rests at the bottom of every paradox” (28). The paradox of Jesus being fully God and fully man as he became incarnate to walk with humanity is both a contradiction and tension.
I highly recommend this book and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have had the opportunity to be a part of this book launch team. The theology of paradox is complex and not very easy to understand. It is not something that I am afraid of but something that I really want to dive into further. There are so many different paradoxes throughout the scriptures. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher Intervarsity Press for my honest review of this book.
0 Comments
Niko's Night & Day
5/12/2019
0 Comments
Niko’s Night & Day is a great book. The author is Colleen Oakes. In this book Niko loses his toy train and goes all around to try to find his train. As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think of the story of the lost sheep or the lost coin in Luke 15. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep behind to go search for the one. Niko goes all over to find his train. He remembers what the day looked like and tried to find the train at night. When he finally finds his train, he is so happy, and he tells his train that he is so thankful he found it and that he is sorry that he forgot it.
The story that the author is very well done, and the pictures are too. One of my favorite children’s ministry program is Lift Eastbrook Afterschool. Having the opportunity to read with students who are looking to get better at reading and overall social skills is such a joy. Having read this book, I know that this is a book that I want to take to Lift and read with the kids. Not only is it a book that the kids will be able to read outloud, but it is also a story that explains the scriptures. I truly enjoyed this book. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher Concordia Publishing House for my honest review of the book.
April 29, 2019
I'm an elementary educator by training and children's ministry passionate director, so a picture book that focuses on God's creation, but is a traditional story of a child's adventure- is so me!!
I have to start with the illustrator's work- as it makes or breaks most books. This illustrator I love for children and adults. I can't wait to see a physical book! The artwork in this book is the first standout point. I read an e-version so I can't common on the feel of the book. But the images are texture rich, vibrant colors, a contrast that makes the story look almost 3 d on my screen, and warmth endearing animals, home, and nature.
The author's writing style is child friendly. It has vivid descriptive words to hear and help imagine the tale, uses an adult friendly writing style, with sophisticated sentence structure, yet not too complex for a child to comprehend. The night 'was deep'. is an example of descriptive words chosen. It really makes the story come alive as you hear in the language chosen Niko's full experience- as he kisses his cat goodbye when he heads back to the woods. There are bold words that connect to character, colors, common emotions, sounds of birds, numbers, excitement, and questions, etc.
The story is of opposites, you see images of day and night in his woods, complete with trees, day and night birds, lake, grassy hollow , field, great grandfather rock, farthest fence post, etc. You hear Niko's knowledge that God is big, with him, created his woods as well as the difference between day and night, etc.
It's a rich realistic story that could happen to a child, and if you were to read it aloud and not let your audience see the pictures, you could do a lesson on descriptive words, by having them draw each page as you read, and compare how similar they are to each other's because the author used concrete words. And clearly painted a mental picture. For a younger crowd, you could use this book to teach adjectives, compare/contrast, mediums of art, as well as the rich biblical lessons that the author clarifies and shares with the reader before the book is over. Luke 15 lessons on the parables of the lost fits, as well as making notes about how to think about God in life situations, as Niko recognizes he feels small, but His God is bigger, etc. And pointing out attributes of God. You could extend the learning by writing a further Niko adventure if the train hadn't been found, what he does in the morning, or adventures with a specific animal or plant/tree, etc.
I'm not sure about the size of the font, it seems small on my screen, and I've had kids with wavy letter fonts not recognize words the same or think they can't read it like it's cursive. The print a is a typed a, not the normal learning a, and some children's books are written for early readers with large print and matching handwriting a bit more. Not a pro/con, just something to consider when you choose a book, this isn't one for the little's to read by themselves early on.
I partnered with Concordia to review a e-copy of the book. As an educator, parent, and kidmin person, this book has great value and if I had kids at this stage of life/learning, would be worthy of my purchasing for my home library. I love with an author integrates the walking and talking about Who God is-into a traditional book and does it well with fluent style, great transitions, imagery, and images. It's a quality product. I will likely give it as a gift.
I have to start with the illustrator's work- as it makes or breaks most books. This illustrator I love for children and adults. I can't wait to see a physical book! The artwork in this book is the first standout point. I read an e-version so I can't common on the feel of the book. But the images are texture rich, vibrant colors, a contrast that makes the story look almost 3 d on my screen, and warmth endearing animals, home, and nature.
The author's writing style is child friendly. It has vivid descriptive words to hear and help imagine the tale, uses an adult friendly writing style, with sophisticated sentence structure, yet not too complex for a child to comprehend. The night 'was deep'. is an example of descriptive words chosen. It really makes the story come alive as you hear in the language chosen Niko's full experience- as he kisses his cat goodbye when he heads back to the woods. There are bold words that connect to character, colors, common emotions, sounds of birds, numbers, excitement, and questions, etc.
The story is of opposites, you see images of day and night in his woods, complete with trees, day and night birds, lake, grassy hollow , field, great grandfather rock, farthest fence post, etc. You hear Niko's knowledge that God is big, with him, created his woods as well as the difference between day and night, etc.
It's a rich realistic story that could happen to a child, and if you were to read it aloud and not let your audience see the pictures, you could do a lesson on descriptive words, by having them draw each page as you read, and compare how similar they are to each other's because the author used concrete words. And clearly painted a mental picture. For a younger crowd, you could use this book to teach adjectives, compare/contrast, mediums of art, as well as the rich biblical lessons that the author clarifies and shares with the reader before the book is over. Luke 15 lessons on the parables of the lost fits, as well as making notes about how to think about God in life situations, as Niko recognizes he feels small, but His God is bigger, etc. And pointing out attributes of God. You could extend the learning by writing a further Niko adventure if the train hadn't been found, what he does in the morning, or adventures with a specific animal or plant/tree, etc.
I'm not sure about the size of the font, it seems small on my screen, and I've had kids with wavy letter fonts not recognize words the same or think they can't read it like it's cursive. The print a is a typed a, not the normal learning a, and some children's books are written for early readers with large print and matching handwriting a bit more. Not a pro/con, just something to consider when you choose a book, this isn't one for the little's to read by themselves early on.
I partnered with Concordia to review a e-copy of the book. As an educator, parent, and kidmin person, this book has great value and if I had kids at this stage of life/learning, would be worthy of my purchasing for my home library. I love with an author integrates the walking and talking about Who God is-into a traditional book and does it well with fluent style, great transitions, imagery, and images. It's a quality product. I will likely give it as a gift.
May 22, 2019
This is a beautifully written and illustrated story of Niko, a little boy who lost his toy train. The contrast of Niko’s journey in the woods both in day and at night has the perfect balance of realism and whimsy. The dichotomy of day and night maintained on each page spread creates a smooth journey for the reader. The book has a calm voice that makes it an easy read for bedtime.
My children loved the story and the artwork. As a mom, I love the message of the story: a nervous child bravely faces what scares him and discovers that it wasn’t so scary after all. I especially like that Niko has to face the night, something that makes many children afraid.
The story also encourages discussions of finding lost things, as Niko did, and how God seeks and saves the lost. It could be used in a learning setting alongside parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son in Luke 15, as it maintains the theme of seeking the lost.
I reviewed an early release digital copy of the book and am eager to see these illustrations in print. The art style perfectly matches the text and masterly conveys Niko’s wonder of God’s creation.
One aspect of the book that surprised me was the subtitle “A Story of Opposites in God’s Creation.” This title made me think of the traditional opposites (big/small, etc.) and I expected this book to be more of a vocabulary building book, rather than a story. The book is more involved than the subtitle had me expect.
My children loved the story and the artwork. As a mom, I love the message of the story: a nervous child bravely faces what scares him and discovers that it wasn’t so scary after all. I especially like that Niko has to face the night, something that makes many children afraid.
The story also encourages discussions of finding lost things, as Niko did, and how God seeks and saves the lost. It could be used in a learning setting alongside parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son in Luke 15, as it maintains the theme of seeking the lost.
I reviewed an early release digital copy of the book and am eager to see these illustrations in print. The art style perfectly matches the text and masterly conveys Niko’s wonder of God’s creation.
One aspect of the book that surprised me was the subtitle “A Story of Opposites in God’s Creation.” This title made me think of the traditional opposites (big/small, etc.) and I expected this book to be more of a vocabulary building book, rather than a story. The book is more involved than the subtitle had me expect.
May 14, 2019
Niko’s Night & Day is a new children’s book written by Colleen Oakes and illustrated by Erin Chan. It is a story of opposites in God’s creation.
A Story of Opposites
The story centers around a young boy named Niko who searches for his lost train. Niko is able to wonder at God’s creation as he compares the day and night during his search. The book works best for children ages 5-6.
The text is simple and the story is clear. Children can grasp the differences between day and night, as well as lost and found. At 37 pages long, Niko’s journey is full of fun and adventure perfect for a young child.
God’s Creation
Those who read to children know to have fun while reading. This book offers many opportunities to interact with your children. There are moments to count, identify colors, and make animal sounds.
The illustrations are colorful and vivid. The contrast of the day and night pictures makes every page pop. What I truly appreciate is that Niko is presented as a person of color.
A Greater Story
Parents will be able to draw parallels of Niko’s adventure to God’s own story. Our God is the creator of night and day, and he is faithful to find us. This book will serve you well as you communicate these truths to your children.
I was provided a complimentary copy of Niko’s Night & Day in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2019
What a lovely children’s book! I read it to my kids, 7, 5, & 2 1/2. All three loved the book. The illustrations are interesting to look at and the search for the train all while contrasting the day and night appearances of the various places Niko searched kept their interest. The younger two immediately begged me to read it a second time. We’ve read it again today. They love it and I also enjoy reading it to them. I appreciated the subtle reassurance of God's providential care interwoven in Niko's search and the parallel to the story of the lost coin. This is definitely a book that we will keep around to share with the next sibling arriving at the end of the summer.
May 2, 2019
View creation through Niko's eyes, and learn about all the wonderful opposites in God's creation. Children will enjoy following Niko's yellow boots while he searches for his lost train. The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning, and perfectly pair with the text to help illustrate differences between night and day on each two-page spread.
Niko's Night and Day is an excellent book to encourage language development and reading comprehension. Parents can use this book to approach discussions of creation, fears, opposites, and the Gospel message of how Jesus seeks and saves the lost (Luke 15). This book would make a great baby shower or baptism gift!
Niko's Night and Day is an excellent book to encourage language development and reading comprehension. Parents can use this book to approach discussions of creation, fears, opposites, and the Gospel message of how Jesus seeks and saves the lost (Luke 15). This book would make a great baby shower or baptism gift!
May 9, 2019
Niko wakes up and realizes he has lost his train! He goes out into the dark, quiet night to retrace his steps. Along the way, the beautiful artwork and the text help to find differences between night and day. The beauty shines through most in the way that the similarities between night and day are highlighted as well. God's presence, care, and love are emphasized, and Niko finds what he has lost! A note for adults at the end connects the story to the parables of lost things in Luke 15. This gorgeous book would be a welcome addition to any picture book library.
*Review based on advance digital copy received from publisher.
*Review based on advance digital copy received from publisher.
July 24, 2020
I purchased this book for my God son and his siblings because I'm familiar with Ms. Oakes' other work and it is always enjoyable. I unintentionally loaded it onto my Kindle and finally figured out how to use that online.
I was really impressed with the illustrations and the text. I knew Oakes would write a good story but I wasn't sure that the illustrations would be good. They were magnificent.
I practice a different form of Lutheranism than Oakes but I wasn't worried about the content of the story or interpretation of the Gospel. It's a solid story that not only reinforces good literacy habits but also sound Biblical teaching. I would give this book to any early reader.
I was really impressed with the illustrations and the text. I knew Oakes would write a good story but I wasn't sure that the illustrations would be good. They were magnificent.
I practice a different form of Lutheranism than Oakes but I wasn't worried about the content of the story or interpretation of the Gospel. It's a solid story that not only reinforces good literacy habits but also sound Biblical teaching. I would give this book to any early reader.
May 14, 2019
This book is a cute book that does a great job of showing the meaning of opposites found in day and night in nature. Opposites can be a complicated concept for children to understand, but this book explains them beautifully!
This book has beautiful illustrations as well that are very unique in color and type.
My children enjoyed the book, but the only thing I would say is that it may be slightly long and wordy for younger kids 3 and under, but for age 4-7 it would be perfect!
I was able to read an early digital copy to offer my opinion!
This book has beautiful illustrations as well that are very unique in color and type.
My children enjoyed the book, but the only thing I would say is that it may be slightly long and wordy for younger kids 3 and under, but for age 4-7 it would be perfect!
I was able to read an early digital copy to offer my opinion!
April 30, 2019
What a wonderful story to read with young children! It's a lovely story to read aloud as the main character, Niko, walks down a path recalling differences on that path between night and day. This book reminds us to soak up the beauty of God's creation.
May 15, 2019
I was pleasantly surprised to read this book and see the truth of God woven into the story. My children love this book and I love that the seeds of God truth are being planted into their lives. I highly recommend this book!
May 15, 2019
My kids and I had a lot of fun together reading this book. It held my three year old's attention, which is hard to do. And my five year old enjoyed it and learned from it. I definitely recommend it.
May 28, 2019
A great story for kids and adults alike!!
May 14, 2019
Niko left his train in the woods. When he left it he had been playing outside on a beautiful sunny day. Now it was night time. But Niko went to retrieve the train in the dark. However, the woods didn't look the same. Niko's Night and Day by Colleen Oakes tells the story of opposites through Niko's trip to find his train. Through Niko's eyes we see God's creation in the day and in the night.
I adore Niko's Night and Day. I thought this children's book was unusual and beautiful. I loved the gorgeous illustrations by Erin Chan and the story told through Niko's eyes. I also liked the pages at the end where Oakes tells how the story is paralleled to Bible stories. It is not only a fun book to read but could lead to some good discussions after reading the book.
I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review.
I adore Niko's Night and Day. I thought this children's book was unusual and beautiful. I loved the gorgeous illustrations by Erin Chan and the story told through Niko's eyes. I also liked the pages at the end where Oakes tells how the story is paralleled to Bible stories. It is not only a fun book to read but could lead to some good discussions after reading the book.
I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review.
June 3, 2019
Niko’s night and day is a awesome children’s book. It is full of fun and colorful illustrations contrasting day and night. My children loved following Niko through the book. I love how it parallels the story of the lost sheep. Any child or adult will enjoy this fun and colorful book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews