Doing Something New

Doing Something New, Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Andrés Landazábal. IVP Kids (ISBN: 9781514013328) 2026.

Summary: A prayer for children beginning something new, drawing upon the life of Jesus and the promises of the Beatitudes.

Change is exciting. And scary. Beginnings are a part of all of our lives but can be especially scary for children who do not have lots of past experiences on which to draw. A new home. A new school. And a new bus route. New friends. And new social situations.

Mitali Perkins has written a wonderful children’s book that explores a number of these changes. First days at school. Missing family. Making friends. Going out of one’s way to show kindness. Then there are the challenging social situations. Standing up for the bullied. Comforting friends losing someone they love. Not yielding to peer pressure to look at questionable material on a phone. Or helping two friends caught in the blame game.

All of these beginnings are woven into a prayer that runs through the book. The prayer connects the child’s experience to something Jesus experienced in his life. For example, the book begins with this:

“Jesus, now I come to you,/at the start of something new.

People didn’t know your name./Here I am, a bit the same.“

The simple rhyme scheme makes it enjoyable to hear and memorable.

In addition, the book incorporates the text of the Beatitudes. These offer promises of how Jesus will help in each of the situations depicted. For example, the child who is homesick may trust the promise: “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Likewise, the child who stands up for another who is bullied is reminded that “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

Also, the illustrations of Andrés Landazábal bring the prayer/narrative vividly to life. The scenes look like school and neighborhood settings. I particularly appreciate how he captures the emotions of children. In addition, he portrays a multi-ethnic mix of children on each page.

The book concludes with “A Note from the Author” in which Mitali Perkins describes her various homes in five countries before living in the United States. She also discusses growing up in a Bengali home. Lastly, she lists some of the influences that inspired this book and what she has tried to do.

I like the portrayal of all the situations in which a child can trust Jesus in their Monday to Friday world at school. In addition, I appreciated how children are helped to see why Jesus would understand their fears and their prayers. Then the weaving in of the Beatitudes does not at all seem forced but flows naturally out of the various situations children encounter. Finally, as in all good children’s books, the truths found here are both simple enough for a child to understand and profound enough to sustain adults in all the changes they face.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.