Children & pain or disability

Gordon W. Kuhrt
Morse-Brown, 2011
£7.00 Pb 60pp
ISBN 978 1 90761 505 4

Available from bookshops and email: omkuhrt@tiscali.co.uk

Gordon Kuhrt writes for children on the problem of suffering. In Part 1 the author tells his own story of long periods in hospital and repeated operations, while being separated from his parents, who were missionaries in India. In Part 2, he reflects on the big questions his story has raised. For instance, the problems for a child being'different', ugly, pitied, bullied, misunderstood and of missing school. He writes helpfully on: Why do people suffer? And does God heal people?

Feeling unable to evaluate its style and content for children, I had no hesitation giving it to my ten-year-old grandson, whose mother is now in a nursing home with advanced MS.

He wrote,'Good. I think it is suitable for ten-year-olds. I liked this book and enjoyed it. It is broken up well and I liked the pictures. It makes me think about these things, and had helpful answers.' After the six point chapter Where is God in all this? he wrote enthusiastically, 'Good ideas!'

And I agree. A pastoral book giving children a good introduction to theological and apologetic issues, and giving you plenty to talk about afterwards.

Peter May is a retired GP based in Southampton.