In The Lost Little Rocketship, an eager little space ship makes a costly mistake, finding herself far off course and in great danger.
With her first mission set, Little Rocket is excited to go to space. But when her curiosity takes over, she encounters the dire consequences of disobeying directions. As she descends into peril, Little Rocket is in the worst state possible: far from home and hopeless. But then, in a profoundly tender way, she lives out the story of redemption.
This colorful picture book is perfect for young listeners between 2 - 8. They'll be delighted by Little Rocket's enthusiasm, drawn into her adventure, and join her in learning the greatest lesson.
The Story Behind The Book.
Exploring stylistic approaches
My three-year-old niece stood in the middle of the yard, crying out to me, “Help! I’m lost!” And in that moment, I encountered the gospel afresh.
My nickname for her, ‘Little Rocketship,’ grew into our favorite game: I’d push her on the swing for blast offs, then as she slowed down to land on a new planet, I’d give her a mission. She would run around the yard, collecting green leaves or twigs or rocks. Delivering them back to the ‘space station,’ she was ready once again for another launch sequence.
During one of these missions, she stopped in the middle of the yard, fully immersed in the world we made, and shouted for help. Deploying my own wings, I flew out to find her and bring her back to the space station.
This moment returned to me during a study in Colossians 1, as these verses stood out to me:
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
I was reminded of the ‘rocketship’ game and was struck by the imagery of the gospel. The love and joy I felt as my niece called out for me, wanting me to come and guide her back home, pales in comparison to the love of God. This is the incredible reality, that God has transferred us out of darkness into the kingdom of light. We, who had gone terribly off course, were ushered back home by grace.
I began writing and exploring ways to capture this imagery, and from that effort emerged The Lost Little Rocketship. I created it for my niece so she’ll remember standing in the yard, crying out for help. I wanted her to see the bigger truth of the game we played, the reality that she is in need of help from Someone far greater than her aunt. Now, my hope is that this book will help many more little rocketships understand the magnitude of God’s grace and love.
The first sketch of Little Rocket’s final form
The first digital illustration
