Inspiring children's biography of Betsey Stockton, who, despite being born enslaved, followed her dream of being a missionary.
Part of the Do Great Things For God series.
Read the true story of Betsey Stockton, who, despite being born enslaved, followed her dream of being a missionary.
When young Betsey joined a missionary voyage to Hawaii, everyone was shocked. “A single woman, who was born enslaved, going to mission? How extraordinary!”
But that’s exactly what Betsey did. Follow her adventurous five-month journey across the Pacific Ocean: a journey of laughter, tears, prayer and even a newborn life!
This beautifully illustrated children's biography of Betsey Stockton (c. 1798-1865) is part of a series designed to show kids that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
These stories can be read to young children or enjoyed independently by early readers. The free extras make these stories useful for , Sunday school, missions events, and more.
Betsey Stockton: Illustrated Biography
Further Notes About Betsey for Adults and Older Children
| Age range: | 4+ |
|---|---|
| Contributors | Laura Wickham, Eunji Jung |
| ISBN | 9781784987848 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | April 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
As a parent, I want my children to be shaped and influenced by the steadfast lives of other Christians. The "Do Great Things for God" series by Laura Caputo-Wickham is a wonderful introduction to faithful women who courageously served the Lord in a variety of ways. These stories teach as they inspire, and your children will be blessed to learn about Betsey Stockton’s missionary dream and Corrie Ten Boom’s secret room.
For every classic "faith hero" or "heroine" we know of, there are hundreds who endured on the margins of history whose stories are just waiting to be discovered. God remembers each name and each story, and it's time we do too. This series brings to life the forgotten, teaches us valuable lessons, and imprints on us early on that if God kept our spiritual ancestors, he will keep us too.
Whether she’s retelling the extraordinary stories of Corrie ten Boom or Betsey Stockton, Laura Caputo-Wickham captures a big gospel for little hearts. The wonderful storytelling and charming illustrations make the mini-biographies in the "Do Great Things for God" series pitch-perfect for even the youngest readers. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine did.
Betsey is a young girl I can relate to, a girl who had a dream to be a missionary. Her strength of character evident as she was freed from slavery, continued to work, and then followed her dream to the islands of Hawaii. We see how tumultuous the 5 month journey was to arrive, and her persistence in spending time in the Word of God. She demonstrated faithfulness to serve the people, teaching the children academics, as well as the gospel.... continue reading
This is an inspiring story for children, and it is especially significant because it shows that not all missionaries were white, even long ago in history. It made me wonder about other, similar stories that have never received mainstream attention, and I look forward to seeing what other books come out in this series in the future.... continue reading
I loved watching the courage of Betsey as she, a once-enslaved woman (born about 1798), takes her new freedom and becomes a missionary. She travels as a solo woman to Hawaii—a daunting five-month trip. The illustrated picture book details Betsey’s devotion to prayer and her faith in God as she serves the people of Hawaii in the 1800’s.... continue reading
What a remarkable woman with a remarkable story to share with my daughters! This sweet picture book is about Betsey Stockton, born into slavery, but when she was finally free, her eyes were set on Christ and sharing all about Him with others. She traveled to Hawaii, made friends with natives, taught children, and always found time alone to spend with God. I highly recommend this book and the entire Do Great Things for God series!
I pre-ordered this book, and was delighted when it came. My two girls loved hearing the story and we have read it and re-read it. It appropriately handles the material for ages 4-8.. The first page sets up the idea that Betsy was a slave, meaning that she could not make her own decisions, and that she was freed, which meant she was able to make her own decisions. I am reminded that Ps 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” And that is what is happening here, Betsy has a desire to be a missionary, and she goes. I love how the story emphasizes that Betsy made spending time with God a priority, even on a busy ship and that her desires are rooted in the Word. There is a theme in the book that Betsy is extraordinary because she serves an extraordinary God. It’s a perfect book to plant those seeds in young hearts and minds. However, I would not purchase this book for a child older then 8, or approaching 8, because I think it would be too simple. But for a younger child, this book is perfect to inspire them to do great things for God.
I work in children’s ministry and grew up reading missionary stories but I had never heard her story! This is an excellent book to encourage children to follow the Lord wherever He calls. The pictures were bright and beautiful and her adventures in Hawaii and beyond were a joy to read!
What I like about the book:
This biography is of a person whose desire was to become a missionary.
Her life story interwoven with trusting God, reading His Word, teaching children that Jesus is King so teaching the readers about the Good News and who God is.
The illustrations are well done and warm-appropriate images.
Scripture references are listed with the verses mentioned- and the fact that the Word of God is included.
I liked learning about Betsey Stockton, her story is new to me!
I liked the connection that I got after reading Corrie ten Boom, now Betsey Stockton, and knowing that this is a series of stories of women for young children seeing how women have served God and done wonderful things.
What I wonder about the book:
Will 4-8-year-olds know what it means to be enslaved? Will they understand the concept of being free?
Does the book need to start by telling the readers that we are going back in time? or in history? to learn about someone who lived hundreds of years ago? It becomes evident in the five-month trip by boat to Hawaii.
Thankful to partner with the GoodBook company and read an advanced pdf of the book.
