Joni Eareckson Tada

Andrew Peterson

Joni’s story is amazing, and Kristyn tells it beautifully, without shying away from the painful parts. But even more amazing is the way Joni’s story so joyfully points us to Jesus.

“Friendship with Jesus”

The latest in the Do Great Things for God series – Joni Eareckson Tada’s amazing biography is about the girl who learned to follow God in a wheelchair.

Written with fondness by one of my personal heroes, Kristyn Getty shows God in Tada’s story. Hsulynn Pang’s illustrations are especially brilliant, showcasing vibrance and joy in Tada’s life.


Friendship with Jesus

This book highlights the grace of God in suffering and pain, the sanctity of life despite disability, following God when we experience difficult feelings, and the importance of Scripture and songs in the life of the believer.

This book helped me to teach my children about the hope of Heaven – and the gift of friendship with Jesus while we’re here on Earth.


I received a media copy of Joni Eareckson Tada and this is my honest review.

“An inspiring and fun way to teach biographies to our youngsters.”

This is another wonderful addition to the “Do Great Things for God” series. We enjoy these short picture books as a way to learn about the lives of faithful Christians.

This series always has beautiful illustrations and this one is no exception. They take a story and make it accessible for children with an emphasis on how God works in their lives. Each book includes a real life photo and timeline of the person which is ever so helpful. This book also includes questions at the end and additional free resources for interacting with the person’s story. The homeschool mom in me loves these mini lessons!

This story actually brought tears to my eyes while reading it. “It was easy to trust God when she was healthy and happy. But did she want to follow God now that life was hard?” “Both while in the hospital and when she was able to go home, Joni read her Bible. It showed her that God was not surprised by her accident. It reminded her that God promised to care for her and help her, even if he didn’t make her better. These quote about 1/3 of the way through the book was such a good reminder that God is sovereign over all things, always faithful, and always good. Hardships in life can tend to take our focus off of God and shift it onto our circumstances. Joni’s story is a beautiful reminder of how a faithful child of God should be. God has used Joni’s story to impact millions of people, encouraging them in their journey and reminding them of the hope of Christ. At the end of the book, Joni answered a child’s question about ever walking again. “Yes,” said Joni. “One day, I will be in heaven and Jesus will give me new legs. And when I get my new legs, the first thing I’ll do is kneel down to worship him.” So incredibly beautiful. So incredibly encouraging. Such an incredible testimony to our Savior.

“Inspirational!”

I love an inspirational story, and one that helps bolster my faith is even better. This book is a beautiful story of how God has worked in Joni's life and how she has leaned into God and trusted him all along the way. This is the kind of hero I want my children to emulate.

“An excellent example for our children.”

I had the privilege to watch Joni's life story movie when I was about ten years old.

Since then, I've always admired Joni's spirit and testimony as she let God use her as He wanted to.

Kristyn Getty has written a nice, simple, easy to read book about Joni's life.

The illustrations are colorful and bright and a real eye opener for children that are not used to seeing other children with disabilities.

The objective of the book is for children to learn to be a friend to others with disabilities and to know Jesus as your friend too.

There's a salvation prayer at the back of the book that references Jesus' death on the cross.

Through Joni's story we are also reminded that God has a plan for each of us even in our bad times.

I would highly recommend Joni Eareckson Tada: The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair, to any Christian family that wants to read good, wholesome biographies about people being used by God.

Kristyn's book would also be a nice addition to any Sunday school or children's church classroom.

“Powerful and Encouraging”

This is a shortened version of my original review. My full review is available at: https://www.lifeisstory.com/childrens-books/joni-eareckson-tada-the-girl-who-learned-to-follow-god-in-a-wheelchair-kristyn-getty-and-hsulynn-pang/

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This new installment in the Do Great Things for God series features Joni Eareckson Tada, a famous author, artist, and advocate for people with disabilities. Kristyn Getty wrote this book in a simple, conversational style that will be easy for children to understand, and even though this story involves tough topics about disability, spiritual doubt, and ongoing physical suffering, the author and illustrator handled these themes in an age-appropriate way that is matter-of-fact without being too scary.

My one significant critique is that even though the ending is lovely, it indicates that this book is for able-bodied children. The author speaks directly to that audience, saying, "Do you know people whose bodies don't work as well as they'd like? Joni would love it if you were a friend to them." That is a great message, and Getty then talks about being friends with Jesus, which applies to everyone. Still, it disappointed me that she didn't share a specific takeaway message for disabled kids who relate to Joni's experiences.

This is an excellent educational resource for families, churches, and Christian schools. This book shares an inspiring true story, introduces tough topics in a gentle, age-appropriate way, and points to Jesus in everything. This will appeal to kids who are old enough to read the book independently, and parents can also read it aloud to younger children. This book will help start conversations with kids about disability, spiritual doubt, faith, and perseverance, and it's a great way to teach kids about an influential woman in the contemporary church.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

“I love the series”

I like this series so far, Do Great This for God is the latest installment and it’s nothing short of a great read. Kids can relate because the setting is in our modern time. I enjoy the flow of the story and how Kristyn Getty wrote this is commendable. The artwork is good, nothing flashy, just what the narrative wants, the illustration follows.

My verdict:

4.5 out of 5

https://delightinggrace.wordpress.com/2024/08/15/august-quick-review-new-and-upcoming-books/

“Another Excellent Edition to the Series”

This is an excellent series, sharing how Christians throughout the ages have sought to follow God and share the gospel, even when it's tough. This new book, written by Kristyn Getty, is a lovely addition, explaining how Joni learned to still see God's goodness, even when going through some really tough circumstances, inspiring others who were dealing with illness and disability to love Jesus too. A very encouraging read for children and adults alike!

“A Truly Inspirational Story for Young Readers”

A beautiful, deeply sentimental new addition to our beloved Do Great Things For God series! My first grade daughter (age 6.5) and I adore this story of an adventurous woman who became a quadriplegic at age 17. After years of healing and therapy, Joni Eareckson Tada learned to continue to praising God through her disability and has gone on to do great things for Him! This inspirational story is about overcoming any circumstance, believing God works all things for our good and not allowing our circumstances to prevent us from working for the advancement of His Kingdom.

We found Jonis story to be encouraging and sweet. We loved the focus on salvation and perseverance despite limitations. What an inspiration this woman is! The book addresses questions such as why God didnt heal Joni and lightly touched on the sadness she felt following her accident.

The story is easy to read, features sweet depictions of Joni and her life and is short and to the point. There is a helpful prayer of salvation, questions to review and a timeline following the story as well as information on resources that accompany the story. It would make a great resource for children with disabilities as well as those without. Excellent for a church, school or home library.

Overall, a definite recommendation from our family to yours!

* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

“Nicely done children's biograhy of Joni”

Joni Eareckson Tada's story is one of the first that I heard as a young Believer. I like this new biography about her for children from the Do Great Things for God series. Kristyn Getty writes about Joni in a way that is easy to read and understand. The illustrations work well with the story to help young reader's visualize the story better.

Subtitled, The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair, this book roughly measures 9 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches, a good size for the age group it is aimed at--ages four to seven to learn from. This book is especially helpful for children to see that some people have challenges and are differently abled. As this book shows, God still loves them and works in their lives. I like that there is a timeline at the back of the book showing the important events in Joni's life. There is also a prayer to pray for those who are not Believers. There are questions to think about. Then the last two pages of the book show some work sheets that can be downloaded from the publisher's website to go along with the book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.