Jesus has a Body

We are so excited to announce that our newest children's book, Jesus has a Body will be launching just in time for Easter!

Jayne Ann, here! I've been working hard on this book for two years. The idea for Jesus has a Body originally came in February 2023. I was in a Primary leadership training and, admittedly, my mind wandered to thinking about children's books. I thought about all the books that teach children about the basics - their eyes, their hands, their fingers, their toes, etc. I wondered if anyone had ever written a book about Jesus' body - about how He has two eyes, a nose, ten fingers and toes... etc. The idea took off from there.

Upon completing the manuscript, I searched and searched for an illustrator since illustrating a book about Jesus seemed way too far beyond my own skillset. No matter how much I searched, nothing felt like quite the right fit. I had a very specific vision for the illustrations and eventually decided to give it a try myself. I wanted to keep it simple and joyful, but also reverent. It felt so important to infuse Jesus' love and joy into every page, that I prayed my heart out for help and guidance. I tried a few different styles, and even tried to create a digital illustration. After trying and failing multiple times to find a simpler way, I finally mustered up the courage to just try to stick to my strengths and try watercolor.

Creating art is such a unique experience. There are times when you try to create something and it doesn't turn out the way you thought. Sometimes that feels like a failure and frustration boils over. Other times, happy accidents lead to something better than you'd ever imagined and it takes your breath away. Sometimes it's a mixture of both. But when we allow those happy accidents to guide us onward to something better than we'd originally planned, I think that's when we can see God's fingerprints in our artwork.

Such was the case with this book. I'd try and then mess up, but every time I chose to take a deep breath and look at the painting in a different way, there always seemed to be a way forward. Little by little, the illustrations began to come together and began to evolve into something so much more meaningful than a simple "hands and toes" type of book.

Throughout the illustrations of Jesus has a Body, you will find subtle references (and some not-so-subtle) to deeper doctrines taught by Jesus Christ.

One page has a baby sleeping snugly in a blue and green pajama set. This has reference to the creation of the world, which Jesus Christ directed, and to the incredible gift of our bodies. Our bodies and the opportunity to come to Earth through birth and experience mortality are such special gifts. "Worlds without number have I created," said God. I like to think that our personal worlds are among those He was referring to.

Another page features a little girl who bumps into a table, breaking a pair of glasses and a picture of her great-grandparents' wedding day. If you look closely, you can see the couple in the picture react to being bumped off the table and then happily smile after the little girl chooses to come clean about the accident and she and her parents work together to fix the mistake. This page is primarily focused on the gift of repentance. The Holy Ghost catches her attention when she spots a picture of Jesus Christ and prompts her to talk to her mother about what she had done. Thanks to Jesus Christ, no mistake we make is ever truly beyond repair. The underlying story in these illustrations is that our ancestors are watching over us, and eager to help us. There are unseen angels all around us, helping guide our paths, offering protection and comfort, and cheering us on from the other side. My grandmother used to say, "If I'm on the other side, I'm going to be by your side. I'm going to hover over you and see that you do right! And don't you forget that. I will not leave you alone."

Also hidden within the illustrations are the first letters of each of my children's names, a balloon for our angel baby, a white butterfly representing miscarriage, finger paints to represent my love of art beginning at a very young age, footprints in the sand to represent the poem about Christ's ability to carry us during trials, and another angel friend wearing a pastel dress.

My hope in publishing this book is that it will show not only what we have in common with Jesus Christ, but also what sets Him apart as our Lord and Savior. I hope that every person who reads this book will feel Jesus Christ's unrelenting love for them on an individual, personal level. I hope that children will be able to see themselves in the illustrations and begin to visualize the Savior in their day to day midst.

When Jesus Christ was on the earth during His mortal ministry, He invited the children to come unto Him. I believe with all my heart that when He comes again, He will take great joy in being among the children and that He takes great joy now being invited to be involved in their (and everyone's!) daily experiences.