Book Review: Meg Is Not Alone
Left Behind
When I was in fourth grade I got left behind after academic team practice. Before you (or my mom) start freaking out, it wasn’t that big a deal. My folks were great parents, but it was a different time. They didn’t have a phone in their pocket that chirped at them every time they needed to be somewhere, and kids were given a little more freedom to wander, explore, and be alone. They both worked hard so my sister and I could do all the fun stuff we enjoyed, and that particular day there was some confusion about which of them was coming or a delay in them getting there.
My teacher gave them a call, understood that they were coming, and dropped me outside the front door of the school to let me wait. Maybe they had a camera trained on the spot to make sure I wasn’t kidnapped, but I have my doubts. They likely assumed a ten-year-old would be just fine to entertain himself outside on a nice day for a few minutes until his parents got there. Being alone though, it felt like it took forever for those minutes to roll by. I could’ve used some friends to help me feel safe, give me something to do, and be with me until life was back to normal.
Where’d They Go?
Turns out I wasn’t the only kid who got left somewhere. Megan Hill’s new book with Crossway, autobiographically titled Meg Is Not Alone, begins with a similar situation. Meg finds herself in the church lobby after Sunday services wrap up while her parents are chatting with their friends. Meg slides over to the coat rack to grab her coat, but it’s a little too high to reach. As she jumps to snag it, she tumbles into the coat rack and finds herself surrounds by all the soft, fuzzy, scratchy coats. Her parents voices get muffled while she was buried in the coats, and when she comes out they’re nowhere to be found.
It turns out her mom drove home while her dad decided to walk since it was nice out, both assuming the other would take Meg with them. An innocent mistake, but Meg has no idea what’s happened. She finds herself all alone in a suddenly very quiet church, and begins to cry. Here’s where her story changes from mine. Instead of entertaining herself and solving the mystery of her parents disappearance on her own, her church friends show up to protect, care for, and help her.
Church Friends
“Her dad explains that God gives us church friends as a means of taking care of us, reminding us we’re not alone, and helping us when we’re in need.”
Meg’s Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Hughes, finds her crying in the lobby, and immediately moves to comfort her and figure out what’s going on. She’d left her phone in the car, so she tracks down another church friend to borrow their phone to call Meg’s parents. They realize what’s happened immediately (though I’m sure there’s a follow-up book where mom and dad blame each other for the mishap, haha!), and make their way back to pick up Meg.
While she’s waiting, church friends continue to show up and care for her. They offer tissues, some of the pastor’s favorite cookies, and a pile of books to keep her entertained until her father arrives. She even finds an opportunity to be a church friend herself, as she steps in to comfort a fussy baby while she’s reading.
Finally, her dad arrives, scoops Meg up, apologizes for leaving her behind, and gives her a hug. She sees the circle of folks who helped her along the way, remembering how they each stepped in. Her dad finds a teachable moment to remind her that, “God took care of you.” Her dad explains that God gives us church friends as a means of taking care of us, reminding us we’re not alone, and helping us when we’re in need.
The Verdict
Meg Is Not Alone paints a really beautiful picture of life in a healthy church. The congregation is diverse. We can see infants and grandmas, different skin tones, smiles on faces, and conversations happening. Folks want to hang out and chat after the service ends because there’s genuine friendship and community among the people. It’s a picture book for kids, but these scenes ooze the kind of warmth and affection that any pastor longs to see in his church.
Meg’s story is a brilliant way to teach children about how God cares for us through the people he puts in our lives, particularly friends in our local church. Megan opens the book with John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Jesus’s command to his disciples in this passage rings through the entire book. When Meg finds herself alone, people go out of their way to put the “love one another” command into practice. Meg’s experience provides loads of opportunities to talk through how God protects and provides for his people.
As great as the story is, the illustrations from Samara Hardy are also terrific. Pages are full of little details that bring the church to life, offer some humor, and help put you in Meg’s shoes. Two panels in particular stand out. When Meg comes out of the coats and finds herself alone, the once-full background is replaced with a wall of white, isolating her on the page and showing you how alone she feels. This happens again when her father returns and scoops her up in her arms. The background fades away, and we’re reminded of the truth that looms large—she’s once again secure in her father’s arms. They’re striking choices that can serve as conversation starters as you’re reading with kids.
On the whole, Meg Is Not Alone is a worthy addition to a bedroom or classroom shelf. It serves as a great way to talk to kids about the church, friendship, God’s care for his people, and the ways we’re called to serve one another. It’s easy to read, gives kids plenty to look at, and points them to wisdom about God and his church. Buy it today, and get it into your Sunday School or bedtime storybook rotation.