Animal Devotions for Kids
What if a capybara, an octopus, or a narwhal could help you understand God’s love more clearly?
What if every wild animal you’ve ever seen—or never even heard of—had something to teach you about faith?
What if chasing curiosity about the natural world led you straight into the heart of your Creator?
Welcome to The Sword and Story Podcast—where we help Christian families find exciting, faith-filled books for their boys.
Our mission is to raise strong, courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God. Join us on a quest to discover stories that inspire our boys to grow into godly young men.
I’m your host, Laurie Christine. I’m an author, bible teacher, wife, and mom to four wild, wonderful, boys. I’m the author of the Dragon Slayer Bible Series, adventure-packed biblical fiction and devotions for middle-grade boys.
Our guest author today is Valerie Ellis.
Valerie Ellis is the author of multiple books for kids. She is also a speaker, and founder of Our Everyday Parables, an online resource with book reviews and ideas for families pursuing faith and compassion. Valerie lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband Josh two sons.
Wild Faith
Animal Devotions for Kids
A stunning devotional for kids, featuring 52 amazing animals that will have young believers marveling at how awesome God is as they discover more about the journey of wild faith God invites them to experience!
God created the world. Every aspect displays God’s strength and love. And though Creation can never fully express the wonders of the Lord, sometimes examples from nature can make God’s truth come alive to us.
That’s why the Wild Faith Devotional for Kids gathers well-known animals like flamingos, snakes, dogs, and cats along with lesser-known creatures like the capybara, glass frog, and rock-climbing goby to help kids celebrate God’s creativity, seek God with all their hearts, and rest in God’s great love for them.
The Wild Faith Devotional is perfect for creature- and Bible-loving kids ready to go deeper in faith!
More Bible-based Books for Kids
by Valerie Ellis
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
Wild Faith by Valerie Ellis
Meet the Author
Laurie Christine: Valerie Ellis, welcome to the Sword and Story podcast.
Valerie Ellis: I’m so happy to be here, Laurie. Thank you for having me.
Laurie Christine: I love that you’re a fellow boy mom. Before we dive into your books, tell us a little about your family and how old your boys are.
Valerie Ellis: My oldest is 14 and my youngest is 11. It feels like just yesterday they were tiny tots running around. They’re both all boy, but they could not be more different. Even when I was pregnant with my younger one, I was sure it was a girl because everything about the pregnancy was different.
They’re very different personalities, but they both have a heart for adventure. When my oldest was three, I remember telling my dad, “All he wants to do is play bad guy and chase, and he wants to be the bad guy.” I thought that was a red flag. My dad told me, “No, this is normal.” I have two sisters, so my dad had some perspective. He said my son might be trying to control the narrative by being the bad guy, because then he’s the one in control. That helped me relax. He’s turning out great, so no worries.
Laurie Christine: That’s very wise insight from your dad. I noticed the same thing when my boys were young. I grew up with one sister, and my mom had two girls, so we didn’t know anything about boys.
When my boys were little, I tried playing house with them because that’s what my mom did with me. They played along with the toy kitchen and the little house setup, but there always had to be a bad guy. They were protecting the house from the bad guys. It wasn’t just, “We’re a family.” It was, “We’re a family and we’re defending the house.”
Even at a young age, I remember thinking how amazing it was that God placed that protector instinct in them—the sense that there are bad guys in the world and we must protect our family. It’s fascinating to see how God wired them.
I often ask guests who have boys this question: You know there are boys living in your house if…?
Valerie Ellis: When my boys were younger, I would say the cars lined up everywhere. Cars lined up all over the house.
Now that they’re older, my younger one is still very playful and he has a stick collection by our front door. The sticks can be swords, staffs, or anything he imagines. If you walk up to my door, you’ll see the stick collection.
Laurie Christine: That definitely sounds like there are boys living in your house.
Introducing Wild Faith
Laurie Christine: I’m excited to talk about your book Wild Faith: A Devotional for Kids. I’m passionate about discipling my boys and helping them grow into strong warriors for God’s kingdom, so I’m always looking for devotional resources.
I might have a slight obsession with buying family devotionals. I have dozens—some we haven’t even read yet. But I still love having them on my shelf.
Valerie, tell us about Wild Faith. What makes it unique?
Valerie Ellis: The subtitle says a lot: 52 Amazing Animals That Point to One Great God. We look at animal facts, behaviors, and features, but the focus is always on the Creator. How can we learn more about Him and receive His love more clearly by looking at creation?
Each devotion includes a Bible verse and a focus theme. It starts with an animal fact and description, then explores how that animal can remind us of something about God. Sometimes it connects to a Bible story that helps us apply the truth to our lives.
At the end there are two sections: Make It Stick and Live It Out. The “Make It Stick” section helps kids remember what they’ve read. We all know it’s easy to read something, close the book, and forget it. These prompts might involve imagination, an action step, or writing something down.
The “Live It Out” section helps kids carry the truth into their week. It might involve something they can do with their family, something they can do for their family, or something they can try at school.
Each devotion also includes one extra fun animal fact just because animals are amazing. I probably could have included five more for each animal.
There are also downloadable resources on my website—Bible verse cards with illustrations of the animals and some fun activities.
The book is for kids seven and up. It includes activities for older kids like crosswords and puzzles.
One unique feature is that the book includes both illustrations and real photographs. My kids love animal books with real photographs, so I really wanted that element. The illustrations are by Jen Bricking and they’re beautiful. They feel lively and detailed. I’m so glad the publisher included both illustrations and photographs.
Laurie Christine: I love that about the book. The illustrations are beautiful and engaging, and I really appreciate the real photos. If the photos weren’t there, I would probably be pulling out my phone to show my boys what the animals look like.
The devotions are short and very doable, but they’re also meaningful. You learn fascinating animal facts, but the focus is always on applying biblical truth. Some devotions feel like science lessons with one spiritual sentence at the end. Your book keeps the biblical application front and center.
What kinds of themes appear throughout the book?
Themes of Faith and Growth
Valerie Ellis: In the introduction I talk about how devotionals often challenge us to apply biblical truths to our lives. That does require effort from us, but transformation is ultimately God’s work.
We rely on Him. He will never ask us to do something without giving us the strength for it.
The devotions explore themes like friendship, family relationships, reading the Bible, gaining wisdom, persevering, handling conflict, and dealing with loss. We also talk about foundational elements of faith like sharing Jesus’ love with others.
Animals Boys Will Love
Laurie Christine: I think the whole book will appeal to boys because of the animals and science facts. But are there certain animals or devotions that might especially resonate with boys?
Valerie Ellis: Yes. I made a list of animals that felt particularly adventurous.
There’s the pangolin, which has armor. That devotion connects to the armor of God.
There’s the arapaima, a huge fish in the Amazon rainforest that survives through tough circumstances. That one focuses on perseverance.
The peacock mantis shrimp can punch faster than we can blink and crack open clamshells. That devotion talks about using the gifts God gave us.
Then I also looked at animals that might not seem like obvious “boy devotions” but still have meaningful lessons.
For example, the sea otter has incredibly dense, water-resistant fur. That devotion talks about letting things roll off when we’re in conflict. We don’t have to fight every battle. But we also discuss how to handle conflict when it does need to be addressed—being quick to listen and slow to speak.
Sometimes the greatest strength is patience.
Laurie Christine: That’s such a great lesson. My boys often think if someone annoys them, they have the right to punch their brother. We talk a lot about letting things go and not fighting every battle.
Valerie Ellis: Exactly. Boys often have a strong sense of justice, which is wonderful, but they also need guidance.
Another example is the rhino. Rhinos have thick, tough skin, but they’re also sensitive to sunburn and insect bites. They regularly seek mud baths for relief.
That reminds us that even strong people need help. Going to God for relief isn’t weakness. It’s part of strength.
When we look at epic stories like Lord of the Rings, heroes often have moments where they pause, reflect, and regain strength before continuing the battle. God invites us to do the same.
Fascinating Animals in the Book
Laurie Christine: There are so many unique animals in this book. Some are familiar like lions and penguins, but others I had never heard of—like the arapaima.
Were there animals that surprised you during your research?
Valerie Ellis: Definitely. The octopus is my favorite animal. I already knew it had nine brains—one main brain and one for each arm—but I learned that the main brain is shaped like a donut and the stomach goes through it. That amazed me.
In the devotion we talk about how octopus arms can regenerate, which reminds us that God can restore us.
Another surprising animal was the klipspringer, an African antelope. It’s adorable and can jump incredibly high, landing on tiny rock ledges smaller than a saltine cracker. Its hooves have a hard exterior and a rubbery interior to absorb the impact of jumping.
God designed it perfectly for its environment.
Laurie Christine: I just looked up a picture. They are adorable.
I also loved seeing the capybara in the book. My family once looked into getting one as a pet after seeing one at the fair. We quickly realized they require huge amounts of food and a swampy environment, so we decided that wasn’t happening.
Valerie Ellis: Many animals that seem cute in the wild are actually very difficult to care for as pets. Capybaras are very social animals too.
Laurie Christine: Another animal in the book caught my attention because we actually have one—an axolotl. My son begged for one after seeing them in Minecraft. It’s basically a glorified fish that lives in the water, but it’s fascinating because it can regenerate limbs and even parts of its brain.
Scientists are studying it to understand how regeneration works.
Valerie Ellis: When I researched the axolotl, I found just as many articles about caring for them as I did about them in the wild. They’re incredible creatures. God built mystery into creation, and that’s part of the wonder.
Embracing a Wild Faith
Laurie Christine: I love that the title includes the word wild. It describes both the animals and the hearts of boys. Boys have a God-given wildness. As moms, we often want to tame that wildness, but really we should channel it for God’s glory.
How does this book encourage boys to become strong warriors for God’s kingdom?
Valerie Ellis: I love the distinction you made between taming and channeling.
Faith is wild because God is beyond our ability to fully understand. We’re on an adventure with Him. We don’t put Jesus in our pocket—we follow Him.
Many boys are naturally drawn to adventure, and that can become a strength in their faith journey. When God calls them to something, they may be eager to say yes.
The book highlights adventurous animals like the blue wildebeest, which migrates long distances to find food. That devotion talks about moving where God calls us.
Another example is the ant. Ants can carry many times their own weight. Their strength doesn’t come from being big; it comes from their design. Similarly, our strength comes from relying on God.
That’s often the opposite of what the world teaches. Real strength comes from dependence on Him.
Where to Find Valerie Ellis
The back cover of Wild Faith describes it perfectly:
A stunning devotional for kids featuring 52 amazing animals that will have young believers marveling at how awesome God is. As they discover more about the journey of wild faith, kids will see how creation reflects God’s strength and love.
The book includes familiar animals like flamingos, snakes, dogs, and cats, along with lesser-known creatures like capybaras, glass frogs, and rock-climbing gobies. Each one points kids back to God’s creativity and invites them to seek Him with all their hearts.
Laurie Christine: Valerie, where can listeners learn more about you and your books?
Valerie Ellis: They can visit ValerieEllis.com, where all my books and free resources are available. Families can also visit OurEverydayParables.com for book reviews and discipleship ideas. I’m also on Instagram at @IAmValerieEllis.
Laurie Christine: Thank you so much for joining us on the Sword and Story podcast.
Valerie Ellis: My pleasure. Thank you.
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