friends, but when they decide to exclude a girl in their class, Halle doesn’t know what to do. Through beautifully illustrated pages, Paul David Tripp
The Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
helps young readers deal with the pressures of fitting in,
has been at the forefront of the biblical counseling
Little Hearts series, Halle Takes a Stand offers concrete,
movement for more than fifty years with the mission to restore Christ to counseling and counseling to the
finding courage through Jesus. Part of the Good News for grace-based help for peer pressure.
church. CCEF teaches people how to explore the wisdom and depth of the Bible and apply God’s grace-centered message to the problems of daily living.
Paul David Tripp, MDiv, DMin, is the president of Paul David Tripp Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. Paul is a best-selling author of many books on Christian living, including How People Change, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, A Quest for More, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional. He has been married for many years to Luella, and they have four grown children.
Joe Hox was raised on a farm in southern Iowa where he doodled whenever he wasn’t spading thistles or bottle-feeding calves. Everyone knew by his crooked hay rows that art would be a better fit for him than farming. Joe taught art for twelve years before transitioning to full-time illustration. Today he lives in the quaint town of Pella with his wife and four children, where they enjoy collaborating on creative projects and participating in the annual tulip festival.
TRIPP Halle Takes a Stand
�alle Hedgehog wants to fit in with her
Halle Takes a Stand is part of the Good News for Little Hearts series, bringing gospel help and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of help and hope, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus in the midst of challenging circumstances. Each individual story guides parents toward meaningful conversations with their kids, based on what Scripture has to say about living by faith in everyday life. By connecting the Bible to issues every child faces through vivid illustrations and a story based on a different animal family, even the youngest child will be engaged. Each story offers practical ways to follow Jesus in difficult situations. Instead of a moralistic message, young readers are encouraged to develop a real relationship with the God who cares for them. Halle Takes a Stand, along with all of the Good News for Little Hearts books, will become a lifelong gift for parents and children, as well as teachers, biblical counselors, and anyone hoping to provide concrete, grace-based help for young children.
Halle Takes a Stand PAUL DAVID TRIPP Editor
JOE HOX Illustrator
Story creation by Jocelyn Flenders, a homeschooling mother, writer, and editor living in suburban Philadelphia. A graduate of Lancaster Bible College with a background in intercultural studies and counseling, the Good News for Little Hearts series is her first published work for children.
New Growth Press, Greensboro, NC 27404 Text copyright © 2020 by Paul David Tripp Illustration copyright © 2020 by New Growth Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIRV are taken from The NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®, Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a division of Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. Cover/Interior Design and Typesetting: Trish Mahoney, themahoney.com Cover/Interior Illustrations: Joe Hox, joehox.com ISBN: 978-1-645070-79-5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on File Printed in Korea 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
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“If you are afraid of people, it will trap you. But if you trust in the Lord, he will keep you safe.” Proverbs 29:25
Halle Hedgehog’s silver quills sparkled in the morning light. She peeked outside to the glistening golden maple. She loved maples— for their color, their leaves, and most of all, their syrup!
It just so happened that today was Friday, and Friday was waffle day in the Hedgehog House! Halle rushed downstairs to find Mama warming syrup in her teal tin pot. The kitchen smelled sweet and luscious— like a bustling bakery.
Halle and her brother, Henry, set the table and then waited. Mama put a tall stack of waffles on the table. Papa added the warm syrup beside it. And they all gave thanks together.
As they started to eat the waffles, Mama asked, “What’s on the schedule for the day? Anything special?” Henry replied, “Today we’re studying pet habitats, and we get to make our very own!” Halle said, “You’ll love that, Henry! I’m excited for lunch and recess.”
Henry replied, “As always!” Papa said, “I can’t wait to hear more this evening!”
Soon, Henry and Halle were on their way to school, tromping down the leafy path, wearing smiles and smelling like syrup. When Halle arrived at school, her teacher, Mr. Owl, was welcoming the class. He kept them so busy that Halle didn’t even think about lunch until the bell rang.