Saint Tamika and Josh: My Journey Home is a religious story book for Christian children, written by Bidenia Hudson and illustrated by Lauren Varlack. Josh and his friends always enjoyed seeing Saint Tamika when she came down from heaven to visit them. It had been some time since her last visit, so the children looked a bit older than they had been before. Saint Tamika had promised to tell them a special story when she came back, and now that she was there again with them, she began her story. She was 85 years old when Jesus brought her home to the heavenly city. Tamika had gone to sleep that night thinking about the next day’s visit with her friend, Anne, but when she woke up, she was astounded by her transformation. Tamika wasn’t old anymore, and her body didn’t have its aches and pains anymore either. She could see perfectly clearly without her glasses, but that was just the beginning. Her voyage to the heavenly city was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced.

Bidenia Hudson’s religious story book for Christian children, Saint Tamika and Josh: My Journey Home, introduces biblical references to the afterlife to children in a compelling tale about an elderly woman who is reborn. Varlack’s illustrations work quite well to make Hudson’s story come alive for young readers. I especially enjoyed the pictures of the heavenly city and the images of those who lived there rejoicing. This story affirms the Christian concepts of the power of prayer and the importance of believing in Christ as your savior. Saint Tamika and Josh: My Journey Home is recommended for parents and caregivers who want to introduce the subject of the afterlife to their children, particularly when they’re struggling to understand the loss of a grandparent or other loved one.

Saint Tamika and Josh: My Journey Home by Bidenia Hudson is an interesting book. The story tells about when you die and how you travel to Heaven. It explains how the angels assist you in the journey. I had mixed feelings about Saint Tamika and Josh: My Journey Home. There were things I liked and things that could have been a little better explained. Hudson wrote it as a children’s book. I read it to my 6-year-old, but she had a little trouble following it. I understand the way that it is written encourages children to ask questions, but my daughter did not understand it. She could not understand how fire does not hurt if you touch it. However, she did enjoy the illustrations.

I would recommend this book for children who are a little older. I liked the message that Hudson was trying to convey and found it very interesting that she had a vision of how Heaven looks. I also liked how the book makes the subject of Heaven a little more understandable. Hudson also includes actual Bible verses which are peppered throughout her story. The thing I did not enjoy was that when I first started reading the story, I felt as if I was missing out on something. Almost as if there was a book written before this one that contained the rest of the story. It was not until later in the book that I understood what had happened to make Tamika journey to Heaven. Overall, this is a good book.