By Kelsey Hazzard, Secular Pro-Life
We seem to be at the start of a welcome trend of pro-life picture books for children. Although the canon is still in its infancy (pun absolutely intended), we’ve previously reviewed Pro-Life Kids and When You Became You. Now I Can Hear Music, written by Brendan Lyons and illustrated by Missy Johnson, joins the list.
I Can Hear Music is a rhyming book with a simple theme: children in the womb can hear. They can hear their mother’s heartbeats, speaking voices, and the sounds of a marching band. “And when I am born, you might be surprised, the voice that you sing with is one I recognize.” Although this is not an explicitly anti-abortion message, the preborn child is humanized inherently.
The text and illustrations are much simpler than those in Pro-Life Kids or When You Became You, making I Can Hear Music a good introduction for toddlers. I can see it being a particularly good fit for young ones who are awaiting the birth of a younger sibling and want to know more about what’s going on in there!
It’s a fine option for secular families as well; other than a brief reference to a church choir singing, there is no religious content or anything that could be construed as proselytizing.
I Can Hear Music is available for purchase on Amazon.