WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, is celebrating the extraordinary sales track of 5.3 million copies sold in the bestselling God Gave Us children’s series by Lisa Tawn Bergren; illustrated by Laura J Bryant and David Hohn. The debut title, God Gave Us You (illustrated by Laura J Bryant), originally published in 2000 and has gone on to sell more than 2.1 million copies in all formats.
Now, with 14 titles in the series, each book offers a tender story of a young animal family, featuring either the curious polar bear Little Cub or wolf Little Pup asking big questions about life. Among the bestselling titles are seasonal favorites such as God Gave Us Christmas (illustrated by David Hohn), 1.2 million sold, and God Gave Us Easter (illustrated by Laura J Bryant), 942,000 sold. The charming picture books for readers 3-8 address a range of topics, including prayer, Thanksgiving, love, heaven, sleep, family and so much more.
The series also includes God Gave Us the Bible (2019) featuring 45 stories from the Bible, with reflections from adorable Little Cub and her friends.
“I am amazed that my little children’s book (that God woke me up in the middle of the night to write) has grown to this epic number sold,” says Lisa Tawn Bergren. “Truly, God does great things when we listen to him!”
“We are so grateful to Lisa for the 25-year publishing relationship and that all of the wonderful titles in the God Gave Us series continue to delight readers worldwide, helping children have a clearer understanding of God and Jesus,” added Campbell Wharton, SVP, Publisher, Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group. “It is a joy to see the next generation of parents discover these beautiful stories.”
The God Gave Us series has been translated into 12 languages worldwide. For rights inquiries, contact Denise Cronin, decronin@penguinrandomhouse.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Tawn Bergren is a bestselling, award-winning author of more than 70 books that span many genres, from children’s books to YA fiction, devotionals to books on prayer. She and her husband, Tim, live in Colorado Springs.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORS
Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You and multiple other titles in the God Gave Us series, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
David Hohn is an illustrator based in Portland, Oregon. His previous books include God Gave Us the Bible, God Gave Us Prayer, God Gave Us Thankful Hearts, and God Gave Us Christmas, as well as Just Like Beverly: A Biography of Beverly Cleary and A Gaggle of Geese and a Clatter of Cats. His past and current clients include Scholastic, Viking, Random House, Sasquatch Books, and Spider magazine, as well as Nike, Proctor & Gamble, and Oregon Children’s Theater.
Full listing of the God Gave Us Series, authored by Lisa Tawn Bergren:
- God Gave Us You: Published 9/19/2000; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Two: Published 9/18/2001; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Christmas: Published 10/10/2006; Illustrated by David Hohn
- God Gave Us Heaven: Published 8/19/2008; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Love: Published 9/15/2009; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us So Much: Published 8/10/2010; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us the World: Published 1/11/2011; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Easter: Published 1/15/2013; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Angels: Published 9/16/2014; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Sleep: Published 9/8/2015; Illustrated by Laura J Bryant
- God Gave Us Thankful Hearts: Published 8/23/2016; Illustrated by David Hohn
- God Gave Us Family: Published 10/17/2017; Illustrated by David Hohn
- God Gave Us The Bible: Published 9/17/2019; Illustrated by David Hohn
- God Gave Us Prayer: Published 3/2/2021; Illustrated by David Hohn
WaterBrook is an imprint of the Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Contact: Beverly Rykerd, VP, Publicity Director, PRHCPG, bykerd@penguinrandomhouse.com.
