Children's Books

Through beautifully illustrated children’s books, J.P. Barelli tells heartfelt stories of adventure and forgiveness that spark curiosity and encourage faith-based values.

TIDES

Children/Adolescents Fiction; Values

ISBN: 9798899784453

eBook ISBN: 9798899789441

Some boys hear the call of adventure, but one boy hears something deeper – the song of the sea.

From the cliffs where he lives, a curious child follows the sound of waves down to the water’s edge. Instead of going to school, he swims with playful otters, explores tide pools, and befriends the wondrous creatures beneath the surface. The ocean becomes his teacher, his companion, and his escape.

As he grows older, storms begin to follow him. A crashing sea, a powerful wind, and a fear he cannot name push him to run – from his bride, from his mother, and from the promises he’s too frightened to keep. Guided only by the whispering voice inside a seashell, he leaps aboard the first ship leaving port, sailing toward anywhere and nowhere all at once.

Days turn into years. The young runaway becomes a lonely sea captain with an empty heart and no place to call home. Until, at last, the longing for his past becomes stronger than the pull of the tides. He returns older, humbled, and unsure if anyone will remember him.

But home remembers. And home forgives.

To keep other sailors safe, the mariner transforms his cliff side house into a shining lighthouse, guiding ships through the dark and casting a beam of hope for all who wander. With his patient wife and their dog and cat, he lives quietly, wishing for the one thing the sea could never give him – a child.

Then, one mysterious night, a small bundle is left on the lighthouse steps. Will this gift change everything?

From the roaring ocean to fields of golden wheat, this is a tale of adventure, forgiveness, and finding your way home.

Not My Elf

Children/Adolescents Fiction; Values; Read Aloud for Primary Readers

A young boy struggles to tell the truth—and his stuffed elf seems to have the same problem. As the secret grows harder to keep, he must find the courage to be honest with his mother. But if he can’t, maybe his little elf will help him discover his voice and tell the truth at last.

Why Don't Crows

Eat Worms?

Children/Adolescents Fiction; Values

Lucius is spending time at his grandparents' farm while his parents are away. Energetic and

curious, he is a handful for them. They hope he will soon take a nap.

After finding a large earthworm, the boy remembers his Bible school teacher saying crows don't eat worms. He asks his grandfather, who doesn’t even attempt to answer his question. Instead, he sends his grandson to ask his grandmother. While Lucius waits for an answer, his grandmother makes lemonade for him and his grandfather. Lucius’ grandfather is forced to make up a fable about a juicy worm, a rabbit, a greedy crow, a catfish, and a lazy farmer named Abner who loves to fish instead of tending to his wife’s garden.

The book offers two stories inside of one and lends itself to marvelous illustrations.

Coming Soon: Miss Becky's Buttercup — April 2026

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