Wonderfully Made by Danika Cooley

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I’m excited to share with you that my good friend, Danika Cooley, just release a brand new book. You may already be familiar with Danika’s amazing Bible curriculum for grades K-12, Bible Road Trip, and the book I shared about last fall, When Lightning Struck: The Story of Martin Luther for teens.

Now she has written a beautiful story for younger children, Wonderfully Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Birth. This sweet book takes children on a journey through the growth of a baby in utero, birth, and the Gospel. It is filled with Scripture, images of what a baby looks like as it grows inside his mommy’s tummy, and information about what is happening at each stage of fetal growth. It is a precious way to begin instilling the Truth that babies are a blessed gift and live is sacred from the beginning.

Danika is a precious, Jesus-loving, homeschool mom who has spent much of the past 6 years honing her skills as a researcher, writer, and theologian. I am so impressed her that I want to share a short interview with Danika, so you can get to know her better and learn more about why she wrote Wonderfully Made.

Be sure to scroll all the way down to find a giveaway of Wonderfully Made, along with other wonderful resources for your family, including a set of first trimester fetal models (your kids will love seeing how teeny tiny they once were!). The giveaway is valued at $600 and also includes Danika’s Bible Road Trip (our current Bible curriculum) and When Lighting Struck (Ben’s favorite book he read in 2015).

The Interview

What inspired you to write Wonderfully Made?

One of my kids’ favorite stories has always been the story of how God formed each of them in the womb, how they’re special and loved, and how anticipated their births were. They loved hearing about the day of their birth. I wanted moms in other families to be able to share that story with their children using science, Scripture, and beautiful illustrations.

What was your main goal in writing Wonderfully Made?

I want children to understand that they’re individually and purposefully created by a loving God, and that there is a second birth into the Kingdom of Heaven available to them. Each child is unique and special, and each is loved dearly not only by their parents, but also by their Father in Heaven.

I also want a new generation of children to grow up understanding the marvelous truth of what happens in the womb, and when it happens. I want them to know what Scripture says about life in the womb–both the creation of life and the existence of life.

Both of those goals were heavy on my heart while writing Wonderfully Made, and I’m overjoyed to see the book available to families around the world.

Which part of researching Wonderfully Made was the most personally interesting to you?

Did you know that a baby’s heart starts beating at four weeks? That’s actually two weeks after conception. By eight weeks, six weeks after conception, all of the organs–other than the lungs–are working! And babies dream in the womb three months before they’re born. How amazing is that? Learning about the development of babies in the womb was so much fun for me. I also loved going through the Scripture that talks about life in the womb.

What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

I was definitely a bookworm growing up, and I read everything I could get my hands on–some good, some not-so-good. This may sound cliche, but the book that has most influenced my life has been (and continues to be) the Bible. I’ve read it through many times, studied it, and it’s changed me. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God’s Word never returns void, that it accomplishes what He purposed it for. It has certainly changed me.

I also love reading biographies about Christians that have gone before us. I find it so encouraging to see how God has worked in and through their lives. I also find it really interesting to read their writings–it helps me get outside of my 21st century American bias when I’m thinking through issues with Christian living and theology.

With all of the duties that you juggle, when do you fit in the time to write?

For me, finding time to write is the same as finding time to exercise, eat, or sleep. I consider it a necessity, so I work hard to make time for it. I’ve also sacrificed other activities to fit it in. I don’t watch television, I prioritize my time, and I often write when I might otherwise be sleeping.

What else do you want readers to know? Consider your likes and dislikes, interests and hobbies, your favorite ways to relax — whatever comes to mind.

I love to play board games with my kids, hike, paint (I majored in art), garden, and cook. I love my family, and I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with them. I homeschool my younger two, and that’s just a gift. Teaching children about the Bible, theology, and Christian history is my passion–I hope to be a lifelong student, and a lifelong teacher.