I always like to know a little something about an author before I sit down to open up his or her book. Today, I’m excited to interview Christina Fox about her new children’s book, Who Are You?: A Little Book About Your Big Identity. The book contains wonderful truths about our identity as image bearers of God that parents can share with their kids and remind themselves of as they read together. Who Are You? releases on July 2, 2024, and you can order a copy here!
Can you give us a quick update on you and your family? What has this season of life been like for you?
I’m in the midst of a significant transition in my life. One son is in college and the other will graduate from high school next year. It’s one of those seasons of life that is filled with both joy and sadness. I’ve had to grieve that a time of my life that I enjoyed so much is almost past, while also looking forward to what is next. My husband and I have spent a lot of time thinking about what we want our empty nest years to look like and how to steward that time well. In the midst of this transition, I’ve started a new job. I’m running the Alumni Relations department at Covenant College, my alma mater. I’ve enjoyed connecting with alumni and developing new initiatives to engage with them. We anticipate a move and downsizing in our future as well. So, I’d say this season has been one of change where I am learning all the more to trust and rest in our immutable God.
What inspired you to write Who Are You?
I’d have to say that it really came from the Lord. Often when I write something, it’s because it’s a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about or something I’ve been studying and want to explore further—or even something I’ve been experiencing personally and write in order to process my thoughts about it. The lines of this book just came to me one day and I found myself having to get them down on paper. Who Are You? is about identity, a concept we all wrestle with in our lives and an important concept to talk about with children. After all, much of what we think about ourselves and how we perceive our own identities starts in childhood. As I wrote the poem, I couldn’t help but remember the thoughts I had about myself as a child—how I understood who I was and my purpose in this world.
What do you hope kids and parents will take away from this book?
I hope it starts a conversation that continues throughout childhood. I hope it helps parents talk to their children about the God who made them and what that means. I hope it helps children learn from the start that their identity is not rooted in the things they do, how they feel, or what others say about them, but in the fact that God created them to bear his image and live for him.
In the book, you include some practical tips for parents. What advice would you give them as they try to explain these big ideas to young minds?
As parents, I think it is helpful for us to first consider how we view our own identity and purpose in this life. It’s hard to talk to children about things we may not clearly grasp ourselves. We need to ask ourselves the question: Who are you? And then consider, how was that concept shaped in us? How has it influenced our lives? For many of us, we’ve found our identity in our work, in the things we spend our time doing each day, or even in the roles we have, and it shapes how we view ourselves and our purpose. It’s important that we understand what the Bible says about our identity before teaching it to our children. So, spend time considering those things, praying about them, and reflecting on what it means to be an image bearer, created to image and glorify God. Second, use the book as a jumping-off point to ask your children questions about themselves, specifically, how they perceive themselves. Then use the opportunity to teach them what God says about them. Talk about God as Creator of all things and what that means for how we live our lives. Talk about what it means to image him and in what ways we do so. These discussions should continue and advance in greater depth as our children grow.
What’s the most challenging or fun part of writing for children?
It’s fun to try to think as a child does. To remember that time in one’s life when everything was new and the world an adventure yet to be explored. To remember the simple joys that come from playing with a favorite toy or the thrill of learning something new. And to explain a biblical concept in such a way that a child can grasp it. It’s fun but also challenging! 
Here are some endorsements:
“Perhaps my most frequent prayer for my children is that they would know—deep down—they are the beloved children of God in and through Jesus. In a culture that tells us to find our identity in our achievements, work, personality, or feelings, Who Are You? offers a freeing and beautiful alternative rooted in the gospel: our most foundational identity is that we belong to a God who loves us! This book will be a helpful resource for parents who need to be reminded of their own identity in Christ, even as they speak and pray this important truth over their children.” – Caroline Cobb, singer-songwriter; mom to three; author, Advent for Exiles: 25 Devotions to Awaken Gospel Hope in Every Longing Heart
“Who Are You? answers one of life’s most essential questions. It sweetly illustrates the foundational truth our children need: we are beautiful image-bearers. Christina Fox has found a whimsical way to engage the hearts of our little ones and to teach them that their identity is firmly rooted in their Creator and Savior’s love for them.” – Darby Strickland, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; author, Something Scary Happened
“Through beautifully engaging full-page illustrations and relatable text, Christina Fox and Daron Parton ask a familiar question: Who am I? The answer to this question can only be found through a biblical lens, which is clearly relayed in this wonderful children’s book. In addition to offering a delightful opportunity for young children to understand themselves, this book also offers parents and teachers a guide for having conversations with children about the wonderful truth that they are created in the image of God.” – Amy Bagby, Associate Professor of Education, Covenant College
Christina Fox received her undergraduate degree from Covenant College and her graduate degree in Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is a retreat speaker, content editor for enCourage, and the author of multiple books, including A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope Through the Psalms of Lament, Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish, Like Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why that Matters for Our Parenting and Who are You? A Little Book About Your Big Identity. She is the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA. Christina prefers her coffee black and from a French press, and enjoys antiquing, hiking, traveling, and reading. She lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and two boys where she coordinates a soul care ministry for women at her church. You can find her at www.christinafox.com and @christinarfox.
