ISAIAH JOHNSON AND THE BIG GAME
The Johnson Family Books
By: Esau McCaulley
Illustrated by: Emmanuel Boateng
Published: May 5, 2026
Publisher: Convergent Children’s Books
Fiction
The Johnson Family Books series features a Black Christian family who, within their stories, share life lessons or tackle big questions that can be hard for kids to understand. The stories offer opportunities for learning and discussion between parents and kids about real-life situations.
Isaiah is ready for the biggest game of the year. As Isaiah steps up to the plate, he sees his mom and siblings in the stands, but where is his dad? He promised he’d be there. Distracted by his frustration at his dad, Isaiah strikes out.
As the final inning arrives, Isaiah is up to bat again, and his dad is still not at the game. The team is down 3-0. Bases are loaded. This is Isaiah’s chance, but he can’t focus because his dad isn’t at the game when he promised he’d be there.
Isaiah is very angry even though his father apologizes. His dad asks him to forgive him. Isaiah learns an important lesson in forgiveness, with his father explaining, “Forgiveness is what allows love in a family to grow.” With a reminder of the Lord’s Prayer and comparing forgiveness to another chance at bat, Isaiah understands that forgiveness is just as important to the person who gives it as the one who receives it. This story offers an opportunity to discuss what forgiveness means in your family and some occasions when it might be a good time to offer it to others.
Esau McCaulley, PhD, is an author and the Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College. His writings and speaking focus on New Testament theology, African American Biblical interpretation, and Christian public theology. His memoir How Far to the Promised Land questions the narrative of exceptionalism that he and other Black survivors are conditioned to give when they “make it” in America. His book Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope won numerous awards, including Christianity Today’s book of the year. Esau is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. His writings have also appeared in places such as The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Christianity Today.
Emmanuel Boateng, popularly known as Mind of El, is a Ghanaian self-taught digital artist. He was born and raised in the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region. Emmanuel has created artwork for a variety of British and African celebrities, but now focuses all his attention on doing illustrations for children’s books.
Click HERE to purchase a copy of ISAIAH JOHNSON AND THE BIG GAME
Get this TBall Set for your baseball fan
Other posts you might like:
Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under African-American, Book Review, Children's books, Christian, Emmanuel Boateng, Esau McCaulley, baseball, forgiveness