Book · 12 chapters · 15 min read
A Retrospect (For Children)
Hudson Taylor · 1832–1905
Free to read·No account needed
The Little Book in the Basket
Other editions
About this book
Hudson Taylor left England to bring the good news of Jesus to inland China, trusting God for everything he needed. This children’s edition retells the true story of his life in short chapters made to be read aloud: a Bible verse, an adventure or an answered prayer, one thing it means for you, and a short prayer.
When Hudson Taylor was about fifteen, he had a long, empty afternoon with nothing to do. His mother was far away visiting friends. Hudson wandered into his father’s library, looking for something — anything — to read, and out of a little basket of pamphlets he pulled a small Gospel booklet.
Contents
- 1 The Little Book in the Basket 1 min
- 2 Mother's Locked Door 1 min
- 3 The Last Half-Crown 1 min
- 4 The Forgotten Wages 1 min
- 5 "You Shall Not Die" 1 min
- 6 The Storm by the Rocks 1 min
- 7 Praying for a Wind 1 min
- 8 Dressing Like the People He Loved 1 min
- 9 The Night on the Temple Steps 1 min
- 10 Forgiving the Thief 1 min
- 11 One Coin Left, and a Cup of Cocoa 1 min
- 12 Two Words on the Sands 2 min
Questions and Answers
What is A Retrospect (For Children) about?
It is a children’s version of Hudson Taylor’s own life story. Taylor sailed from England to China to tell people about Jesus, and he trusted God to provide everything he needed along the way. Each short chapter tells one true adventure or answered prayer from his life.
Who was Hudson Taylor?
An Englishman who became a missionary to China long ago and started a mission that sent many workers deep inland to tell people about Jesus. He was famous for trusting God for his food, his money, and his safety, and for wearing Chinese clothes so he could reach the people he loved.
How is each chapter set out?
Every chapter is short and made to be read aloud. It begins with a Bible verse, tells a true story from Hudson Taylor’s life, shows one simple thing it means for you, and ends with a short prayer.
Who is this book for?
It is for children — to be read aloud by a grown-up, or read by an older child alone. Hudson Taylor’s fuller autobiography, A Retrospect, is also available for older readers.
What is the main thing the book teaches?
That God can be trusted completely — for money, for safety, and for help — by anyone who follows him. Hudson Taylor’s life is a true adventure of asking God and watching him provide, so that children can learn to trust him too.
Are the stories true?
Yes. They are retold simply for children, but they come from Hudson Taylor’s own account of his life — the real voyage, the real answered prayers, and the real beginnings of his mission to China.
