Jason Gray Uses Hit Song 'Sparrows' to Inspire His New Children's Book
Many may know Jason Gray by his hit songs on Christian radio that keep bringing people back to him; however, for Gray, he is hoping that his audience will tune into his new Children's book Sparrows.
Gray admits that writing music and writing children's books are two unique challenges. However, Gray also admits that he enjoys them equally and wants to send the message to children just like he has adults that God can be trusted in every area of their life no matter what age they are. In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk, Jason opens up about his passion and purpose for putting pen to paper and bringing in an incredible illustrator to hit home the principles of God.
Crosswalk Headlines: Did your hit song, Sparrows, lead to the book?
Jason Gray: It's been on my heart to do a children's book for several years, and I've floated the idea with people in my camp a couple of times over the years. I was discouraged from it a couple of times. I didn't want to do it until someone on my team came to me and thought it would be a good idea and that the book could help children deal with the anxiety and worry that they deal with. A children's book concept was always kind of in the DNA of that song.
CWH: How did the hit song Sparrows happen?
JG: When I wrote Sparrows, it's a song about anxiety, and you and I both know that anxiety and worry and the cares of the world can age us before our time. I was writing a song about anxiety; I purposefully wanted to have a very childlike melody; I wanted to have kids' voices singing. In my mind, the whole reason for that existence was because it's a very childish melody; it's the recovery of childlikeness that we can experience when we learn how to give our cares to the Lord.
CWH: What's the main theme of your songs?
JG: A lot of my songs are about recovery, loss, suffering, and grief; a lot of my music is geared towards how we confront these feelings that maybe we're kind of scared to confront, even anxiety. How do we confront that in a healthy way so that we can receive all that God has for it in us.
CWH: Was writing a children's book hard to do?
JG: Words are so limited, and you can't go over a certain number of words, which was difficult to do. I had to learn a different language to write a children's book.
CWH: How is writing a children's book different than writing songs?
JG: It's different because the words that you use in writing songs are the very same words that you have to stay away from when writing children's books. For example, words like Very in music because it doesn't really do anything. However, using words like Very, in children's books works. For example, he cares very, very much because it feels assuring.
CWH: How did writing a children's book stretch you?
JG: While I was writing the children's book, I was also writing music and working on a devotional book along with my own memoir as well. They are all different and stretched me personally and spiritually.
CWH: How did your speech impediment tie into the book?
JG: The main character in the book is also a stutterer, and the book is about her being bullied and anxious about being bullied, which ties into my story.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Jason Gray
Originally published January 16, 2025.
