The First Easter Ever Illustrations by Dennis Jones

"The angel moved the huge stone away from the entrance.  Jesus was gone.  He had risen from the dead. The angel sat and waited.  He knew some of Jesus’ friends were on their way to the tomb.  He wanted to tell them the good news of Jesus’ resurrection."



The First Easter Ever is an abbreviated version of the story of Jesus' life starting with his years of ministry and ending with His ascension into Heaven.  The story is told in language that is engaging and that children can understand.

The illustrations are fantastic and are the primary reason why I chose this particular book.  They tell a story and are full of action. I even enjoy looking at them as an adult. The drawing of the angel sitting on the stone that has been rolled away was great!

This is a beautiful book to read to your children at Easter.  It seemed to be accurate majoring on God's love for humanity, and detailing the account of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  It even includes the 40 days that Jesus spent with his disciples after God raised Him from the dead.

The only thing I felt was missing was that a large portion of Jesus' ministry, healing and miracles, was not included in the book.  That was a little disappointing for me.  It focused on sharing about Jesus as teacher, raising disciples, and being fishers of men, which is very awesome.  I would just liked to have seen some of the works of Jesus since that is how He demonstrated God's love for many.

One other thing to note is that when Jesus is baptized with the Holy Spirit, the book says "God appeared in the shape of a dove," which is not really accurate. Matthew 3:16 says, "After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him."  The Bible says "like a dove," not "as a dove."  These are two different things.  The phrase "like a dove" is actually a metaphor to describe the gentle way the Spirit of God descended.

I would recommend this book to families, churches, or anybody else who works with small children and would like a new resource for this Easter.  This would be a great book to include in an Easter basked.  My children are enjoying it, and I hope you can too!

God bless you as you celebrate another year of His Resurrection!  Happy Easter!

 

Beth

To read an excerpt, please go here.

 

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a review. I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.

Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door by Denette Fretz Illustrated by Gene Barretta

"Seems to me that bein' a cowboy is mostly about heart." Uncle Clint says.  "And your heart knew one of the most important cowboy rules."

"Which rule is that?"

"Forgive your enemies.  It messes up their heads."

-excerpt from Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door

Based on Matthew 5:43-47, author Denette Fretz has written a parable for children about loving their enemies.  In the story, Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door, Conrad goes to his Uncle Clint's ranch for cowboy training for the summer, and encounters an enemy in the form of a little red-headed girl named Imogene Louise Lathrop.  There on the ranch, Conrad learns some serious cowboy rules, but he also learns about being nice to those who may not at first be nice to you.

This is a really cute book.  The story is unique and fun for little boys and girls.  The main characters are energetic and adventurous which always makes for a good children's book.  The illustrations are also very unique and entertaining for the eyes.  I like the little boy's personality.  He is kind and forgiving.  The little girl is cute.  She is kind of mischievous and has red curly hair.  She is also bossy, which reminds me of myself a little bit.  Haha!

I think it is also important to note that at the end of the book, the author has included different kind of poetry about cowboy stuff by one of the characters named Giddy.  I thought that was a really neat element to add to the book.

I liked this book.  I like that the author taught in parable form, because much of Jesus' teaching was using parables to communicate an important truth.  I mentioned Matthew 5 earlier, but she also reminds us of Romans 12:17-21 in the parents page/guide in the back of the book.  

I recommend this book to parents looking for Christian literature for their children.  This is a fun book to add to teaching tools, and it really is just a fun book to read.  Children who are interested in ranch life, horses, and cowboys would especially enjoy this book I believe.

Many blessings to you as you read!

~Beth

To learn more about Denette Fretz and Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door, please visit her at her blog, denettefretz.com.

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a review. I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions her are entirely my own.

God Gave Us Angels (Book Review #2) by Lisa Tawn Bergren art by Laura J. Bryant

I have never written a second review for the same book, but I felt like I needed to this time.  My husband said my first review didn't seem like it was written for a children's book.  I kept thinking about that, so here I am again.

In the story of God Gave Us Angels, a polar bear dad is having a conversation with his daughter, Little Cub, as she asks different questions about something she heard about from the bunnies, angels.  She asks questions such as "Have you ever seen one (an angel)?", and "What do angels do all day?"  Papa goes on to explain a lot of different aspects of these celestial beings in terms that little ones can understand.

I have all of the books in the God Gave Us series.  This one is a little unique for several reasons.  In the other books, you see Little Cub and many different family members, but this one is just a conversation between a father and daughter.  The topic is angels, which is a very special and beautiful topic in scripture. The author has presented young ones with a view into something that is important in the Kingdom of God.  These beings worship God and serve Him and us, and she has presented the material in such a way that little hearts can embrace it.

The illustrations are beautiful and sweet.  Even thought it is set in the Arctic, the art is still warm and cozy.  There are other animals in the story besides the polar bears that you and your child can talk about.  For homeschoolers, this would be a fun book to use as a starting point for exploration of the Arctic.

This is a great book to read as a bedtime story or at nap time.  I have already read this to my little guy a couple of times while snuggling him close.  I recommend this book to all parents who want to increase their child's knowledge of spiritual truths.  It is a great book for cuddling and connecting with your little ones.

God bless you as you read.

Beth

For more info on the book go here.

To read my first review go here.

To learn more about the author, Lisa Tawn Bergren, you can find her at  lisatawnbergren.com.


Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Blogging For Books.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.

God Gave Us Angels by Lisa Tawn Bergren

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."-Matthew 18:10

Angels are mentioned a lot in scripture.  It is not a subject we hear taught a lot about though.  Author Lisa Tawn Bergren has added a new book to her God Gave Us series for children, this one addressing the subject of angels.

God Gave Us Angels is part of a series of God Gave Us books that include God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Love, God Gave Us Two, and many others. In this particular book, the author addresses Little Cub's questions about angels in a dialogue with her dad, Papa Bear.The book starts out with Little Cub looking for angels that the bunnies told her about, which her mama said were, as Little Cub puts it, "imbisible."

As I read through the text, I thought I would look up some of the scriptures that I believe the author could have taken the text from.  I learned as I was researching, that depending upon which translation you read, angels are mentioned anywhere from 294-305 times in the Bible, according to an article on Bible.org. Here are a few samples of what you will find in the story, and the scriptures they match.  I encourage you to do your own research on angels as well. 

"Angels live to serve God.  Whatever he wants them to do, they do.  And he loves us.  So Sometimes they bring messages from him to us.  Other times they guard us or even fight for us.  And they are always worshiping God"

-See Luke 1:30

"There are angels that protect us.  Sometimes God sends them to keep us from harm.  And sometimes he just uses plain ol' parents."

-See Psalm 91:11

"Angels can look so much like us, we wouldn't even notice them.  That's one reason why we should be nice to everyone we meet, because some might be angels in disguise."

-See Hebrews 13:2

These are just a few samples of what you will find in the dialogue between Little Cub and Papa Bear.  I am still researching for my own benefit.  It is a hefty topic and so much could be covered.  Lisa just gives our little ones an introduction to the celestial beings created by God.

As soon as I received my book for review, my little guy was interested.  He listened intently as I read the book to him, and didn't budge until I finished.  The text and the illustrations are both engaging. That is the real test of a good children's book, if it captures the attention and interest of its intended audience.

I am a big fan of Lisa's God Gave Us series.  We have them all.  My personal favorite is God Gave us Two. I would recommend God Gave Us Angels to any parent who would like to open the discussion about angels with their child.  It is one of those books that will help you teach spiritual truths to your children. You will enrich your walk as a believer also as you, the parent, research and learn about where text fits in with the Bible.

Many blessings to you as you read!

Beth

To learn more about the author, Lisa Tawn Bergren, you can find her at lisatawnbergren.com.

To see more book reviews in this series, go to God Gave Us Christmas and God Gave Us Easter.




To see a sample go to amazon.com.

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Blogging For Books.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.



P.S.  I did something I have never done before and wrote a second review of this book.  The review you are reading is a bit more theological.  The second one is more child friendly.  God Gave Us Angels (Book Review #2).



God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren art by Laura J. Bryant

"...Even death couldn't trap God's Son.  He is life itself.  And God loved us so much, he wanted us to be with him always.  We can see signs of his Easter plan all around us."

                                                                                          -excerpt from God Gave Us Easter

A love of reading began early on in my life.  My mother cultivated it in me from a very early age.  Now, as a mom myself, I hope to do that for my children as well.  In choosing literature for my children, I always want to choose quality literature, words that will add to the life of my children.  I am so thankful for people who write and have a passion to communicate God's truth to children.  God Gave Us Easter is an example of the type of literature I am looking for. 

As part of a God Gave Us series, God Gave Us Easter is a story of how a papa polar bear teaches his young daughter about God and His greatest gift to us, Jesus.  The story goes through teaching in the Bible about how Jesus is the answer of redemption for mankind.  Bergren also uses examples found in nature of how death can produce life.

There are a lot of things I like about this book.  The author doesn't bash the Easter bunny or eggs, symbols often associated with Easter, but explains how they can demonstrate the love of God in His gift of Jesus.  She says, "Just like the shell cracks open and a chick comes out, we remember that Jesus was in a tomb...but he didn't stay dead."  There is also teaching in the book about Jesus being from the root of Jesse.  This is something I was unfamiliar with, and had never seen in a children's book, so I learned something too! (See Isaiah 11 and Romans 15.)  I also really liked the author's explanation of how Jesus speaks to our hearts, and that even a small child can be sensitive to His voice.

I recommend this book to parents of preschool and early elementary age children.  It would be a nice addition to Bible curriculum if you homeschool.  If you as a parent are unsure how to communicate Biblical truths to your children, this book would help as well.

Many blessings to you as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this year and remember why God Gave Us Easter!

~Beth

For more information about the author please visit her at www.lisatawnbergren.com. 

If you would like to read my reviews of two other books in the God Gave Us series, please go to God Gave Us Love and God Gave us Two.

Disclosure Statement: I received this book free of charge as part of a free books for bloggers program from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker

Night Night Blessings, written by Amy Parker and illustrated Marijan Ramljak, is the newest book in our family’s board book collection. Written in poetic form, the book demonstrates thanksgiving for all of God’s blessings from a child’s perspective. Starting with awakening in the morning and ending at going to bed at night, a child lists all of the blessings they encounter that demonstrate God’s presence in her life. A few things the little girl thanks God for are “yummy food,” “family time,” “a sky full of twinkly stars,” and ends by thanking God

“for the many ways
You sprinkle my days with love.
All these blessings remind me that
You are watching from above. Night Night.”

This is a really cute little book. It is a warm book to read with your child at bedtime. It teaches thankfulness to God for all of the good things in our lives. It also teaches that God is always with us and loves to remind us of His presence in what might seem like little ways to us, but probably big to a child. The illustrations are also soft and pleasant as a nighttime book.

I recommend this book to parents of small children who are looking for something to read to their children at bedtime. It is a great teaching tool and a wonderful way to snuggle up with your little one and make some good memories of mommy or daddy tucking them into bed at night. One thing that occurred to me while reading is that it has pictures of both mommy and daddy together in the book with the child thanking God for family time. If you are a single parent, this might raise some questions for a small child. I just wanted to mention that because I know that is a reality, as much as it hurts my heart.

Overall, this is a very sweet book. Many blessings to you and your family as you make memories together reading!!!


Disclosure Statement: I received this book as part of a free books for bloggers program from Booksneeze. I was not required to give a favorable review. The opinions and thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.

100 Devotions 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins

Do you have a child in your life that you long to share God’s Word with, but need a little guidance as where to start? 100 Read & Sing Devotions is a great book to get you started. Per the title, the book contains 100 devotionals, each one including a song, written devotional, scripture, and a prayer. The book is also arranged in a Biblical order with the devotional material extending from the Old Testament to the New. Also included with the devotional are 2 CD’s that go along with each devotion, the corresponding song number labeled on the page as a guide.

This is a super-cute devotional. I recently had a friend ask me if I could recommend a devotional for her 5 year old son, and I wasn’t very familiar with devotionals, only children’s Bibles. Now I have something to share with her! I believe the content would be appropriate for children ages 3-10.

One example of a devotional you will find is “The Lord Is Good to Me.” The song that goes with it is of the same name as the devotional title. The content is the story of Hannah, and how she was given baby Samuel after she prayed. The scripture is “Wait for the Lord.”-Psalm 27:14. And the prayer is “Lord, You have heard my prayer. Now I will wait on You to answer. Amen.”

As I said in my introduction, I would recommend this book for anyone who would like to teach their child about the Lord and His Word, but doesn’t know where to start. It is a great devotional for anyone with small children. It would also be great for teachers in a church nursery, daycare, or even at school.

Many blessings to you on your journey with the Lord, and the special children in your life!
~Beth


Disclosure Statement: I received this book free from Booksneeze.com as part of a free books for bloggers program. I was not required to give a favorable review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible, Volume Two

The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible, Volume Two is an excellent resource for parents of small children. Based upon the International Children’s Bible, the Read and Share Bible is paraphrased in such a way that children can understand and will be engaged. Included in this children’s Bible are 100 Bible stories including the stories of Joseph, Moses, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, and most importantly Jesus. Two DVDs also accompany this Bible. On each DVD you will find brief stories to give your child another visual experience while they are learning these important foundational stories of the Bible.

When I first received this children’s Bible, I was a little unsure about it. I was not very fond of the illustrations at first. But as I spent some time and looked through the pages, and watched the DVDs with my children, it grew on me. The stories are paraphrased in a very engaging way. At the end of each story, there is either a statement or question to help the child reflect on what he/she has just read. This is also helpful to the parent if they are unsure in what way to guide or discuss the story with their child. Each of the stories on the DVD is very brief, but very powerful as a tool to reinforce the truths they learn while reading the stories. The teaching aspect is something that is very important to me.

I recommend this Bible to parents of small children ages 2-10. The product details from a well known bookseller indicate the reading level at ages 4-8, but I believe you can start reading the stories with your children a little earlier than that, and continue as long as their interest remains in this particular format. The Bible commends parents in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way in the way he should go and when he is older he will not turn from it.” This Read and Share Bible is another tool to help parents to do just that. I believe it will be a valuable tool to be shared in time together learning about the Bible as a family. I am thankful I found this Bible. I had been looking for a resource that contained only the Bible stories in video format. I believe it is extremely important to teach children the basic stories of the Bible while they are young. We all learn through stories. If you are a home school mom, a preschool teacher, a children’s church worker, this Read and Share Bible will be valuable to you as you teach the children in your life. Many Blessings!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Precious Moments Storybook Bible

Precious Moments Storybook Bible(Stories retold from the International Children’s Bible)

I am always on the lookout for ways to help me in my endeavors to teach my children the Word of God. The Precious Moments Storybook Bible is going to be a tool in my toolbox to do just that. Published by Thomas Nelson, the Precious Moments Storybook Bible stays true to the Word of God, while communicating those truths through the soft Precious Moments illustrations and text appropriate for little children.

This children’s Bible is composed of many favorite childhood Bible stories including “Noah and the Ark,” “David and Goliath,” as well as many stories of Jesus from the New Testament including the birth of Jesus and his visit with Nicodemus, a very important passage of scripture to Christians.

The Bible has a few extras as well. In the early pages are places to record the child’s name and special events. The following pages include Old and New Testament Stories. One note about the Bible stories is that they are not arranged in the same order as an adult Bible. There are “Classic Bible Stories,” followed by “Words of Praise and Wisdom,” and then “More Stories of the Faith.” The Bible ends with well-known “Songs and Prayers” of childhood.

At first, I was not extremely excited about this particular children’s Bible. I am not a big fan of the Precious Moments illustrations. But as I read the stories and looked through the pages, it grew on me so much. The language in this Bible is written in such a way to communicate the truths of God’s Word to a child but presents the Word of God in an accurate way, just as it was written for any believer. The illustrations are soft and round, very sweet and pleasing to the eye. I especially like the illustration of Jesus on page 57. I recommend the Precious Moments Storybook Bible to anyone with small children. It will definitely be a tool used in our house to teach our children the life-bringing truth of God’s Word.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren is a vivid and colorful picture book to be enjoyed by children of all ages. Set in the Arctic Tundra, God Gave Us Christmas is a story of a young polar bear cub and her mother. The story begins when the Little Cub asks her mama, “Who vented Christmas?” Together they go on an adventure as the mama bear shows her daughter how God Gave Us Christmas.

There are so many aspects of the story that are relevant to the mother-child relationship. One aspect has to do with the parent as a teacher. Every young child at some point has asked one or both of their parents a question of some importance. This book demonstrates a parent as teacher when the Mama Bear takes Little Cub on an adventure to answer her question.

Another relevant aspect of the mother-child relationship addressed in the book is very subtle, and that is the desire in every child’s heart to be special. At the beginning of the story before the adventure begins, Little Cub asks her mama, “Can we leave them at home?” in reference to her siblings. Every child wants that special one on one time to spend with either mommy or daddy and that is something children and parents can connect to in the story.

I liked this story for so many reasons. One reason is that it is a book that should be read while cuddling your child /children close. God Gave Us Christmas has a warm and cozy feel, which makes for a wonderful time of snuggling up and creating memories as you read. Another reason I like the book is because of the element of science in the book. The book is set in the Artic Tundra and the author uses the wonder of the Northern Lights for Mama bear to teach Little Cub at one point during the story. But my favorite part about the book is how it is a tool to teach your children about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. The author weaves this into her story so beautifully and while the Mama Bear is teaching her cub, she is teaching you and your child as well.

God Gave Us Christmas is a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations to make the story come alive. Each page contains just the right amount of words to keep the reader engaged as well as beautiful illustrations that perfectly match the text. I highly recommend this book to any parent with small children, no matter how young. Read it to your infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children. God Gave Us Christmas is a fantastic story that can be read at Christmas, put away, and brought out at Christmastime every year.



You can purchase this book at barnesandnoble.com, lifewaychristianstores.com, and christianbook.com.

Other children's titles by Lisa Tawn Bergren include God Gave Us You and God Gave Us Two. For more information on the author, go to http://lisatawnbergren.com/.