Book Review: Indescribable 100 Devotions about God and Science

If you've ever heard Louie Giglio speak, you know that he is a man of God and a man of science. I was super excited to receive Indescribable 100 Devotions about God and Science knowing that I knew he would relate everything back to God and science! Each devotional has a verse, a relevant story, and a Be Amazed section which contains some really interesting and fun science facts. My preschooler loves this book. Each devotional is quick and you can get both your quiet time and your science lesson in one devotion. I would recommend this book for any science fans out there. As a parent, I appreciate the incorporation of science into this book. We could use more books that focus on science.

Book Review: I'm Not A Scaredy Cat

I'm Not A Scaredy Cat by Max Lucado is a adorable story of a cat who gets frightened by everything. However, he has a cute little prayer he says in every scary situation. My little one wanted to read it as soon as this book arrived and thought the book was very funny. We loved the little prayer and will be practicing the prayer so we have something to remember when we get scared. I would recommend this book for any little one who gets scared easily or may get scared at night time. Teaching them this prayer could help them be brave, like this adorable kitty. We loved the illustrations and the good quality hard cover.

Book Review: Kid's Visual study Bible

The Kid's Visual Study Bible really is misnamed. It should say Teen Visual Study Bible. There are a lot of elements I like about this study Bible.

1. There are summary ("Cliff's Notes") for key ideas on the sides of each passage.
2. I liked the colored illustrations, pictures, maps bring the Bible to life.
3. I like that for each each book of the Bible, there is a summary page with:
- Who Wrote this Book?
- Why was this Book Written?
- What happens in this Book?
- What do we learn about God in this Book?
- Who are the key people in this book?
- Where did this happen?
- What are some of the stories in this book? (I especially love this part because it's an easy way for us to find our kids' favorite Bible stories).

Even though I think this Bible is much to old for my kids, and probably wouldn't give these to them until they are in their teens, it's still a wonderful Bible. I'm not sure how the teen will react to given a "kids" Bible, but the layout and the additional information is very good.

Due to some topics covered in the studies, I would recommend this version for teens, not kids.

Book Review: Little Book of Bible Stories

Little Book of Bible Stories by Jean Fischer is an adorable little Bible for toddlers and preschoolers. This is a great little padded board book for little hands. We loved the illustrations like all precious moments collections. The thing I appreciated about this book was that each story has a short cliff's notes version of our favorite Bible stores, along with a little prayer and Bible quote. Each story also has the Bible reference. My little ones loved seeing their favorite stories, Jonah and the big fish, Daniel and the Lions, and of course pictures of baby Jesus. I would definitely recommend this for a baby's first Bible... great idea for baby shower gifts, first birthdays, baptisms, baby dedications.

Book Review: Fraying at the Edge

Fraying at the Edge, the second of the Amish of Summer Grove series, was excellent. Similar to the first book, I couldn't put it down! I loved the idea of the Amish gal learning to live in the English world, and the English gal learning to live in the Amish world. It gave a new perspective to me regarding how each of these groups view the other world. I loved seeing Ariana grow as her eyes were opened to the English world, as well as Skylar learning the wonderful values of the Amish, love, family, and hard work. The relationship between Quill and Ariana is so frustrating and keeps you reading! Loving this series by Cindy Woodsmall. My favorite series by her thus far!

Book Review: Ties that Bind

Ties that Bind was easily the best Cindy Woodsmall book I've read! I was immediately captivated by the characters and could not put the book down. I literally couldn't put the book down. The over 300 pages went way too fast. Luckily, I had book 2 readily on hand once I finished this book. Like all Cindy Woodsmall's books, I loved the down to earth characters.

Book Review: 5-Minute Bible

The 5-Minute Bible is just as the title says... 100 stories and 100 songs that takes 5 minutes to read. When I first got the book, I was a little confused. Even though it says songs... there was no CD, a web-link to download the songs, no sheet music, nothing to help parents with the songs. Even though I know many of them, there are a lot of new ones I do not know. My littles want me to sing them all, but I have no idea. I guess You Tube will have to be our friend for this one. However, the kiddos seem to love the stories and want to read a bunch at a time. The references to each story in the Bible are available, along with the main theme and lessons are highlighted. I would recommend this book for preschoolers and early readers. This would be a great devotional Bible for those who can read. Great idea for stocking stuffers for Christmas for your early readers!

Book Review: Gobi

Gobi: A little Dog with a Big Heart by Dion Leonard is the true story of a little stray dog Dion Leonard found in the Gobi Desert while doing a marathon race. There are so many aspect of this book my littles and I loved.

1. This is a true story. 

2. Gobi and Dion build a very strong bond... and Dion ends up adopting Gobi. This is such a great illustration of being adopt (especially if you have children adopted internationally). The book briefly covers the process Gobi went through to get reunited with Dion. Even though Gobi is a dog, he is Dion's family. 

This hard covered book is a great gift for preschoolers, any animal lovers (especially dog lovers), and families with adopted children. We loved this heart warming story. 

Book Review: A Very Thankful Prayer

A Very Thankful Prayer is the perfect book this fall. With it's adorable pictures and a great list of fun fall activities, you can use it as your check list as you teach your little ones to be thankful this fall. It also reminds me of all the things I enjoyed as a kid during the fall season, which I look forward to sharing with my little ones.

"I'm thankful for 

the colored leaves...

the farmer's fields... 

my family...

pumpkin patches...

the friends I have...

the juicy apples..."

As we enjoy the fall festivities, we'll use this book as our Thankful prayer. I would recommend this board book for babies, toddlers, preschoolers.

Book Review: Night Night, Train

We've gotten almost every single one of Amy Parker's Night Night books. We absolutely adore the Night Night, Train book. The first night we got it, my preschooler wanted to read it 4 times. It's a great little bedtime book... quick. My favorite kind. I also like that it's a sturdy board book. If your little one loves trains, you'll definitely want this book.

Book Review: Jesus Loves Me!

We loved this classic sing-along book Jesus Loves Me! This sturdy board book with padded covers has the lyrics to one of our favorite songs and adorable illustration. This is a great gift for babies and preschoolers. They'll love singing along and looking at the cute animal pictures.

Book Review: The Lucky Few

I have to begin with a warning first if you decide to read The Lucky Few. You'll want to be sure to have a good solid couple days and a box of tissues as you read this book. If you have a heart for adoption or fostering, you'll definitely want to read Heather's story. I have to confess, I couldn't even get through the forward without getting teary! I loved seeing Heather's heart as she shares her story of becoming a mother. I want to share this book with all of my adopted friends, friend who've fostered or adopted. Be encouraged and share the joys and tears with this amazing family.

Book Review: All things Bright and Beautiful

All things Bright and Beautiful is an adorable board book with a handle. It's a very chunky board book with padded covers and a cute little red handle. The pages have adorable illustrations and are textured with glitter, bumps, etc. The bright colors and textures will keep your baby entertained at least for a few minutes. It's a quick read and your baby will love touching the pages. It's small and light. I would recommend this for babies and even toddlers. They'll love carrying this sweet little book around!

Book Review: The Beginner's Bible Carry-Along Treasury

Take your original The Beginner's Bible, cut it by 1/3, add a magnetic flap and a handle. That's your  The Beginner's Bible Carry-Along Treasury. When I selected this book, I wasn't sure if it was going to be the complete Beginner's Bible or not. I wish it was, but I'll still settle for this one. This still has both old and new testament stories. The stories and illustrations are the same as those from the Beginner's Bible. If you already have one, you won't need this. However... this would be a great little first Bible for 2-3 year olds who like may want to take a Bible to church or carry it around the house. Some of the other reviews didn't know why the magnetic flap was necessary, but I like it. It's adorable and what 2 year old doesn't like magnets? Recommended for toddlers and preschoolers.

Book Review: The Beginner's Bible for Little Ones

If you haven't noticed a theme in my blog... I really really love The Beginner's Bible series. The Beginner's Bible for Little Ones is very similar to the Stories About Jesus version in design. This is a smaller sturdy board book. It has the classic Beginner's Bible illustrations (some very much the same). This board book version include both New and Old Testament stories, including the creation story, Noah, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion's Den, Jesus' Birth, Jesus Feeds Thousands, and the resurrection story. This is perfect for babies and young toddlers! Especially if they are anything like my little T-Rex! I highly recommend this!

Book Review: The Berenstain Bears Friendship Blessings Collection

The Berenstain Bears Friendship Blessings Collection is a collection of 5 books bound beautifully in hard cover. As always, the Berenstain books have the classic illustrations and a great moral to their stories. This is a great book for preschoolers. Be warned though... your little one may want to read all the stories before bed so make sure you have enough time for all 5 stories! This is a great gift for those preschoolers graduating this spring.

Book Review: The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Pets

Ther Berenstain Bears Bless Our Pets by Mike Berenstain is a fun short story about what happens when you get everyone and their pets to church for a blessing. This was a short paperback book with the classic Berenstain Bears illustrations. We love hearing about all the different types of pets people have. We also loved the idea of blessing the pets as well as our families. This is great for any preschoolers with pets!

Book Review: Thank You, God for Grandpa

Our kids love their Grandpa and Poppy. Thank You, God for Grandpa by Amy Parker perfectly reflects all the fun reasons why we love them. Like all of Amy Parker's other books, this is a good quality board book, quick bedtime story, and wonderful illustrations. Great for beginning readers and tired moms and dads. :)

My personal favorite part of the book... referring to Grandpa...

"The widest man I know -

Just ask him- he'll agree!

He knows how to do everything,

And now he teaches me."

I'm pretty sure both would agree. Great Amy Parker book to add to your collection. :)

Book Review: God Bless Our Baby

God Bless Our Baby is such a sweet little board book! It has wonderful illustrations of baby animals and the story is an easy read for little ones to understand. This would be a great baby shower or new baby gift for siblings. It's a quick read for toddlers who like lots of books before bedtime! This book is also a good quality board book. I didn't realize it was sitting in the box outside in a thunderstorm and when I opened the soaking wet box, the book wasn't damaged or anything. If you baby likes to chew on books, this will be a safe book!

Book Review: Really Woolly Easter Blessings

The Really Woolly Easter Blessings by Bonnie Rickner Jensen is a very sturdy board book. Each "blessing" has a Bible verse, a poem and a little prayer. The illustrations are adorable throughout the book. If I had the discipline, this would be a sweet devotional to do each night before bed with your little one leading up to Easter. The poems are super short and the Bible verse and prayer is written in a way that very little ones will be able to understand. The true Easter theme is throughout the whole book. From God being our Savior, Jesus Lives, all the wonders of Spring are reflected in the book. I would recommend this book to parents looking for Easter/Spring themed short devotionals.

Book Reivew: Same Kind of Different As Me For Kids

Same Kind of Different As Me For Kids by Ron Hall and Denver Moore is about a black man who grew up working hard on a plantation and then goes to the city. He lives for many years in the streets, homeless, hungry, and learns the love of Jesus through a volunteer at a homeless shelter. I love the theme in the book that "Nobody can help everybody but everybody can help somebody". 

I think Denver Moore's story is an amazing story. However, I think this book is really better for elementary school age kids. Preschoolers are still a little bit young to understand all the things happening in the story. However, having said that, I will still read it to my preschooler. 

Book Review: Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made the Animals

Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made the Animals is a very sweet board book. It goes through the various animals found on a farm and the sounds they make. This is a great book for little ones to not only learn to recognize the animal, the sounds they make, and how God made each of them. My preschooler loved the book. The board book is good quality and will be good for little hands. I recommend this for all little ones.

Book Review: God Made You Nose to Toes

 God Made You Nose to Toes by Leslie Parrott is an adorable board book! It goes over the various parts of the body and why God made those. 

"God gave old Toucan a fairly big nose. 

But your little nose can small all that grows."

We love the illustrations of all the animals: toucans, monkeys, giraffes, and more! This is a great book to get your little ones to learn their body parts and their uses, but also about how God made them so special. I would recommend this book for babies up to beginning readers. It's great quality and will withstand a teething baby!