Fun Favorites

Zany.  Funny.  A little bit naughty.  My kids love it!

Yep, that describes Limelight Larry!  Larry's a peacock...and as peacocks are known to be, he's full of pride!  Larry thinks the book about him will be just amazing, of course, because it is about him.  When his friends step on the pages, Larry is irritated and tries to send them all away.  Eventually he finds himself on a whole page all by himself, but he finds that it's not much fun to show off by himself.  Larry gets over himself and shares the almost-last-page with all of his friends happily.

I have to say that Leigh Hodgkinson's Limelight Larry didn't "wow" me at first, though I certainly liked it.  However, both of my Big Kids LOVE it.  My three year old son will repeatedly request this book throughout the day if he lays eyes upon it.  I have to say, I love the creative fonts throughout the book (in size and style).  Not only that, but the illustrations are a bit different than the typical picture book.  Larry has a permanent place on our shelves!

Don't Worry, Douglas! was a whole family favorite from the first read!  There is so much to love about Douglas and this book.


Douglas is surprised when his father gives him a new woolly hat.  He can't wait to show his friends.  While he is showing off, the unthinkable happens...his new woolly hat has turned into a long string of spaghetti!  His friends try to advise him as to what he should do with his tangled ball of yarn, but no one has a good idea until Rabbit suggests that Douglas just tell his dad what happened.  As it turns out, Dad did know how to help...and gave Douglas his own hat to grow into.  (...Awe...)

So that is the story, but you need to know that David Melling (author/illustrator) made some fantastic pictures in Don't Worry, Douglas!  The animals really seem to have some personality!  As with many Tiger Tales books, this one also has fonts in special styles and sizes to give the book a bit of extra umph.  Instead of lots of "he said/she saids" the animals cried, whooped, gasped, yelped and more.  Just delightful, don't you think?

I definitely think Don't Worry, Douglas! is a book that is worth owning.  It seems special every time we read it...and that says a lot!
I am glad that Tiger Tales added Limelight Larry and Don't Worry, Douglas! to our collection for review purposes!  Thank you!

God's Message for Children

We seem to go through children's Bibles fairly quickly around here.  By reading a story a day (pretty much) we tend to read two or more children's storybook Bibles each year since they typically don't have too many stories in them.  We recently finished Mighty Acts of God: Family Bible Story Book.  (Linked to our review.)  Some families with five year old children are purposeful in reading from an unabridged (as in adult-style) Bible.  I think that will be our next step, but for now we typically read to our 3 and 5 year old kids at the same time, so we we find that storybook-style Bibles are still appropriate for us.


With the new year I'm excited to read God's Message for Children with our Big Kids.  It has a story for every day of the year.  Each day's reading and illustration fits on a page. I like that each day's story is not only dated, but also tells where the the book of the Bible and chapter(s) where the story is found.  (Actually, I think the Bible reference should be standard in story book Bibles, but it is not.)  An actual focus verse is also included and a summary/application at the end.  Then the story is told in language that is easy to understand, but from what I've read, it does not seem overly "dumbed down".

With a whole year (February 29th included) of Bible reading, many of the stories are told in pretty good detail over several days.  I do find that for a Bible I prefer the realistic illustrations in The Classic Bible Storybook, linked to review.  One of the things I like most is that some stories that are often not well-known to children can be read in this Bible, including several entries for Revelation.  Below are a few titles of some of the readings.  (Only the first word is capitalized in the titles.)

• Korah's rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16)
• An ax floats on the water (2 Kings 2 & 6)
• We shouldn't be afraid of the devil (Matthew 8)
• Judas dies (Matthew 27)
• Jesus sends us a special Helper (John 16)
• Everyone before God (Revelation 20)

Overall, we like God's Message for Children as a Bible for our family.  I think it will introduce new parts of the Bible for our children to learn about and discuss.  It does cost a bit more than the average children's storybook Bible, but it will be used for a full year.  The illustrations are cute, cartoon style.  You can read some selections at Amazon to get a good feel for this Bible to see if it is a good fit for your family.

Thank you, Kregel Publishers for providing this Bible for review purposes.

Sparkly Fun

A snowy setting, cute mice, and sparkles make these new Christmas titles just plain sweet!

Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls are large, padded board books that bring the familiar lyrics to life.    Illustrated by Veronica Vasylenko, the mice in the books tell the story of the songs.  The mouse family decorates their home in preparation for Christmas and enjoy a fun, though crowded sleigh ride.  Each book has added sparkles to the illustration which is a bonus for the reader...and little fingers who love to touch shiny things.

Both of these books have been enjoyed in our home as part of our reading at least one Christmas book a day this month.  If you want to teach a young child either song, this may be the way to do it!

I'd love to see more Christmas hymns and songs in books!  We have The Little Drummer Boy board book and love it.  Homeschooling Just Next Door shared about some other Christmas carols found in books that might interest you!

Thank you, Tiger Tales, for sending us review copies!

Am I Forgiving?

Sometimes a simple children's book has a message that is so clear that the reader can't help but to understand the message.   Less often, in my case, I am willing to listen to the message as an adult.  All too often we expect the many moral messages in children's literature to only apply to children.

When I saw the title of Am I Forgiving? I was excited for our family to check it out.  A gift to us a few years ago was the title Am I Praying? also by Jeannie St. John Taylor which we like.

Erik's friends treats him poorly...but through it all he checks his emotions and thinks through his disappointment and loneliness.  I love how he works through each difficult situation and continues to forgive.

I say, "That's okay, guys, I'm not mad."   And I'm really not.  That proves I already forgave them, doesn't it?  It's not hard to forgive them, because they weren't mean on purpose."


Erik is even able to forgive his best friend who purposely treated him meanly on purpose.  AND it seems natural in the book...not forced at all...because Erik shares his thoughts and feelings with the reader.


What a great book to help each of us, young and old, to check our own behaviors and attitude and to forgive!  It's so easy to be bitter and hold a grudge!


Thank you, Kregel Publishers, for sending me this copy for review purposes.  

Read Alouds

It's been a while since I shared what we've been reading together.  Tomorrow begins A Book a Day for Christmas!  Woo-hoo!

In early July I went to a lovely used book sale.  I spent about 1 1/2 hours in the children's section, and didn't even finish.  I filled two grocery bags with books...for just $10.  Oh, it was lovely!  I took out a few books to share with the kids and set some chapter books on our bookshelf.  Then I misplaced the rest of the loot in plain sight in our basement.  Thankfully I have since found the books, and have been sharing them with the children.  These titles are all from the sale.

Little Bear is a great book...and series.  We've borrowed it from the library before, but now I'm thankful to have it for our own collection.  We also have two other books in this series.  Little Bear books are the perfect level for my daughter who is just starting to read.  She not only enjoys looking at the pictures to see what the story is about, but also enjoys reading the story.  I was just thrilled the other morning when I overheard her clearly reading aloud on the couch while I was clearing the breakfast dishes.  Of course, when I asked her if she was reading, she said no...and told me we needed more Little Bear books.

Do you recognize the name Don Freeman?  I snatched Dandelion excitedly when I saw his name.  He is the creator of the Corduroy series which we really enjoy.  Dandelion is a lion who is invited to a party.  He gets a fancy hair-do and new clothes before the party.  When he knocks on the door, Jennifer Giraffe doesn't recognize him and closes the door on him.  It ends up raining, and his hair returns to normal as do his clothes since he removes his jacket.  He goes to the party again and is welcomed...and reminded it's best to be himself.

I instantly recognized Morris the Moose Goes to School from my childhood.  I recall very few books, but was excited to pick up this title as an easy reader for M.  It's a silly book about a moose who goes to school to learn more.

Diggers and Dumptrucks is of course one of E's new favorites.  (The funny thing is we have a different book by the same title that is also well-loved.)  This book gives just enough information about different types of construction vehichles to engage a variety of ages.  I also like that there are photos and drawings in the book.

I'm linking up to Read Aloud Thursday today at Hope Is the Word!  Thanks to Amy for hosting!

ABC's and 123's

Tiger Tales recently sent me a box of books.  Immediately, I saw two books that I knew BOTH of my children AND I would love.  I was right!

A Is for Apple and 123 Count with Me are fabulous!  Both sturdy board books are interactive with "tracks" to trace the letters and numbers and flaps to lift.  (Arrows help to know the direction to go and the numbers help the child to know which order to go.)  Both books are geared for ages 2-5, and I think that is a great age for these books.

 In A is for Apple, each capital and lower case letter is shown, and the capital letter has a low-lying, different colored "track."  Each letter features a simple sentence, complete with illustrations such as, "Gg is for goat and gate."  Under the flap, is the second illustration and the end of the sentence.  My son (age 3) likes to trace the letters and say "Up, down, up, down."  Sometimes he says the letter, and sometimes he doesn't.  But he always names the pictures.  My daughter (age 5) traces the letters and reads the book aloud.  The other morning she saw A is for Apple and exclaimed, "That's my favorite!"  This is definitely a book I would consider giving as a gift and is a family favorite.

123 Count with Me uses the same techniques as A Is for Apple for the tracing of the letters with tracks and arrows.  Each page features a number, 1-20.  For the number eight, there are 7 trains showing and another hiding  under the flap.  Also visible on the page, it says "8 eight trains."  Under the flap, it says "Number eight is late."  I like the variety of objects featured in this book (socks, ducks, crayons, strawberries), but do wish that each page's illustrations were a bit more varied.  (For example, all 12 socks are purple and green striped.)  This is still a great tool for children to use to enjoy forming the numbers though!

Tiger Tales is known for their quality books, and these did not disappoint.  I love that they are alphabet and number books that are still engaging for for the young (age 2) and old (age 5).  Often similar books don't engage an older child that recognizes letters and numbers well.

Thank you, Tiger Tales, for providing us with these books for review purposes.

Children's Books about Heaven

My nearly five year old is curious-and cautious- about heaven.  Though I think she likes the idea of heaven, she fears leaving what she knows.  That is perfectly reasonable.  Adults are often apprehensive of leaving this earth, even when they are certain of their home in heaven.

We have a couple of books that I like to share with my daughter to help her understanding of heaven.  Of course, the Bible is the authority on this, but I do like using books as a tool to help me explain heaven.

God Gave Us Heaven is excellent at clearing up some misconceptions about heaven in a very child-friendly way.  The reality is that we are not all old when we go and we won't be angels!  Papa bear also explains to Little Cub how to get to heaven.  This is an excellent book.  (We have it as part of a three-book treasury God Gave Us So Much, linked to review...Awesome book.)  This collection is written by Lisa Tawn Bergren.

Heaven Is a Wonderful Place written by Joanne Marxhausen is a colorful book with bold, crisp illustrations.  (When I saw this and another book, called 3 in 1 about God in three persons, at our family camp's gift shop, I was thrilled to purchase them since I had not seen them at other bookstores, though I had heard of them.)  God's love, heaven, hell, and how Jesus gives the gift of eternal life are all discussed.  Great book (and I highly recommend 3 in 1, too).  It is very appropriate for a family looking to discuss heaven in a biblical manner.

What about Heaven? is a book of questions a child might ask.  It's cute, and has rhyming text.  The main text does not help a child understand better about heaven-because it is a bunch of questions that a child might ask about heaven.  However, the back of the book is full of answers and Bible references that clarify some of those questions.


On a personal note, I thought I would share what prompted my writing this post.  I'm rather aware of the fact that we have friends and family that may or may not be in heaven one day.  I don't assure M that every person who dies will be in heaven to greet us.  I remember clearly when she asked me about one of my family members who passed away when I was young.  She asked if he was in heaven.  It was tough, but I had to be honest.  I also let her know that we can't be sure of someone else's life, but we can know for ourselves.  (I hope that makes sense.  M hasn't accepted Jesus as her Savior, but we still have these discussions.)  The Bible is the authority on this, and it makes it clear that "believing in God" isn't enough.  (See James 2:19.)  There is more to faith than acknowledging His existence. We need to trust in God and accept his gift of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  It's only through Jesus' blood that we can be accepted by God because we are each sinners.

So do you have other books you reall

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
brings Asian storytelling to life.  Minli is a girl who lives with her poor parents in the Village of the Fruitless Mountain.  Her parents both work hard, and Minli works beside them in the fields.  Her father, Ba, tells timeless stories.  Maybe some are true; maybe they are just works of fiction.  Her mother, Ma, is discontented with life and is rather miserable.  Minli learns from a talking goldfish how to find the Old Man of the Moon, the one who has all the answers in her father's stories.

Along the way, Minli befriends many, especially a dragon who cannot fly.  He helps her find her way to the Old Man of the Moon.  In the end, she has a very difficult decision to make when she has to choose between a friend and herself.

What I liked:
This is a delightfully told book.  Grace Lin weaves the story of Minli together beautifully to remind all of us that contentment never comes in the form of money or possessions, but in thankfulness.  I really enjoyed the Asian setting, and especially the stories that Ba, and others, tell throughout the main story.  It is a well-written book with depth and meaning.  There are also occasional illustrations that add to the story itself.
What I didn't like:
Well, being that the setting is in Asia, it should be no surprise that a feeling of gods (and a goddess) permeate the book.  Initially it was rather subtle, but as the reader gets to know the Old Man of the Moon, and all that Minli must do to ask him a question, it becomes more obvious.  It is a fabulous reminder that my God is always present, always listening, and always reachable, unlike the Old Man of the Moon.

Overall, the story of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is well-written, and really, a great story.  That is why it won a Newberry Honor.  Grace Lin explains in "Behind the Story" that some of the characters are based on myths, including the Old Man of the Moon is based on Yue-lao, the Chinese God of Marriage.  With that said, it does seem to be written as a fantasy...you know, talking creatures, dragons, and magical things happening.  As a Christian, I wouldn't be opposed to my children (many years from now) reading book geared for ages 9-12, because it is a good story and certainly would be a great springboard for discussions of many sorts, including comparing gods to God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Little, Brown, for providing this book for review purposes.  

Read Alouds

Looking to make a preschooler or even a school-aged child laugh?  Try Big Chickens Fly the Coop!   (When I was first writing up this post, I learned that this is part of a series.  We borrowed Big Chickens from the library, but I definitely prefer Fly the Coop!)

Big Chickens Fly the Coop is funny, though especially hilarious to children.  Four big chickens sit in their coop wishing to see the farmhouse, but it's safe inside the farmhouse.  They repeatedly have the following conversation:
"We should always stay home."
"We could always stay home."
"We would always stay home....except...we've always wanted to see the farmhouse."  


Then the chickens fly the coop and find trouble because they mistaken a doghouse, a tractor, and a barn for the farmhouse.  (Don't laugh...or do!  Ha!  It's reasonable.  You know...the doghouse has a roof and door, just like a farmhouse!)

In addition to the English lesson with the should/could/woulds that are repeated throughout Big Chickens Fly the Coop, there is some rather colorful language that cracks kids up.

..."It's a doghouse!"
The chickens flounced, trounced, and body-bounced.  The dogs pounced.  Drooling muzzles dribbled.  Frightened yard birds quibbled.  Sharp teeth crashed.  Pointed beaks smashed.  Snouts snapped.  Wings flapped.  Until...
...four slobbery chickens ran all the way back to the coop.


Does that make you smile?  My kids love it, especially my two year old son.  He often requests Big Chickens Fly (the) Coop.  He also will fill in words of the story.  It is a definite favorite!

When I taught first and third grade, this would have been a hit when discussing the should/could/would family as well as descriptive writing...and even rhyming.  Now it's just fun to read aloud to my kids.  Even if we sometimes read it MANY times most weeks.

We've been reading a lot of I Can Read books, too, featuring the Rainforest Friends and Bible stories.  I wrote a post on those that you can check out if you wish.

I Can Read Fiction and Nonfiction

There are certain books that our kids just can't read enough.  Often, these books are related to something they are strongly interested in, such as construction vehicles, farms, or princesses.  I love when other books catch their interest and become a favorite though!  Zonderkidz sent us some I Can Read books a while back.  I've been amazed at how quickly my four year old has been drawn into these stories and repeated asks for them (and takes them to her room for days at a time).

The Rainforest Friends is a new series that features some animals in the rainforest written by Cheryl Crouch and illustrated by Kevin Zimmer.  We really like the main character, Troo, and his friends in these high interest leve 2 readers.  Mistakes are made, and lessons learned.  The animals are likable, but have the same problems that many children do.  Both of my children love these books.  I like them because of their unique location (the rainforest) and animals (tree kangaroos, water rat, and cuscus), and basic lessons.  Though published by a Christian publisher, I do want to say that other than a Bible verse on the copyright   page (appropriate to the story's theme), the God-focus is minimal, though the themes are biblical.  The final page of each book explains what each character's animal is.  Not only that, each book features at least one plant, insect, or animal in the book (often through an illustration), and then on the last page it tells just a bit more about it in a sentence or two.

• In Troo's Big Climb, Troo, a tree kangaroo learns the hard why obedience is so important.  His safety is in danger when he climbs the biggest tree in the forest.
• Troo's Secret Clubhouse is the story of Troo learning that just because he is older than his sister, it doesn't mean that they cannot have fun together.  
•  Selfishness is the theme of Troo's Big Splash when he is desperate to go swimming and doesn't think of the consequences to other creatures when he makes a dam.  

Zonderkidz also has some Bible stories in the I Can Read series.  These are written for beginner readers (level 1), though they still remain to bring these Bible stories to life.  Written by Crystal Bowman and illustrated by Valerie Sokolova, these stories tell the different stories from the Bible.  I like the accuracy and drawings, despite that most (all?) of the people are represented as Caucasians (which I don't think is accurate).  We were sent four titles.  The Prodigal Son, Jesus Raises Lazarus, Joshua Crosses the Jordon, and Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand.  We like them all.  My daughter's hands-down favorite is Jesus Raises Lazarus.  I suspect that she is amazed at the miracle and relates to the sadness that Jesus feels when Lazarus is dead.  The language is simple, and the stories explained well.  

We appreciate all of these books that were sent to us for review from Zonderkidz.  I will definitely be looking for more titles in the I Can Read series!   

Read Aloud: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

The chapter book Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was a recent gift to add to our collection.  My daughter, age 4 1/2, saw it, and immediately was curious about it and wanted to read it.  The name alone is enticing for a child, let alone the cute cover illustration (though mine is a different edition).  Both of my kids were loving it from the beginning!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside down house and is rather lonely, despite her pets.  Then one day she makes a friend- a little girl.  Soon the girl has told others about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and children from all over town come to see her.  She bakes with them and the boys dig holes in her yard looking for buried treasure.

As dear as all of that sounds, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is really quite the clever woman, and soon earns a reputation for knowing children very well.  Moms call her for advice for their children.  She comes up with all sorts of cures.  There is the "Slow Biter Tiny Bite Taker Cure" and possibly what is needed in our home the most is the "Fighter Quarrelers Cure," among many others.  The children's problems in the book are fairly extreme, though really, most families can relate in some way or another.  The cures are just as extreme...and I suspect most moms wish problems could be cured so easily-and creatively.

My daughter really enjoyed this...probably as much as a 4 1/2 year old can.  My son would also ask for the book, though we didn't always read it aloud with him.  In addition to the chapter intro illustration, there is one full-page illustration in each of the chapters.  This is a book that I am thankful for and expect that we will enjoy it again in a few years when the kids can better appreciate the plentiful humor.  My book jacket cover says it is for ages 6-10, and I would agree, though Amazon says ages 9-12 for the reading level.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (and others in the series) will be on our gifts-to-give-to-others list as my children's cousins and friends get older!  This is a book that has been around for years...and will certainly be loved for a long time!

We're always on the lookout for more chapter book ideas for a 4 year old.  Please let me know of any suggestions!

I'm linking up with Read Aloud Thursday!