Thursday, April 30, 2015

"God Bless Our Country" by Mike Berenstain

“God Bless Our Country” by Mike Berenstain teaches Brother and Sister and readers about the birth of America and the Fourth of July birthday celebration.

This children’s book is primarily for children in kindergarten, as they are the ones who would not be familiar with Fourth of July celebrations. The story (which comes with stickers!) teaches that the birth of America was God’s will. It also shows different aspects of a Fourth of July celebration including families participating together, respecting veterans, preparing to participate in a parade, community involvement, music, and tributes to past presidents.  

Out of the three Mike Berenstain books that I’ve read, this one is the best because it presents the spiritual message seamlessly. In other books it’s seemed like an afterthought thrown in, but in this book it’s simple, but powerful and unobtrusive. Berenstain does a clever job of weaving Biblical references in with the theme of honey. Mama says, “‘As the Bible says . . . He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’” Meanwhile, Sister is eating honey, and the illustration shows Papa collecting honey from a tree. The illustrations seem to be less vibrant than other Berenstain Bear books I’ve read, but they’re still captivating. And as always, the back of the book contains activities and questions to prompt discussion between parents and children, which is nice touch.



The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 


Sunday, April 12, 2015

God’s Story in 66 Verses by Stan Guthrie tells the Bible’s story in easily digestible bits.


 
Guthrie pulls one verse out of each chapter of the Bible and uses that verse to tell the story of that book. For example, Chapter 1 is titled “Genesis 15:6: He believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” The Chapter then goes on to tell the story of the entire book beginning with verse 1 – Guthrie includes verse references and some direct quotes in his summaries as well as sometimes referring to verses from other books of the Bible.

This book is what I’ve been looking for. So often when reading the Old Testament, I find myself asking, “Who is this prophet?” “Where are the Israelites now?” “Have the Israelites become two nations?” “What is happening?” Not until reading this book have I been able to clearly see and know the Old Testament story of the Israelites. By focusing on just one verse in each book, I have better understood the Bible’s story. Each chapter is 2-3 pages in length and is packed with chronology, quotes, and clarity. I’ve been telling my friends about this book, and if they haven’t purchased a copy by Christmas time, this is what I’ll be getting them.

I highly recommend this book to others.


The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.