Wednesday, September 20, 2017

One Christmas Bear by Anne Vittur Kennedy


“One Christmas Bear” by Anne Vittur Kennedy: an adorably written and illustrated cardboard book for kids ages 1-3.

A friendly polar bear, on a background of Wintery glitter, greets kids on the cover, and they can follow him through each page as he joins his Winter friends.

The Christmas Bear “finds a friend on Christmas Day”: a husky puppy. Together they play and meet other friendly critters: mice, foxes, squirrels, rabbits, and more. All play in the snow (throwing snowballs, sledding, and skating) together and enjoy decorating a Christmas tree and eating candy canes. At the end of the day they recognize God’s gifts for the day and the new year as their parents call them home to bed.

As children follow the Wintery creatures, they can also learn to count—the book has ten pages, and on each page a number is introduced. A book for fun and learning!

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

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

I Am Devotional by Diane Stortz


I love everything about this devotional book! Diane Stortz, author, and Diane Le Feyer, illustrator, have put together a gem to be used by multigenerations for years to come. I AM Devotional: 100 Devotions About the Names of God is a book I look forward to reading with my children.

To begin with, the cover is vibrant—it glitters! The book discusses more than 100 names for God with multiple devotions written about each name. This 200+ page hardcover book is not only a devotional book—it doubles as a Bible study guide.

Each devotion spans two pages. Each begins with the name of God being addressed, a title for the devotion, and a Bible verse. What I found especially enriching is that many of the devotions begin with an inspiring anecdote about a real young person making a difference. Often a famous person the readers would be familiar with.

At the end of the devotions come, in my opinion, the best part. Each devotion ends with a prayer that parents can pray aloud with their children, and then a couple of discussion questions are offered. Following that is a GO DEEPER section with a question relating to the devotion. For example: “What does Jesus say about peace in John 14:27?” The GO DEEPER sections encourage further study. In addition, in the midst of many of the devotions, Stortz mentions that more information can be found in such and such a verse, again encouraging further study.

Each page is vibrantly and captivatingly illustrated. I highly recommend this book!


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