The Berenstain Bears Harvest Festival by Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears Harvest Festival by Mike Berenstain showcases the fullness of Fall: family, food, functions, and more. 

Papa and Mama proclaim their delight in Fall and show the cubs all of its wonders. Papa rakes piles of leaves for the cubs; they watch caterpillars spinning cocoons, turkeys strutting, chipmunks gathering, and birds migrating; they go to a Fall festival where the farmers display their best produce and wives their pies; but most of all Mama and Papa show the kids that this bounty and beauty are gifts from God. 

What I enjoyed most about this book and what makes it stand out from others of Mike Berenstain’s books is the quality and depth of writing. The prose flows and prods kids to ask many questions such as Why do animals hibernate? What is hibernation? Why do the birds fly in a V formation? What is a church family? What do people do with pumpkins? etc. As always, at the end of the story the author has discussion questions ready for families to use to learn together. I recommend this book for kids ages 4-8. The illustrations are bright and detailed and make me long for Fall! Also, there is a good spiritual message. 

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review.

“The Berenstein Bears Storybook Bible for Little Ones” by Jan and Mike Berenstein

 “The Berenstein Bears Storybook Bible for Little Ones” by Jan and Mike Berenstein is a happy, thorough collection of Bible stories well-tailored for little ones.

This little Storybook Bible has cardboard pages and is easy for kids to hold and touch. It’s tailored for kids ages 0-3. The stories are simple but complex enough to prompt questions that easily elicit satisfying answers. Jan and Mike include four stories from the Old Testament and four stories from the New Testament. Each story glorifies God or celebrates Jesus.

I’ve read a handful of Mike Berenstein’s books, and this is my favorite! Unlike many Bible stories tailored for little ones, the quality of writing in this book is good. There is dialogue, paragraph breaks, and substance. The font is easy to read, and included with the title of each story is the book and chapter of the Bible from where it’s taken. The illustrations are excellent. The colors are a bit on the pastel side, but the drawings are vivid, and the Bears are in every story; they can even be spotted on Noah’s ark! The spiritual message is strong, and I definitely recommend this book to others.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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

Jesus Calling written by Sarah Young and illustrated by Antonia Woodward

“Jesus Calling for Little Ones” written by Sarah Young and illustrated by Antonia Woodward is a great tool for parents and a gem for kids.

This children’s book for toddlers is a thick, durable, easy-to-hold cardboard book in which the vivid, happy pictures will attract kids and prompt them to turn the pages. The purpose of the book is to let kids know that Jesus loves them, that He knows everything about them, that He created them, that He is everywhere, and that He made wonderful things for them to enjoy.

This book is great! Each page spread is illustrated with pictures of happy children experiencing God’s blessings and being comforted by His promises. Each spread contains a few lines from Jesus telling kids not to worry, telling them to laugh, showing him that He knows them, proving that He cares for them, etc. Along with those lines is the best part: A Bible verse proving the truth of what’s being said. For example, one page includes a few lines from Jesus saying that He likes it when His kids pray to Him, and that is accompanied by 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The spiritual message is strong, the illustrations are fun, and I definitely recommend this book.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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

The Day is Waiting by Linda Zuckerman and illustrated by Don Freeman

“The Day is Waiting” written by Linda Zuckerman and illustrated by Don Freeman is a delightful story that urges readers to turn the pages, go out and see, and return to a loving home.

In this children’s book, best for ages 3-6, the reader is the character in the book who goes out on adventures. The reader, the main character, looks out of his window and wonders what he can do and see in the wide world outside of his window. He discovers that he can see creatures and travel to cities and meet people and see friends and travel on planes and listen to music and above all return to his home.

The illustrations themselves prompt questions. Children would want to know about the animals that they see and about the places and activities that are shown. These questions open up discussion for parents to talk about all kinds of life activities, events, and culture with their kids. The book is simple and interesting. The prose has a rhythm that keeps the story moving. The story answers three questions, and each is answered in a satisfactory way that will also spur children’s imaginations and possibilities. There isn’t an overt spiritual message, however at the end of the book, after the story is finished, there is a Bible verse: Isaiah 55:12. I recommend this book to others.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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

“Brave Queen Esther” from the Zonderkidz I Can Read! Adventure Bible Series, with pictures by David Miles

 “Brave Queen Esther” from the Zonderkidz I Can Read! Adventure Bible Series, with pictures by David Miles, is a succinct, engaging, productive read for kids.

This story is in the Level 2 category of the I Can Read series. Level 2 is defined as “High-interest stories for developing readers.” The story teaches about Esther’s bravery and that she listened to God’s voice and went to the king even though she was scared.

The message is clearly presented. At a few point I thought the that integral bits of the story may be left out in order to accommodate the kids’ reading level, but the publisher always came through with simple, telling transitions that captured every essential part of the story – giving kids the complete picture of Esther. The illustrations were large and bright, and the reoccurring peacock is sure to captivate kids. This book has a strong spiritual and educational message: In the back of the book there is a page with a section entitled “People of the Bible” and a section entitled “Did You Know?” in which Esther and Mordecai and the festival of Purim are highlighted and explained for the kids.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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

Women are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends

Women are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends didn’t make me snort laugh or appreciate sci-fi references (sorry, Melanie), but it did make feel as though I know the author as a friend and appreciate her as a woman enough to call her by her first name.

Melanie’s words help moms. She puts her whole self into her writing and tells the truth: that all women are scary and all women are scared. She shows women how to navigate from the awkward “hi” at a children’s ballet lesson to a risky “let’s meet up at the park” to the daring “want to come over to my house for a play date?” 

This quick-read held my attention to the end. Of course there were parts that I was tempted to brush over, but I didn’t – probably because the writing was captivating (and there are illustrations). I recommend this book to other people. Like most books about life/relationships the premise is common sense, but Melanie writes in a way that soothes and empowers her readers. She guides as all to be better. She is funny and honest and helpful.

These lines sum up Melanie’s message: “We aren’t just moms. We are just a connected organism of nurturing world changers. And that is just awesome” (229).

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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

"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.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

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