Book Review - Touch-And-Feel An Easter Prayer Board Book

I was so excited to have the opportunity of reviewing Touch-And-Feel an Easter Prayer board book written by Amy Parker and illustrated by alison edgson through the Booklook for Bloggers Review program.

Babies and preschoolers will see images of the new wonders of spring through a sensory encounter. The art is colorful and sweet. The words are presented in a rhyme, making for an auditory experience as well as the parent reads it aloud.

The book doesn't wait till you open it to start the touch-and-feel fun. The cover has a soft bunny fur cut out that the child can touch right away. From there, other opportunities to experience touch include the top of an egg shell of a brand new baby chick, the soft yellow furry feathers of the new chicken, the smooth rain in a puddle, a soft flower petal, blades of green grass, and finally a sparkling ray of sun.

The story takes bunny on a journey meeting encountering new aspects of spring and new life and ending with the best promise of newness in Jesus, God's son who lives again! (Which is why Christians celebrate Easter). I love how it ties together the new life found in spring with the new life found in why Christians celebrate - Jesus risen! 

The book would make a fun read-aloud for laptime books as it calls for interaction through the sensory touch and feel pages but also presents a sweet story. It would make a great opportunity to engage your child in a book.  It would also make a fantastic addition to an Easter basket!

Book Review - Hoo Hoo Who? A Child's Clue-Finding Interactive Book

I was so excited to have the opportunity of receiving Hoo Hoo Who? by Mary Maier with Lauren Horton, published by Building Block Press and brilliantly illustrated by Mary Maier. The book is recommended for ages 2-5 and presents as a large, hardcover, 32 page story packed with pictures.

The story begins:

Owl is throwing Mouse a Surprise Party, but Owl's glasses have broken. It's a good thing you're invited too as Owl needs help solving clues to figure out which guest is at the door. As each guest arrives, the story presents hints and asks:

Hoo Hoo Who could it be?

Building Block Press focuses on early childhood development, and this book is part of their Who, Where, What series that engages the child, drawing them into the story by asking questions as the story progresses. The book presents hints, such as:

Who has splashy feet?

Who has yellow feathers?

Who says quack quack?

Or,

Who has a scaly diamond back?

Who looks like the letter S?

Who says hisssss?

...and is the longest of your guests?

Eventually, one of the knocks at the door is a surprise package for Owl. What do you think is in the package, and will it help him see his guests without additional help from clues?

The book would make a fun read-aloud for laptime books as it calls for interaction. It would make a great opportunity to engage your child in a book. While, they will come away with critical thinking skills and clue-solving abilities. And, by the end of the book, you may find yourself shouting and singing SURPRISE, Happy birthday along with your child.

Book Review - Rabbit & Bear Rabbit's Bad Habits

I was so excited to have the opportunity of receiving Rabbit & Bear Rabbit's Bad Habits by Julian Gough and Jim Field, published by Silver Dolphin as part of the Media Masters Publicity.

Bear is in for some unexpected surprises when she suddenly is awoken in the middle of hibernation by a food thief who stole all of her stored food. Since she is awake, she decides to make the most of winter and build a snowman. That's when she encounters Rabbit, a grumpy neighbor, who decides to build an even better snowman.

An unlikely friendship has begun......

The bear's kindness and generosity begin to soften and sweeten Rabbit's sour demeanor.

The story is intended for readers ages 6-8, Grade Level 1-3 and is part of the Rabbit & Bear series. It is a nice hand-held size hardcover, 112 pages packed with fun illustrations.

Packed with action that starts with a bear waking in the middle of winter to avalanches, building snowmen, learning about gravity, and attempting to escape from a hungry wolf, the story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page that unites an unlikely pair, involves forgiveness, sharing, and softening a curmudgeon of a rabbit.

Rabbit is a grumpy long-eared being that is rude and has nasty habits. One habit is specifically noted that I had never heard of and wondered if rabbits actually did such a thing. So, I googled it, and to my amazement. It's a thing! I won't give away the specifics, but rest assured this book presents it in a unique manner that takes a scientific fact and makes it part of this rude character of a rabbit but not in an inappropriate way. 

The book would make a fun read-aloud at bedtime or to inspire an impromptu science lesson about bears, hibernation, gravity, hunger, digestion, and rabbits.

Homeschool Review Crew - WorthyKids Video Review

I was thrilled to get a chance to review the third and fourth books in the series, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls.

The Great Escape (Book #3)
Journey to Jericho (Book #4)

from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group

Take a look at my review of Books 1 and 2 in the series!
.

PLEASE SEE MY VIDEO REVIEW:

View it on YouTube ...

Or, click on the embedded video below:

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Booklook for Bloggers Book Review - Go To Sleep Sheep!

I was so excited to have the opportunity of receiving a hard board book cover toddler book, Go To Sleep Sheep! as part of the Booklook for Bloggers program in exchange only for my honest review. It is published by Tommy Nelson as a Bedtime Barn Book and illustrated by Sydney Hanson.

The book is simply adorable and a fun way to read your children to sleep. It is durable and the perfect size for little hands to help turn the pages.

The book is shaped like a barn and is high-quality, toddler-durable board book thick. The illustrations throughout are sweet and include other barnyard animals in spots as well as the sheep The front has sparkle glitter on the moon and the words of the title, which I thought might be glow-in-the-dark, but I'm not sure. They didn't seem to glow for me, but if they are glow-in-the-dark, that would just make the book all the more enjoyable.

It also provides a poetic rhythm to the story as you read along which is always a perk, in my opinion, for children's bedtime stories, with each two-page section ending with the words,

"Time for sleep, sheep!"

"Ready for sleep, sheep?"

or

"Go to sleep, sheep!"

It is 22 pages of several short interactions between little sheep and their mama, who is trying to put them to bed. The sheep are not wanting to sleep. 

First, the mom uses logic, to which one of her sheep says that they are hungry. Mama allows one quick snack. This is followed by a request for a story, which is followed by a claim that they are thirsty which escalates into a request for a tickle fight.

Mama tries again with the reasoning that is it time for quiet and asks them to cuddle close. They say their prayers, and they try to sleep.

In the quiet, she hears the smallest sheep say, "I love you most of all!"

{Insert heart melt! And, an Aw!!!}

The final pages include a barnyard scene with stars and mama again asking that they quiet down and not make a peep.

Finally, feeling safe and snug, the sheep fall asleep, and the final words of the book are:

"Sweet dreams, sheep!"

I Can Only Imagine a BookLook for Bloggers Review

No doubt, you 've at least heard of the movie based on the song by MercyMe, specifically Bart Millard. If not, as part of the BookLook for Bloggers program, I received a hardcover copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. So, here we go:

The book is high quality in hardcover with a jacket cover that is brilliantly illustrated. The illustrations don't stop as they seem to get better and better with each turning page. There are 34 pages in the book with illustrations from Sumiti Collina. The book is published under the Tommy Nelson name and written by  Bart Millard of MercyMe along with Laura Neutzling.

The storybook follows the idea behind the song in that it talks about what heaven is like. The full title of the book is I Can Only Imagine A Friendship with Jesus Now and Forever. So, as the title suggests, it also discusses how God is here with us now, and we do not have to wait to live a life with Jesus till we get to heaven. We can enjoy his presence now!

If you don't know the story behind the song that the book is based on, Bart Millard is founding member and lead singer of MercyMe. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, and they live with their kids in Tennessee. Sumiti Collina, the illustrator, is based in Italy.

This child's book opens with a dedication page with blanks to fill in for gifting to an important kid. It opens with a little boy pulling his dog in a wagon and then the opening page with words begins with the lyrics of the song and pictures a mom and dad and two kids. 

It then transitions into a bedroom scene with a little boy looking up at the stars and wondering what heaven is like. For the bulk of the book, the pages take you from illustration to illustration of different scenarios with the boy asking and wondering if these parts of his life as he knows it on earth will be in heaven.

The final pages picture the mom and dad and two kids leaving the beach where they were pictured in the beginning as night falls. They begin to thank God for keeping them close. Finally, the boy is pictured at night alone on his tire swing coming to the conclusion that God's Spirit will never leave him and that Jesus is near him as he lives out his life on earth and waiting to share eternity, but for now,  "I can only imagine!"

I would recommend this book as a great gift idea for any nighttime reading, but especially for a child who is grieving the loss of someone close or who is asking questions already, wondering what heaven is all about.

Homeschool Review Crew - Love Was Near and Trust Fund from Mapelle Films

Time to pop some popcorn and sit down for a good movie with my daughter and add some reading time to the summer agenda. In case you can't tell, I was thrilled to get a chance to review  Trust Fund from Mapelle Films and the follow-up book, Love Was Near. Mapelle Films has also put together a study guide that you can download and use with a group. It is 12 pages, with video clips and gets right to the point of the movie, complete with scripture references.


 

What is Trust Fund the movie and Love Was Near the book?

The cinematographer/producer was homeschooled beginning in 1982 and is a success story of what happens when you allow your children to learn and explore their talents. Read more about his story in this article on Midwest Parent Educators.

I received a DVD of the movie Trust Fund and a paperback book based on the film. The book is best when read after viewing the movie, and there is a reason for that which you will learn as you watch the DVD.

The movie is best described as a modern day prodigal son story only the son, in this case, is a daughter. The young girl in the story discovers her late mother left her and her sister $10 Million but her dad, who owns a large profitable company, has not ever mentioned that she has this inheritance. Meanwhile, she hacks into the company's bank account using her sister Audrey's computer and transfers her half of the inheritance to her bank account and travels to Italy where she had met an Italian man on a previous trip and develops a relationship with him. When he seemed to develop financial trouble, she offers her money to him. This is where the movie begins to take a surprising twist.

The book is directed towards girls ages 12+. The movie received the Dove seal for ages 12+ and could also be appropriate for younger children when you watch it together as a family to open up discussion topics.  Love Was Near was written with young adult girls in mind and is intended to be read after watching the movie. The book digs deeper into the lessons and issues expressed in the movie to serve as a study guide that provides behind-the-story insights into how the main character was thinking and why she did the things she did in the movie. It helps the teen to apply the movie to real life. There is also a downloadable study guide available at the Mapelle Film's website that is perfect to use with a group. It is presented in four parts with 12 pages of full-color summaries of the characters, video clips, discussion questions and scripture references.

How Did We Use It?

I sat down with my daughters to watch the movie. I also handed my oldest daughter the book asking her to read it for my review. I was asked to wait till after watching the movie to read the book. When I opened the pages of the book, I was pleasantly surprised that it was written in a study guide format to delve deeper with insights and questions about the main character and how to apply the movie to your own life.

What Did We Think?

I think the creator of the movie and the book has created a fascinating method of bringing home the point of a modern-day parable through the use of media and entertainment. The movie is well done and the book well written, but most importantly relays an important message of love and trust that is apparent in the movie, but then reiterated through the study guide book. The actors in the movie were very well cast and each believable in their individual role. What stood out to me the most was probably the realization that this story may touch some young girl out there enough to realize she is headed toward a bad decision or even empower her enough to get out of a bad relationship and get help before it's too late and to recognize what true love really is.

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Homeschool Review Crew - Lamplighter Publishing The Secret Bridge

I have only one avid reader amongst my children, and I prefer to provide her with Christ-centered reading, so I was happy to get a chance to review The Secret Bridge from Lamplighter Publishing, whose mission is to help develop Christlike character in their readers "one story at a time."

What is The Secret Bridge?

I received a beautiful hardcover book that is in the style of the original 1899 book. When given a chance, I much prefer a book I can hold in my hand as opposed to an ebook, but this particular book went above and beyond even my handheld expectations. It has a beautiful engraved and gilded cover and feels like holding a classic leather book in my hands.

Amy Le Feuvre was a writer who lived in England, born in 1861, this book was written after she had been a well-known and seasoned writer. Some other books she is known for include The Captain's Sword, Jill's Red Bag, The locked Cupboard, Me and Nobbles, Probable Sons, A Puzzling Pair, A 'Strordinary Little Maid, An Unexpected Offer, and Teddy's Button. Apparently, Teddy's button was a very popular children's book during the Victorian era....  I had never heard of the author nor any of her books.

The Secret Bridge was originally written in 1899 by the English author from London and has been republished by Lamplighter Publishing. Because of this, the grammar and style of writing is Old English. What Lamplighter Publishing does to bring this into modern reading times is they provide footnotes to explain words that were common for that era but not known as well today. The footnotes also include scripture references. The F-K reading grade score for the book is a 4.6, and I'm not sure how that equates with ages or school grade level, but I would put it at least at a middle school level and probably more like high school or above for being able to really embrace and understand the depth of the content of scriptural references, marriage, and relationships.  It is a 261-page, 20 chapter story.

Footnote reference of scripture

Footnote reference to word meanings

Beautiful old-style calligraphy style introductions.

THE STORY

The story is full of surprises and secrets revealed. It begins with a young woman named Bridget who finds herself alone after the death of her father. The story progresses through her experiences as a new bride and stepping into a centuries old feud between two families. As the story unfolds, she is asked by her husband to keep a secret, a secret about her is revealed and in the process she plays a very important role in whether or not love can bridge lifetimes of hatred and anger. Throughout, scripture is revealed as Bridget is challenged to deepen her relationship with Christ as a bride waiting for her bridegroom both literally and spiritually. She is challenged to "Acquaint thyself with Him" as she draws closer to God.

How Did We Use It?

I intended on handing the book to my avid reader child who is 15 and loves to read Christ-focused books. As it turned out, she was busy reading a stack of books she recently checked out from the library, so I decided I would go ahead and read it and preview it to see if it was even a book I would want her to read. I did, however, talk to her about what I was reading without giving away the secrets of the book.

What Did We Think?

First of all, I don't think I've ever read a book that was originally written in 1899. Both I and my daughter thought that was very cool. My son even found that intriguing. Second, I absolutely loved the feel of this book in my hands and loved the intricate picture on the cover.

Getting into the crux of the story, I found myself on the edge of my seat. This is saying quite a bit coming from me, because I tend to get bored with reading quite fast. If the first few paragraphs don't hold my interest, I'm done. This was not the case with this book. Not only did it hold my interest, but I didn't want to put it down. For that reason, it turned out to be a fairly quick read with me being able to finish it in a couple days.

Above all, I really love that the book weaves biblical passages and principles throughout the entire story. I cannot wait for my daughter to read it.

FIND LAMPLIGHTER PUBLISHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

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Homeschool Review Crew: Shepherd, Potter, Spy, And The Star Namer by Peggy Consolver Book Review

I love the concept of taking biblical accounts and combining them with historical facts to create a story that makes you feel as if you have traveled back in time to experience it right alongside them, so I was happy to get a chance to review Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer from Peggy Consolver - Author that does just that.

 

Who is Peggy Consolver?

As a long-time Sunday School teacher, Peggy read through the Chronological Bible reading plan and discovered interesting insights from passages that stood out to her, such as:

Joshua 9 and 10

Genesis 10

Psalm 114. 

From these passages, she was inspired to create a story based on the account of how the Gibeonites survived destruction. She was interested in telling the story from a fresh, unexpected perspective - That of a descendant of Ham. She chose to write the story from the perspective of a young Canaanite shepherd boy, Keshub.

The first step of her writing journey included a visit to Gibeon in the Palestinian West Bank and taking part in an archaeological dig where the pieces of history began to fill in the details of historic and biblical fact into her created story of a shepherd boy, a potter's son.

What is the book about?

The story is about a young 13-year-old shepherd boy, a Canaanite and descendent of Ham who finds himself caught up in a moment in biblical history. When he befriends the son of the Amorite King and discovers how evil the king is, and as he watches the Hebrews attacking city after city and the walls of Jericho fall, he begins to take his place in Gibeonite history as his life and all of his adventures begin to change.

The book is based on facts from history and accounts recorded in the Bible, though the author makes history come alive by creating an imaginary storyline told from this young shepherd boy's perspective.

The author includes scriptures from which she derived the story. One big one is from Joshua 10 where the sun stood still.

The book I received a 375-page, 46-chapter paperback copy of the book along with access to the study guide, which is available for purchase on the website but first offers you a free sample of a portion of it simply by clicking on the link on the page. I would highly recommend if you use the book as a biblical history study since it provides links to facts and videos that help bring the story to life, such as the kind of bear talked about in the book that the shepherd would have encountered or a style of knot tied. It also provides you with tons of questions for discussion to really bring the story home and apply the spiritual and historical aspects of the story to real life today.

How Did We Use It?

One of the first things I noticed is that the book is based upon some passages in the Bible, which the author suggested for reading. So, I looked them up starting with Joshua 9 and 10, which is the account of the Israelites making a peace treaty with the Gibeonites, against what God had commanded, and finally the account written of in Joshua of the day the sun stood still. At this point, I was hooked. Before deciding whether or not to include this in my children's course of study, I sat down to experience the book and the study guide for myself. It didn't take long before I realized this would make a great read-aloud for the entire family.

What Did We Think?

What a rivoting book. I was fascinated with the way the author was able to intertwine real historic and biblical accounts with a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Get ready, because when you start reading it, you may find yourself caught up in these historic biblical moments and forget you're living in the 21st century as the words float off the page and into your heart.

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Homeschool Review Crew - Pennsylvania By the Way Book Series

As many of you know, our family loves to travel and take a several week tour every year where my musician husband books gigs, and the rest of the family hang out exploring new surroundings with hopes to take our show on the road next year as an educational vacation trip to Washington DC, stopping in Hershey, PA, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review PENNSYLVANIA ~ HERE WE COME! from By the Way Book Series, written by Joy Budensiek and illustrated by Stephanie Robledo. When I learned that the series integrates scriptures and all of the story from a biblical perspective, I was even more excited!

Other Homeschool Review Crew members got to review these titles:

Florida's Treasure Coast ~ Here We Come!
Smoky Mountains ~ Here We Come!
Ohio ~ Here We Come!
Washington ~ Here We Come!
Colorado ~ By the Way

And, there are more titles coming out soon.

What is PENNSYLVANIA - HERE WE COME! from the By the Way Book Series?

The series takes you on a journey through states. It tells a story of a boy and a girl who travel to the state and visit all of the key historical parts while learning bits of information about the state and also while weaving in scripture and a biblical worldview. The main characters in the Pennsylvania story are Alex and Lexi. Of course, Alex and Lexi have a mom and dad as well as Jim, their pilot, Hugh, the co-pilot, and Angela, the tour guide who directs them through what they refer to as celebrations.

I received a 50-page physical, hardcover book with beautiful colorful illustrations and photography, to read with my child.

The book begins with a page that contains pictures to encourage the kids to look for these images throughout the book as they read. It then introduces the main characters. The story continues with "visits" to:

• A ferry ride across the Susquehanna River
• The Pennsylvania State Capitol
• Harrisburg International Airport
• Appalachian Trail
• Facts about Gettysburg
• How the PA border was established
• Ground Hogs Day and Punxsutawney
• Fayette County
• Fort Necessity National Battlefield
• Jumonville and a huge cross
• Chipmunks
• Searights Tollhouse
• Underground Railroad and a Castle
• Brownsville
• Mechmenawungihilla
• Pittsburgh and many bridges
• Crickets
• Presque Isle State Park
• Brig Niagra
• Concord grapes region
• Striking oil and native Americans
• Elk, raccoons, deer facts, and grouse
• Lesson about David Brainard
• Geocaching
• Fish and Eagles
• Coal
• Bears and salamanders
• Bethlehem, PA and steel
• Philadelphia, the City of Love and birthplace of democracy
• Tent caterpillars
• Mushrooms and Kennett Square
• Amish
• Hershey and chocolate

How Did We Use It?

I presented the book to my daughter, who is 10 and in desperate need of more in-depth social studies, geography and history lessons. Part of the time, I read the book to her, part of the time we had our elephant plush mascot "teacher" read it, and part of the time, she read alone and discussed points in more detail wherever there was a deep interest. For the most part, we read one new stop a day. We took a few pages at a time and didn't read the book in one setting. I wanted to use it as more of a bit by bit study, but you could easily finish the book in a short time if preferred.

What Did We Think?

We thoroughly enjoyed the story and appreciated how PENNSYLVANIA - HERE WE COME! from the By the Way Book Series incorporated history and facts about the state with scripture and biblical principals and lessons. I'm sure, learning about the chocolate in Pennsylvania was among the favorite lessons, but there was plenty neither of us knew about the state. So, I learned as well.

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