God Made You Nose to Toes

God Made You Nose to Toes is the first children's book written by well-known author Leslie Parrott. (She and her husband, Les, have written several books on marriage.) In this book she uses rhyme to teach children God made each part of their bodies; He wants them to use these parts to enjoy life. A final message assures readers that God loves them and will be with them wherever they go. The author creates a playful and grateful attitude through her words. Illustrated by Valeria Petrone, this book is saturated with bright colors. One main child (a boy) interacts with animals and other children as he plays on the beach, smells flowers, watches stars, climbs trees and has a picnic.

What I Like: The text is wonderful. My kids love pointing out their different body parts (eyes, ears, nose, knees, mouth, teeth, hair, hands, fingers and toes) as we read. The book provides a wonderful message in a fun-to-learn way. I adore the bright colors and the size and strength of this book.

What I Dislike: The drawings. I love the bright colors, but the drawings are weird. For some reason all the characters have dark circles around their eyes. The main character, sporting blue rings around his eyes, looks like he has been hit twice in the face with a baseball. Proportions are off, too. A parrot is the same size as a child; the ostrich is bigger than a giraffe. I would love to see the text coupled with different illustrations. My kids don't seem to notice ... they love the book.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4 and under

Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2002; ISBN: 031070216X; Board Book; $6.99

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