Old MacNoah Had an Ark

Old MacNoah Had an Ark, written by popular Christian children's book author Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jill Newton, puts a biblical twist on the traditional children's song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

Each page of this book is filled with vivid, whimsical art sure to capture any young child's imagination. And the text, which may be sung or read, will be familiar and fun. The author begins:

"Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o.
And for that ark he got some wood. Ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a BANG! BANG! here
And a BANG! BANG! there..."

and so on. Next, we read that MacNoah brought cows on board (appropriate mooing ensues), followed by ducks ("Quack! Quack!") and pigs ("Oink! Oink!"). Then "on that ark they had some rain;" the animals have lunch, and lots of slurping and burping follows. "And on that ark it got quite smelly" (..."With a "Poo! Poo! here and a Poo! Poo! there..."). The ark lurches in the rough waters, making the animals say "oopsie-daisy!" Finally, they see dry land and cry "Ya-hoo!...And no more ark now, here's the end," followed by all the sounds that have already been covered.

What I Like: Young children will definitely find this book fun (potty humor included), and if they think it's fun, they are far more likely to be interested in the full story of Noah and the ark.

What I Dislike: I have mixed feelings about Christians changing traditional rhymes and songs. This method can be useful, but I hate to see it over-used.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but toddlers will love this book, too.

Publishing Info: Harper Blessings, 2008; ISBN: 006055717; hardback, $16.99.

Buy Now at Christianbook.com for $12.99.

Or buy at Amazon.com for $13.25

Special Info: You may wish to visit the author's or the illustrator's website. Also, check out our other reviews of books by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

Baby's First Prayers

The First Bible Collection: Baby's First Prayers,
compiled by Standard Publishing, was given to my daughter by her grandparents for Christmas. She has been carrying it around by its convenient handle ever since!

This chunky board book is chock full of interesting illustrations by Peter Stevenson and prayers to match all occasions. The poetic prayers were written by Muff Singer, and for some of the prayers there is a question to think about, or an action to perform.

For example, the Anytime Prayer reads:

"God made the world so broad and grand,

Filled with blessings from His hand.

He made the sky so high and blue,

And all the little children too."

The illustration shows two friends sitting atop a city roof while eating a picnic lunch. They are clearly admiring God's creation.

At the bottom of the page there is an action to perform: "Tell God how happy you are that he made you."

What I like: This book is so perfect for tiny hands! There is a handle for easy toting, and a lock so that the pages won't fan open while it is being carried. The illustrations keep my daughter enthralled. She can identify with each page in some way. She'll excitedly point to the toddler in his highchair, or the teddy bear in the crib. There are little windows cut into the pages for fun peeking. I also like how the book begins with a wake up prayer and ends with a bedtime prayer.

What I don't like: I can't think of anything!

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 2-5 according to the publisher, but my 16 month old loves it! I would probably give it a 1-3 age appeal.

Publishing Info: Strictly-by-the-book, Inc., 1998; ISBN:1575840685; board book, $11.99

Buy Now at Christianbook.com for $3.99!

Also available in Spanish for $8.99!

Or Buy at Amazon.com for 12.99 (no handles on this one!)