He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
is currently my son’s favorite song; he sings it nearly every day, so as soon as I saw this book, I had to buy it. I'm so glad I did.
The lyrics to this spiritual-turned-favorite-hymn provide all the text. Written music is also provided on the last page. The illustrations are what truly make this book exceptional. Award-winning artist Kadir Nelson chose San Francisco as his setting. The illustrations feature a multi-ethnic family living in and engaging the world from a child's perspective.
What I Like: Everything! The colors, the size, the diversity, the message of faith and community. The illustrations are magnificent! The entire book is quite striking. I love it! Better yet my kids do too. :)
What I Dislike: Nothing.
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Age Appeal: 4-8, but my not-yet-3-year-old loves it, too!
Publisher Info: Dial, 2005; ISBN: 0803728506; Hardback; $16.99
Buy it Now from Christianbook.com for $12.99!
Or buy it from Amazon.com for $11.55.

Joseph Forgives His Brothers

Joseph Forgives His Brothers is written by Robert Baden and illustrated by Chris Sharp. This is a rhythmic (somewhat mangled) story of a young boy named Joseph. He was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob loved Joseph so much, his brothers became jealous of him and sold him as a slave. His father believed Joseph had died and his brothers never told their father differently.

"Poor Jacob thought his son was dead;
His brothers soon forgot him.
But God kept Joseph safely with
Potiphar, the man who bought him."

Potiphar liked Joseph more than any of his other slaves, until he thought Joseph had committed a sin and had him thrown into jail. But even in jail, God was with him.

"In prison, Joseph helped explain
The dreams of men around him.
And when Pharoah had a dream,
He searched him out and found him."

What I Like: Nothing. Well, I do like how the author tells that God is with Joseph in each situation.
What I Dislike: Normally, rhyming text appeals to me. Not this time. The author says that a man named Potiphar bought Joseph, but does not tell who Potiphar is. A sin was committed, but we are not even delicately told what it was. Then a man named Pharaoh pops into the picture, in search of Joseph, with no explanation of who this man is. The illustrations are overly exaggerated; even a camel scowls. There is a dog and little blue bird that appear on most of the pages with different bug-eyed expressions.
Overall Rating: Poor.
Age Appeal: 4 - 8.
Publishing Info: Concordia Publishing House; Paperback, 2003; ISBN: 0758604564
Buy the English version now from Amazon.com for $4.48
Or, get the Spanish version at Chrstianbook.com for $2.49

What Happens When I Talk to God?

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian brings 'The Power of Praying' series to kids’ level in What Happens When I Talk to God? The book, subtitled “The Power of Prayer for Boys and Girls,” uses a conversational tone, one kid to another, to answer several questions about prayer.

• What is prayer?
• When can I pray?
• Where can I pray?
• What should I say?
• Do I have to pray out loud?
• Does God hear me?
• Why does He want me to pray?
• Can I pray alone? With other people?
• What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
• Can I pray even when I’m angry or hurt?
• What if I do something wrong?
  
• Can God help me or the people I pray for?
• Does God answer prayers?

Each page ends with “I say …” and offers a short, sample prayer.

The artwork by Shari Warren is tender and colorful. Each illustration is a full page accompanied by a full page of text, but the creative design does not stop with the illustrations. The text features two fonts, one simple standard font and one that is curly and boldfaced.

What I Like: The author tackles so many questions about prayer and does it in a way kids can easily grasp. The book is filled with great information! I also like the illustrations. They very sweetly depict a variety of kids and families.

What I Dislike: There are no Bible references anywhere in the book, not even in the back for parents. Also, this is long and wordy for younger kids. My 4-1/2 year old loses interest before we reach the halfway point.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 4-8, but I would recommend ages 6-10.

Publisher Info: Harvest House Publishers, 2007; ISBN: 0736916768; Hardback; $15.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $11.99!
Or buy it from Amazon.com for $10.87.

Special Info: You may also be interested in The Power of a Praying Parent, also available in Spanish. Visit the author's website for additional titles in this series.