Otter and Owl Set Sail

A newer addition to Zoderkidz's growing "I Can Read!" series is Crystal Bowman's Otter and Owl Set Sail, a level 1 book for beginning readers.

Crystal Bowman may be best known for her rhyming picture books, but in this charming tale of an owl and otter's misadventures, she writes in prose.

After a lot of thinking, Owl decides to build a boat. He and his friend Otter grab a raft, add an old shirt to make a sail, and plop it into the pond. But the boat doesn't go anywhere. Owl thinks some more, then decides they should blow on the sail. But the boat doesn't move. So they try singing a sailing song at the top of their lungs. Nothing. And on and on they go until Owl sadly decides he's built a bad boat. "You made a fine sailboat," Otter says. "All we need is wind." Owl says he can't make wind. But God can, Otter declares.

The friends go home, and Owl is thrilled when he wakes up the next morning and the leaves are rustling. He wakes up Otter. "God made wind today!" he says, and they try again to sail their boat. This time, they sail all the way to the other end of the pond.

What I Like: This is a simple but engaging tale that quietly proclaims God as Creator. The illustrations by Kevin Zimmer are delightful, colorful, and bring to life the lovable Otter and Owl.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, but my 3 year adores it as a read-to-me story.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310717043; paperback; $3.99

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Special Info: Read our other reviews of Crystal Bowman books.

Elise's Adventure on Noah's Ark

Elise’s Adventure on Noah’s Ark is a book that takes the main character back to Bible times for a first-hand look at Noah’s Ark. In this case, the main character is Elise and she gets to share the adventure of building the ark and being on the ark with Noah, his family, and all the animals.

This is a different type of book than what you are probably used to. The publisher, YourPictureBook.com, offers three different book titles, all of which are personalized with your child’s name and photo, making your child part of the story.

The illustrations are colorful drawings, like many other picture books, but they also include a photo of your child on each page. The photo is pasted into the drawing in an appropriate spot on the page.

What I Like: I like the idea of a personalized book, especially one that is related to Biblical subject matter, as this can make a child feel really special.

What I Dislike: The same photo is incorporated into each page. While this is nice for the child, as he/she can see himself on each page, it is rather monotonous to have the same photo superimposed onto each page. I think it would have been better if the personalized illustration had been a drawing of the child, made from a photo, that matches the other illustrations in the book. That way, the drawing could be changed to reflect different poses, but the photo could be used to achieve a life-like resemblance to the actual child.

Also, the story is written in verse, and the rhyme and rhythm are off in several places throughout the text.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: The publisher doesn’t list an age group, but I would say the age group would be 3-8-year-olds.

Publisher Info: YourPictureBook; Hardcover: $34.95.

Buy now at YourPictureBook.com $34.95!

Special Info: The publisher offers three different titles; the one about Noah’s Ark is the only one with a Christian theme. All books are available in a paperback edition for $26.95. You can also order a coloring book for $9.95, but you can’t get a coloring book unless you purchase either a hardcover or paperback edition of the book.

The Person I Marry

The Person I Marry, subtitled Things I'll Think About Long Before Saying "I Do", was created by husband and wife team Gary and Jan Bower. Inspired by the lists of their twelve children, the rhyming text (written by Gary) highlights several admirable traits to seek in a spouse. These virtues include integrity, kindness, respect, faithfulness, and purity among others. Each attribute is founded on solid biblical teaching. My favorite part of the book illustrates this perfectly:
"Though it may sound a little strange,
through every season, every change,
this person must be someone who
will cherish me as Number Two.
Oh, I'll be deeply loved, of course.
But I can't be my partner's source.
When everything is said and done,
God must be our Number One."
Each two page spread features a beautiful oil painting (by Jan). These show all kinds of children in various heart-warming situations. The book closes by quoting Jeremiah 29:11
What I Like: My daughter is not quite five and already obsessed with getting married. This book helps me teach her to focus on the important details rather than the flowers and lace. The illustrations are gorgeous! The content is thorough. Also, in the back of the book, the authors included a space for readers to make their own list of what they want in a future spouse.
What I Dislike: It's a bit long for younger children.
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Age Appeal: The publisher says "all ages", but I would recommend 5 and above.
Publisher Info: Storybook Meadow Publishing, 2008; ISBN: 0970462174; $11.99
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Special Info: See more illustrations from inside this book and learn about other books by this husband-wife team at their website: www.BowerBooks.com.

What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?

If you've ever tried to find a picture book about dinosaurs that wasn't filled with references to Darwinism, you'll understand why I was so delighted to discover What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?, a book totally devoid of the theory of evolution.

Written by Ken Ham (founder of Answers in Genesis) and Dr. John Morris (of Institute for Creation Research), this unique volume explores the world of dinosaurs from a biblical perspective. As the book opens, we meet Tracker John - an explorer type - and Dino Jr. (or D.J.), a friendly little psittacosaurus, who talk about how scientists study dinosaurs (through bones, which are often incomplete, and fossils). They point out that sometimes scientists make mistakes in studying dinosaurs. For example, the dinosaur originally called the Brontosaurus had to be renamed to Apatosaurus because "the scientist who found his skeleton put the wrong head on it!"

Next, they examine when dinosaurs lived. They tell us some scientists think dinosaurs were around long before humans were on the earth, but that creation scientists disagree. Dinosaurs, they say, must have been created at the same time as other animals, which means they were around when Adam and Eve were on earth. They mention the "Behemoth" written about in the book of Job, and say dinosaurs must have been around during that time, also, since dinosaurs fit the description and no other animal we know of does. Tracker John and D.J. also say dinosaurs must have been on Noah's ark - probably in the form of babies - and were around after the Flood. In fact, they say, the Flood explains perfectly why there are so many dinosaur fossils all around the world.

How did the dinosaurs die out? Tracker John and D.J. admit no one knows for sure, but some people think conditions after the Flood just weren't good for dinosaurs. It may have been too cold, for example, or they may not have been able to find enough food. It may even be that tales of knights fighting dragons are really true stories of men killing dinosaurs; perhaps dinosaurs were hunted to extinction.

What I Like: I appreciate that this book not only includes biblical ideas about dinosaurs (which are, when you get right down to it, at least as believable as the ideas put forth by evolutionary scientists...and to those who believe in the unfailing word of the Bible, much more believable), but also includes some foundations of faith, such as a description of what sin is and what the consequences of it are, all backed up with biblical references. The authors have managed to provide a lot of excellent information in a kid-friendly way. The book is well written and never gets nasty about opposing views. The illustrations by Jonathan Chong are professional and engaging.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, but my 3 year old loves it.

Publisher Info: Master Books, 1990; ISBN: 0890511594; hardback; $10.99

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Special Info: Answers in Gensis has a section devoted to kids, including activities and videos.

All God's Critters

All God's Critters brings a song by Bill Staines to book form. The song, actually titled "All God's Critters Have a Place in the Choir," describes all sorts of animals singing and clapping and praising the Lord. Coupled with illustrations by Kadir Nelson, the text translates into a zany stage production.
One page toward the back of the book folds out to a four-page spread. Also at the back of the book, readers find the complete song with written music.
What I Like: I LOVE the illustrations! Kadir Nelson is one of my favorites; his work in this volume lives up to my expectations: vibrant, colorful, life-like, expressive ... absolutely striking. Also, the size of the book is great. It's large enough to read over two or three laps. My kids enjoy pointing out their favorite animals and making the appropriate praise noises.
What I Dislike: I wish the book included a CD. Not everyone can read music; without a CD or music download, turning the text into a tune can be difficult.
Overall Rating: The quality is Excellent, but without a CD or audio download, I have to rate it Very Good.
Age Appeal: 3-5, but I think older kids might enjoy it as well.
Publisher Info: Simon & Schuster, 2009; ISBN: 0689869592; Hardback; $16.99
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Special Info: See our reviews of other books featuring this illustrator.

Thumbuddy Special

Thumbuddy Special, written by Mark Arens and illustrated by Kelly Frankenberg, is a board book, the second in the “Thumbuddy” series, which includes both books and CDs.

Thumbuddy Special takes the reader through the first four years of Thumbuddy’s life. Each event (such as the first word or the first step) and each year (the first four birthdays) is celebrated as being special. The text begins, “When Mommy and Daddy held Thumbuddy for the first time, they gazed into Thumbuddy’s eyes, and pondered the miracle before them.” And after each event is chronicled, the text becomes personal for the reader, as the next page reads, “You, too, are a miracle! Just like Thumbuddy.”

The “Thumbuddy” series stresses the idea that everybody is “thumbuddy” as each of us have an unique thumbprint, making us each special.

The illustrations are delightful and cartoon-like, depicting “thumb”-people with adorable expressions on their faces. You can’t help but be charmed by them.

What I Like: I like the idea of a series of books (and CDs) about “thumb”-people. I’ve seen activities where you can create your own faces using thumb and finger prints, but this is the only series of books I know of that makes “people” using thumb prints for the faces.

What I Dislike: My only criticism is the language level of the book. There are too many words on each page and many of the words would be incomprehensible for children in the board book age group. However, this is a book that can be shared many times with your children.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The publisher doesn’t give an age group, but based on the text, I would say ages 1-4.

Publisher Info: ThumbPeople, 2008; ISBN: 0980160618; Board Book, $8.95.

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Special Info: Please check out our reviews of other Thumbuddy books.

Prayer Power

Prayer Power with Nehemiah the Praying Mantis was written by Jilly Framke and illustrated by Kristen Polson. Broken into nine 2-3 page chapters, this picture book follows a praying mantis named Nehemiah as he teaches two young kids about prayer. First he meets Jeffy, an adventurous boy who is seven and a half. The two become quick friends while pretending to be super heroes and building a block wall around Sophie's sand castle. Sophie is Jeffy's four-year-old sister. Together the three explore four building blocks of prayer:

1. Praise: Tell God how great He is.
2. Thanks: Tell God what you're thankful for.
3. Repent: Ask God to forgive you for what you've done wrong.
4. Share: Tell God about your dreams, wishes, worries, whatever's on your mind.

Nehemiah explains you can pray anytime and anywhere, and you can never pray too much. After the children practice praying, Nehemiah shares with them the story of his namesake: Nehemiah from the Old Testament, then he leaves to teach other children about the power of prayer.
After Nehemiah leaves, Jeffy realizes something: "Super hero strength doesn't come from this silly cape ... It's in our hearts and it comes from knowing God!"
The book provides an epilogue with more details about the real Nehemiah, including references, and a "blue print" for prayer that reviews the four building blocks and examples. Also, an audio book download is available through the publisher's website.
What I Like: This book beautifully entwines solid biblical teaching with funny, creative storytelling. The author offers a ton of cute details that help keep readers attention in spite of the length. I also really like the extra features in the back.
What I Dislike: It's long. My kids (3 and almost 5) have yet to sit through it. The illustrations lack detail. They feature a lot of color, but the style is too simplistic for my taste.
Overall Rating: Very Good.
Age Appeal: 4-8
Publisher Info: Tate Publishing, 2007; ISBN: 9781602473041; Paperback; $14.99
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