All You Want and Then Some

All You Want and Then Some was written by Carolyn McWilliams Brown and tells the story of a young girl and a very special friend.

With two small brothers, Katie is the oldest, and she's starting to feel a little neglected. Things just aren't the same as they used to be. When their neighbor, Bella, notices that Katie's family needs a ready smile and a helping hand, she quickly rises to the occasion. Bella brings fresh cookies one afternoon and flowers from her garden another. She watches Katie and her brothers so their parents can go out by themselves once in a while. Best of all, she makes Katie feel super special and reminds her how much God loves her. Katie decides that Jesus must be a lot like Bella.

Katie is devastated when she learns that her family is moving to a new neighborhood. Bella assures her that they'll still be friends. "I bet God has some wonderful surprises that He just can't wait to give you." Bella promises to visit.

After the move, Katie notices that a new neighbor might need a little help. Katie offers to play with the kids so the mom could get some work done in the house. She even takes them cupcakes and flowers, just like Bella used to do for them. Katie doesn't feel sad anymore. Instead she feels happy. She knows that when she shares Jesus' love with others, she has all she wants and then some.

The last page of the book encourages parents to "Talk About It" with their children. It offers four short questions and answers to initiate discussions.

The illustrations by Deb Hoeffner are soft and colorful. They feature realistic, expressive characters.

What I Like: My daughter loves this book, and I love the impact it has made on her. She wants to show Jesus' love to others, just as it was described in this book. She scoured stores for weeks to find pink fluffy slippers, so that she could be just like Bella in the book. Almost daily she asks if we can bake cookies for our neighbors or pick flowers for friends. It's a wonderful story.

What I Dislike: The cover price is high, but if you can get a deal (like through the links below), it's worth it.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Winepress Publishing, 2008; ISBN: 157921908X; Hardback; $18.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $15.99.

OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $14.81.