Seven Special Days

Seven Special Days, written by Henrietta D. Gambil, is a short picture book about the creation of the universe. Like most books about creation, this one starts with the beginning, when there was nothing at all, and ends with the seventh day, when God rested. Then, the author adds this paragraph:

I’m glad that God created
Everything we can see.
But most of all I’m glad
That he loves even me!

Thank you, God.

As you can see, the text is in rhyme. Parts of it are fine (like this verse), but there are many parts where the rhyme scheme is forced or the rhythm is off. Although this is true, the text also includes repetition at the end of most of the verses, making it more readable and enjoyable for kids.

The mostly bright illustrations by Hallie Gillett are cute, cartoon-like and very kid-friendly.

What I Like: The illustrations are my favorite part, especially the depiction of the creation of Eve!

What I Dislike: I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again, books written in rhyme are very difficult to do well. Unfortunately, this is another example of the when the rhyme just doesn’t work well.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 3-7.

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2005; ISBN: 9780784717172; Paperback, $2.29.

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Special Info: This book is part of Standard Publishing’s Happy Day Bible Stories series of books. Read our reviews of other Happy Day Books. Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Hallie Gillett.

The Hallelujah Lass

The Hallelujah Lass is the true story of Eliza Shirley, who was a pioneer of the Salvation Army in the United States. This book, tenderly written by Wendy Lawton, is the fifth in the Daughters of the Faith series.

Eliza grew up in nineteenth century England, loved nice things, and was careful to be proper at all times! She was raised to be mannerly, and to appreciate the finer things in life. So how did she end up preaching outdoors, while rotten fruit was thrown at her?

This story will take you into Eliza's life, and you will be able to see how God worked in her heart and life, making her into a selfless and useful servant of God. You'll travel with her from England to the United States. You'll be touched as you read about the inner workings of her heart, and see how she was drawn by the ministry of the Hallelujah Lassies. You'll also get to know her best friend Beck, and grow to respect her father and mother as they travel their respective spiritual journeys.

My favorite quote from the book comes from Eliza's father:

"Just remember Pet ... receiving the Gospel costs you nothing. Sharing the Gospel costs you something. Following the Gospel costs you everything."

What I Like: This book is very informative, but skillfully written and interesting to read. All the words that may be unfamiliar are italicized, and can be looked up in the glossary in the back of the book. No matter how you feel about women preaching, you will be touched by this book, and the compassion and bravery of Eliza. This book will teach young women that the Lord uses people regardless of their age and stature.

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 9-12, but I even enjoyed this book as an adult!

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2004; ISBN:0802440738 ; Paperback $6.99

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God Bless America

God Bless America, written by Amy Beveridge, is a short, happy book about America. It is written in four verses. Each verse ends with a Bible reference. The text starts out like this:

Dear God, I love America!
There is so much to see.
You have made this special land
For children just like me.

Then this Bible verse is given as a reference: “The entire universe was formed at God’s command.” – Hebrews 11:3.

The illustrations by Rusty Fletcher and Terry Julien are bright and colorful, with lots of happy faces.

What I Like: The text is short, the rhyme works, and the pictures are bright. What’s not to like!

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2006; ISBN: 0784718067; Paperback, $1.99.

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Special Info: This book is part of Standard Publishing’s Happy Day Holiday series of books. Read our reviews of other Happy Day Books. Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Terry Julien. Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Rusty Fletcher.

Saul's Conversion

Saul's Conversion, an Arch Books Bible Story, written by Eric Bohnet and illustrated by Marcy Ramsey, is the story of Saul’s conversion, taken from Acts 9:1-22; 21:1-22:21.

It opens with the apostle Paul sitting in jail, explaining to two other prisoners why he’s there and that he’ll forgive the ones who imprisoned him. Paul says, “For I learned there is no sin that God will not forgive. Christ Jesus bore our punishment; He died so we can live.”

He tells the prisoners about Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, a legal scholar, but he’s a man who knows nothing of God’s grace. The story describes the Christians’ flight from Jerusalem to Damascus and the relentless pursuit by Saul. “He swore that he would hunt them down until they were all dead,” the story says of the persecuted Christians.

But on Saul’s journey, a beam of light from heaven blinds him and a voice demands, “Why do you persecute Me, Saul?” It was Jesus, telling him to go into town and wait for a man. Jesus sends Ananias to Damascus to baptize Saul and heal his eyes.

From then on, Saul chooses to be known as Paul, and he’ll do as the Lord commands. Paul knows that Jesus called him out of love and he’ll tell all men that Christ is the Savior.

What I Like: I love Arch Books- a short read, the bright illustrations, and the rhyming text that my children enjoy hearing. The Note to Parents in the back of the book provides greater detail.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Ages 5 to 9. Reading level: Grade 3.

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2006; ISBN: 978-0758608680; Paperback $2.49.

Buy it at Amazon.com for $2.49.

Special Info: See more reviews of Arch Books Bible Stories here.

March Round the Walls with Joshua

March Round the Walls With Joshua, written by Stephanie Jeffs and illustrated by Chris Saunderson, is a rhyming book complete with fun actions for young ones to perform. This is the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. The book begins:

"Look! Look!
At Jericho city.
Look at the walls, with Joshua."
The illustrations encourage the child to cup fingers around each eye to "look."

Your child will knock, march, carry, blow, hush, (go) round, shout, rumble, bang and crash, charge, and (say) thanks with Joshua.

The story of Joshua obeying God's command and marching around the walls of Jericho will come alive for your child with the reading of this book. If I were still teaching Sunday School, I'd definitely use this book and the others from the action rhymes series as a teaching aid.

What I Like: I like the format of this book. The rhyme is simple and repetitive, but children will find it easy to recite. After reading this book and performing the actions, children are sure to remember this beloved Bible story. I like the last page which gives all glory to God, "Thanks! Thanks! Say thank you to God, For giving this city to Joshua."

What I Dislike: Nothing to dislike about this cute book.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal:4-8

Publisher Info: New Day Publishing, 2007; ISBN:0978905679 ; Paperback $4.99.

Buy it Now at Amazon.com for $4.99.

Special Info: We've reviewed another book by Stephanie Jeffs. You can read that review here.

A Letter from Heaven

A Letter From Heaven, written by Steve Butler, addresses the sensitive issue of a child’s death.

In this case, Jamie’s older sister, Alexandra, died at birth. Her ashes are kept on the mantle in a special vase. When Jamie is very small he asks, “What’s that?” The answer given is, “That’s Alexandra.”

This answer suffices until Jamie gets older. Then he wants to know, “Who is Alexandra?” At that point, Jamie’s mom goes over to the mantle, reaches behind the vase, and pulls out a letter. The letter is supposed to be from Alexandra, and it is addressed to Jamie. In the letter, Alexandra explains to Jamie what happened to her. She talks about her birth, her death and going to heaven (as well as other things).

The watercolor illustrations by Vaun Healey look like something a child would do. I’m not sure if that effect was intended.

What I Like: This book tackles a difficult subject, and as one reviewer put it, the author addressed “a rarely talked about issue regarding the questions and feelings children have when they discover that their parents had a previous child who died.” That’s a good thing.

What I Dislike: There just seems to be something missing from the story. After the letter is read to Jamie (and it’s a good letter), there is no discussion between mother and son about the sister Jamie never knew. I think the story would have been stronger if it had more closure.

Also, I noticed a couple of layout issues with the print of the text. They aren’t major issues, but they were somewhat distracting.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: The publisher does not give a suggested age group for this book, but I would say it would be 5-9.

Publisher Info: AuthorHouse, 2008; ISBN: 9781434347152; Paperback, $15.99.

Buy now at Amazon.com $14.39.

Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy

My son and I had so much fun reading Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy together. Written by Sean Gaffney as a spin-off of the popular VeggieTales cartoon series, Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy is the first book in Larry's superhero adventure series. Fans of VeggieTales will recognize Bumblyburg, and Professor Bok Choy at Bumblyburg Community College, as well as Larryboy's mentor and assistant, Archibald Asparagus.

Emperor Napoleon of Crime and Other Bad Stuff (a cherry tomato) is plotting to take over Bumblyburg by poisoning the townspeople with an envy formula. When people are envious, they lose their strength The small villain plans to exploit their weakness and throw them all in jail as he recreates Bumblyburg to fit his small stature.

Larryboy is called on to help, but, more often than not, his attempts end in funny mishaps. After he and Junior eat the envy formula in slushees, they are thrown in jail with the rest of the townspeople. There, they must learn to be content with who they are and what they have, in order to regain their strength and overpower the Emperor. They learn "a content heart is a happy heart," based on Proverbs 14:30 "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

What I Like: My family loves VeggieTales, so it is fun to be able to enjoy Larryboy's adventures in chapter book form. These books are fairly short, and the chapters usually end on some sort of cliffhanger, making them hard to put down. They are perfect for readers just delving into chapter books, but they are fun to read aloud too.

The book has a great message about being content and the way it is presented is easy for kids to grasp (as well as a great reminder for parents).

I also love the illustrations. Nearly every page includes shaded, black-and-white ink drawings. They are very clear, bright, expressive and fun--a bit comic-bookish even.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Age Appeal: Publisher lists 8-12, but I would say kindergarten and up

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2002; ISBN: 978-0-310-70467-6 ; Paperback, $4.99

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Special Info: This book is also available in Spanish at Amazon.com.

View CCBR reviews of other VeggieTales books here!

Little Pilgrim's Progress

Little Pilgrim's Progress is almost as much a classic as John Bunyan's centuries-old original, Pilgrim's Progress. In 1955, Helen L. Taylor adapted Pilgrim's Progress to make it easier for children to read and understand. Little Pilgrim's Progress is an overt allegory, detailing the journey of Christian, and his friend Christiana, out of the City of Destruction and into the Celestial City. The book instills readers with a clear sense of hope and joy, as Christian and his friends remember they will be with the King in his beautiful city forever, no matter what trials they may face along the way.

The characters in the book are named after virtues or vices, and their actions are obviously linked to their identities. Christian hears about the Celestial City (Heaven) from Evangelist, and since his mother is already living in the Celestial City, he decides to travel there and find her. He is instructed to go through the Wicket Gate and by way of the Cross. At the Cross, he is able to lay his burden down and he receives new garments of white. Many helpers come to assist him in his journey, but there are evil people set against him as well. He must make his way through the Valley of Humiliation, the Dark Valley, and the Doubting Castle where the Giant of Despair lives, to name a few. He also passes many other children on his journey, such as Idle, Talkative, and Flatterer, who attempt to steer him off the path.

Christian receives help in reading his scroll (the Bible) from Interpreter, and rests at the Palace Beautiful with Discretion, and her daughters, Prudence, Piety and Charity. He is joined by Faithful and Hopeful at different points in his journey, and he is given armor to fight Self. Now and again, the Shining Ones (angels) help him, but they also discipline him when he makes poor choices.

Faithful is killed by wicked men in Vanity Fair, but Little Christian continues, knowing Faithful was taken by angels directly to the Celestial City. Eventually, he comes to the Land of Delight, where he lives until he is summoned to the Celestial City by the King. His final trial is crossing the Dark River, but he is greeted on the other side by the Shining Ones and his mother, who has been watching for him.

Christiana's story is told in the second half of the book and though she meets some of the same people, her experiences are more peaceful and her trials are less dramatic. She brings her brothers and her baby sister with her in their quest to find the Celestial City, and they are joined by several adults along the way.

There are heavy ink sketches scattered throughout the book, and the short chapters lend themselves well to reading aloud or use as a devotional.

What I Like: I like how encouraging the view of Heaven (the Celestial City) is. It is described as a beautiful, shining palace, where people are cared for and greeted warmly by the King and His Son, and those who love them and have gone before.

I also like how Christian and Christiana are expected to be brave and stay on the King's path, even though they are children. The King and his helpers are always ready to assist and guide the children, but the children clearly have responsibility despite their youth.

Little Pilgrim's Progress is also quite an adventure. There are battles, giants, castles and armor enough to captivate any boy, even though virtues are heavily emphasized.

What I Dislike: The important thing to note with the book is to know your audience. While it is an encouraging, uplifting tale is some respects, the Christian life is not shown as easy or fun much of the time. This is true of real life as well, but I think some children may be discouraged at some of the events. I was sad when Faithful was killed and when Hopeful and Christian were whipped by the Shining Ones for going off the path. I do remember liking the book as a child, but parents should be prepared to discuss some of these events with your children.

The other item worth mentioning deals with suicide. When Christian and Faithful are imprisoned in the dungeon of the giant, Despair, he leaves poison out for them to drink. Hopeful says, "If we were to kill ourselves, the angels would never come to take us to the Celestial City. They only come when the King sends them." On the one hand, suicide is wrong, but we also know today the vast majority of suicides occur in people with a diagnosable mental illness, so this portion of the book may require careful explanation.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 6-12

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2006; ISBN: 978-0-8024-4924-5; Paperback, $8.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $6.99

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A Bible Alphabet and Activity Book

A Bible Alphabet, written and illustrated by Alison Brown, is a resource for children that goes through some well-known Bible stories A-Z. Your child will learn about: ark (Noah), basket (Moses), coat (Joseph), donkey (Balaam), earth (creation), fish (Jonah), giant (Goliath), house (Mary and Martha), ink (Paul's letters), jail (Peter), king (Solomon), lion (Daniel), manger (Jesus), needle (Dorcas), oil (Elisha), picnic (feeding the 5,000), queen (Jezebel), raven (Elijah), shepherd (Good Shepherd), tent (Abraham), unleavened bread (Israelites), vineyard (Naboth), wall (Nehemiah), box (ark of the Covenant), yoke (Job), and Zion (Heaven.) Each page of this book is dedicated to one of the 26 letters of the alphabet, and its corresponding topic.

The illustrations are beautifully rendered in colored pencil, and the description of each word simple, but enough to set the stage for more learning! All of the letters are lower-case. For example:

"l is for lion
Daniel loved to talk to God, even though it was against the law. That was why he was thrown into a pit with some hungry lions. God took care of faithful Daniel. Not one of those lions touched him!"


A Bible Alphabet-Activity Book corresponds with A Bible Alphabet. I'd definitely recommend buying these two books together. The activity book has a pull-out page with lower case letters to color, blanks to fill in, and a big beautiful picture to color.

For example, the lion page has lowercase "l's" and the word "lion" to color in. It also has a picture of a lion to color, and a fill in the blank paragraph about the story.



What I Like: I used this for preschool Bible with my oldest daughter. We would read a page in the first book, and then I would give her the coloring page to do. We'd find the story in the Bible and read it together. At the end of the book, there are Scripture references that you can look up, which makes further discussion very easy. I liked that everything was Biblically correct, and easy for my child to understand.

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about either of these books.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal:4-8, although younger children may enjoy it as well.

Publisher Info: Banner of Truth , 2007; ISBN:0851519636 ; Paperback $8.00 (A Bible Alphabet)
Banner of Truth, 2007; ISBN:0851519644; Paperback $4.00 (Activity Book)

Buy A Bible Alphabet Now at Christianbook.com for $8.00.

Buy a Bible Alphabet Activity Book at Christianbook.com for $4.00.

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Special Info: We've reviewed another book by Alison Brown. Read that review here.

What Will I Be When I Grow Up?

What kid doesn't dream about what she will be when she grows up? But how many of kids consider what God wants them to be as they grow? That's the premise behind Susan Snyder's What Will Be Be When I Grow Up?

A child wonders "Will I be a doctor or a nurse and give people medicine to make them feel better?...Maybe, but even if I'm not...I can cheerfully give others the good new that God's Word is the best medicine for a troubled heart."

This format continues, wondering such things as whether the child will be a teacher ("Maybe, but even if I'm not...I can teach children the exciting stories from the Bible..."), a singer ("...I can sing and praise God every day"), a police officer ("...I can be a peacemaker..."), a travel agent ("...I can tell people the gospel story so that they can go to the most wonderful place of all - heaven!"), author ("...I can write notes and cards and send them to people to cheer them up"), and so on.

The book ends:

"There are many, many different things that I might be when I grow up, but what I really want to do is please God in everything I do."

Throughout, illustrations by Valeria Cis show children with many different skin colors imagining their future and how they can please God today.

What I Like: My preschooler is very interested in what she's going to be when she grows up, so this book offers her a unique twist on the topic. I love that it gets her thinking not only about how she can serve God as an adult, but also how she can serve him as a child. I also appreciate the fun, engaging, and colorful illustrations - and the fact that Snyder's offers Bible citations to back up her assertions.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 to 8.

Publishing Info:Harvest House , 2009; ISBN: 978-0736924368; hard back, $15.99

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Yes, Jesus Loves You

Yes, Jesus Loves You, written by Heather Tietz, is as the blurb says, “a soothing stroll through God’s creation.” The author starts with a celebration of the child, showing how God loves us “crown to toes, twinkling eye and tiny nose.” Then the author goes on to include nature and all of God’s creations, such as raindrops, trees, and sunbeams, as proof that God loves “you.”

The text is in rhyme. The rhyme scheme is smooth and even until the next to the last page of the book.

The text is enhanced by the beautiful pastel drawings by Nancy Miller.

What I Like: I like the sparse text (few words on each page) and the artwork.

What I Dislike: My only complaint is the last part of the book where the rhyme doesn’t work. Otherwise, I like everything about the book.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Baby – Preschool.

Publisher Info: Ambassador Children’s Books, 2009; ISBN: 9780809167432; Hardcover, $14.95.

Buy now at Amazon.com $11.66.

Special Info: Visit the author’s website. Visit the illustrator’s website.