Seek and Find Bible Stories

If your kids enjoy the mainstream Where's Waldo books, they are sure to love Seek and Find Bible Stories by Carl Anker Mortensen, also. This is a superb, over sized (about 12 by 9 1/2 inches) book using settings from the Bible to "hide" a boy named Mike. Each two page spread features a highly detailed scene that takes up most of the pages, in addition to text that speaks briefly about the scene, offers questions and things to look for, plus one biblical quotation. And, naturally, readers are encouraged to find Mike somewhere in the illustration.

For example, for the two page spread on the Tower of Babel, one paragraph explains the basics of the biblical story. Then there are 5 questions, including "Can you find the missing horseshoe?" and "What game do you think the children are playing with the camel?" Then Genesis 11:1 - 9 is quoted.

Other Bible stories included are:

* Creation
* Noah's ark
* Israeli slaves in Egypt
* The parting of the Red Sea
* The war against the Amalekites
* Eating manna
* Jericho
* Daily life in Isreal
* Samson
* David and Goliath
* The Ark of the Covenant
* Building the temple
* Jesus' birth
* Young Jesus in the temple
* The wedding in Cana
* Jesus clearing the temple
* Jesus healing the man who can't walk
* The Beatitudes
* The sick woman who touched Jesus
* Jesus feeding 5,000
* Zacchaeus
* Jesus' entry into Jerusalem
* Pentecost
* The apostles healing many
* Stephen
* Angels praising Jesus

What I Like: This book offers a nice mix of biblical passages that tend to get little attention when it comes to children's literature and Bible stories that are found in nearly every children's book. The illustrations by Jose Perez Montero are excellent; they remind me of Peter Spier's illustrations. They are full of fun details, and are the sort of thing many children will enjoy pouring over for hours.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Zonderkidz, 2008; ISBN: 978-0310717591; hardback, 64 pgs., $9.99

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William Carey: Obliged to Go (Christian Heroes: Then & Now)

William Carey: Obliged to Go is a part of the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series. You may know William Carey as the "Father of Modern Missions," but Janet and Geoff Benge will give you more insight on the intriguing life of this missionary to India.

As a boy, William was apprenticed to a codwainer (shoemaker) who taught him his trade. While he was an apprentice, he began to attend dissenter meetings. When his master died, William moved two miles away to finish his apprenticeship with another codwainer. He ended up marrying Dolly, one of the daughters of the dissenter minister in that town.

William and Dolly faced many hardships in their young married life: poverty, the death of two daughters, and the slow descent of Dolly into depression and emotional illness. William wrote a book, Enquiry, which was meant to aid in Christian missions.

William felt that God was urging him to preach the gospel in foreign lands, but he had one problem. Dolly, who was expecting another child, refused to go along. William felt that he had no recourse but to leave her behind. Dolly did agree to allow him to take their oldest son Felix, but she was firm in her intention to stay behind. In God's Providence, William, Felix, and their companion, Dr. Thomas were not allowed to board the ship because of some outstanding debts that the doctor had. During the interim, Dr. Thomas helped William to convince Dolly to bring the children and her sister, and travel with them to India.

On their way to India at last, William had no idea of the troubles he would encounter in his quest to preach Christ to those who needed to know Him. Through poverty, death of loved ones, opposition from the missionary society, and sickness, God sustained William. He was able to minister to those he had a burden for, and he didn't let any of these things stop him. He truly sacrificed his life for the sake of the gospel.

What I Like: This biography pleasantly surprised me as an exciting and compelling read. Many of the events in Carey's life were heartbreaking, but his faith in God stood firm through it all. I like it that the authors do not candy coat or sensationalize the story, but present it in a clear and honest way.

What I Dislike: Many of the events detailed when William Carey was an older man are not developed as well as the events in the beginning of the story.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 9-12, but I believe that younger children could easily enjoy having this book read to them.

Publisher Info:YWAM Pub, 1998; ISBN:1576581470 ; Paperback, 211 pages; $8.99.

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Special Info: We have reviewed other books in the Christian Heroes: Then and Now Series. Read those reviews here.

Time for Bed Bible Stories

From Noah to Jesus, Time for Bed Bible Stories shares bite-sized stories just the right length for bedtime.

Stories include:

• Noah Builds an Ark
• Daniel and the Lions
• Jonah and the Gigantic Man-Swallowing Fish
• Jesus Calms a Storm
• Jesus and the Tiny Taxman
• Jesus is Alive!

All of the stories have bright and cheerful illustrations to accompany them, many showing smiling people and animals.

Time for Bed Bible Stories is written by Juliet David and illustrated by Sarah Pitt.

What I Like: The stories are short, maybe a couple paragraphs at the longest, so they're quick to get through. You could easily read three or four stories to your youngster before shutting off the light at night.

What I Dislike: Several stories feel unfinished. In many cases, adding one more finishing sentence probably would have strengthened the stories, and left me (or my kids) without questions. For instance, in "Joseph and His Special Coat," the end of the story states that "one day Joseph's father and brothers came to live in Egypt too." There's no mention of how the father and brothers were reconciled to Joseph. A one or two sentence addition could have fixed this.

None of the stories had references, which I would have liked in case my child wanted to know more about a particular story.

From a writer's point of view, the book doesn't feel like it was edited well. The first story, Noah Builds an Ark, is written in present tense, while every other story is in past tense.

Overall Rating: Ho-hum

Age Appeal: 4 - 8, but I feel the way the stories are written, older children may get bored. My personal feel is Baby - 5.

Publisher Info: Candle Books, 2010; ISBN: 978-1-85985-778-6; Hardback, 93 pages, $12.99

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Special Info: We've also reviewed other books by Juliet David. You can find them here. Also, some parents may wish to know that all of the stories that feature Jesus show His face.

The Trouble with Max

The first book in the Max and Me Mysteries series, The Trouble With Max was written by Patricia H. Rushford, a registered nurse with a Masters degree in counseling.

When Jessie Miller finds an unexpected best friend in newcomer Max Hunter, the two become a pair of unlikely heroes. Jessie is small, skinny and bald, thanks to an ongoing battle with leukemia. Max is loud, confident and more unpredictable than this small, lakeside community is accustomed to. When the girls stumble over a possible drug deal, a string of trouble attaches to their heels.

Before long Jessie discovers that Max’s aunt and uncle are abusing her and that they moved here after a previous run-in with child protective services. The friendship, Max's safety and Jessie's health are all put to the test as the two girls attempt to solve separate mysteries. Believing it will keep her out of foster care, Max wants to cut off the drug supply that feeds her aunt and uncle’s habits, but Jessie wants to find a way to get Max away from her aunt and uncle without losing her only friend.

What I Like: This was a great read! I really enjoyed it. I like that it features uncommon characters. Not everyone wants to read about the beautiful, talented cheerleader all the time. The author depicts the characters' struggles and triumphs with believable details which had my emotions run the gamut between heartbroken, joyful and anxious with suspense.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really. A few strings were left loose, but I'm okay with that. I trust the author handles them in the subsequent books of this series.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2007; ISBN: 0802462537; Paperback; 140 pages; $6.99

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Special Info: You can read the first chapter of this book online. There you can also learn more about the author and her other books, including two more in this series: Danger at Lakeside Farm and The Secret of Ghost Island.

Little Things Make Big Differences: A Story about Malaria

Little Things Make Big Differences: A Story about Malaria, written by Rev. John Nunes and Monique Nunes, is based on a true story about Rehema, a girl who lives in Tanzania.

When Rehema was just a baby, she was bitten by a mosquito and contracted malaria. Her parents walked many miles to a hospital to get treatment for her. Because of this, she survived and her parents learned how to protect themselves and others from mosquito bites.

Most of the book is devoted to Rehema’s story. The last few pages give readers ways they can help those in countries like Tanzania.

The illustrations by Mark Schroder are detailed and expressive, but they are also done in darker, muted colors that fit the tone of the story.

What I Like: This is a good book for children to learn about malaria and how it is spread. The story is an interesting one and is well-written.

What I Dislike: The layout of the book is a bit awkward in regards to the binding. One of the two-page spreads has a person’s face partially obscured, catching half the person's mouth and chin in the folds of the binding, which looks rather odd. On another page, a person’s elbow looks like it has been cut in half.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2010; ISBN: 9780758616654; Paperback, $6.99.

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Amrach and the Paraclete

Amrach and the Paraclete gives readers a clear picture of who the Holy Spirit is and how he operates in our lives today. Pentecostal church superintendent John Glass writes in a manner reminiscent of Pilgrim's Progress but in a fantasy setting, with a Narnia-style lion as the Christ-figure.

In this powerful allegory, Amrach is a keeper of "the remnant legend," and secretly teaches others about the Lion. However, when the evil princes of Harag discover him teaching, they kill his wife, capture his children, and leave him for dead. When Amrach wakes up, he decides to seek an audience with the Lion. There, the Lion commissions Amrach to travel throughout the land and raise an army to fight against the princes of Harag.

Although Amrach has always served the Lion, he never knew the Paraclete was available to help him. As he travels, he learns to rely on the Paraclete for his every decision, instead of making decisions based on his own will or best guess. From time to time, Amrach forgets to consult him and suffers consequences, but he never loses sight of his service to the Lion. At the end, Amrach leads the army to victory and is reunited with his sons, and his resurrected wife.

What I Like: This is an engaging, fast-paced fantasy, but I like the reminder to pay attention to the Holy Spirit the best. I found myself realizing I often make decisions without asking for God's guidance, and I found myself wanting to pray more and listen better.

I also like the study section at the end. Glass includes many Scripture references for each chapter, with an invitation to "Look them up and see if you can discover the part of Amrach's story to which they refer."

What I Dislike: I thought Amrach got over the death of his wife rather quickly, but this is just a petty complaint. (Probably because I am a wife.)

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 8-12, but teens and adults would like it as well

Publisher Info: Authentic Lifestyle, 2004; ISBN: 1-85078-556-2; Paperback, 177 pages, $9.99

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Special Info: There are a few subtle points that may seem specifically Pentecostal, but I think Christians of all belief systems can gain valuable insight into who the Holy Spirit is through this book.

Betty Greene: Wings to Serve

“The twin-engine Lockheed B-34 bomber stood illuminated in pools of white floodlight on a corner of the tarmac. Betty Greene strolled toward it, her parachute strapped securely to her back and her fur-lined flying jacket buttoned tight against the crisp fall air. Her heart beat wildly as she approached the airplane…”

Once again, authors Janet and Geoff Benge hook the reader straight off with an action-packed slice of life. Their book, Betty Greene: Wings to Serve, another biography in the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series, focuses on the life and adventures of Betty Greene.

Betty Greene served her country during World War II as a WASP pilot, a select group of females trained to fly military aircraft. The book details many close calls, dangers, challenges, and obstacles faced by Betty during this time. But it doesn’t stop there, because Betty had a dream—to use her skills as a pilot to serve God. As the war drew to a close, Betty worked with other Christians to help found the Mission Aviation Fellowship. Today, MAF is a global ministry that helps support missionary efforts. It operates over eighty aircrafts in nineteen countries.

What I Like: I said this before with another book I reviewed by the same authors, so this will sound repetitive (but it's still true). I avoid reading biographies because the bore me. However, I LIKED THIS BOOK. The strong writing made it an easy read. Betty’s perseverance, determination, faithfulness, and passion shone brightly throughout the book. The story is engaging, inspiring, and well-written. I believe this book—and likely all the books in this series—would be a great addition to any homeschool curriculum or church library.

What I Dislike: I didn't think the book had an eye-catching cover. However, I liked everything else about it.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 9-12, but I think it is appropriate for people of all ages.

Publisher Info: YWAM Publishing, 1999; ISBN: 978-1576581520; Paperback, 195 pages, $8.99

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Special info: Read other CCBR reviews of books by these authors.