Tiny Readers Zacchaeus

Tiny Readers Zacchaeus, by Juliet David, is a wee little board book about a wee little man. Instead of having a two-page spread, each page holds one or two lines of text and an image. The illustrations, done by Hannah Wood, are bright and kid-friendly. For example, the buildings of Jericho are purple in hue and comprised of simple geometric shapes with windows the only added detail. Each person has light-colored skin tones and pink circles on their cheeks.

What I Like: I like the sturdiness of board books. I appreciate that this particular one tells us “You can find out more about this story in your Bible in Luke 19:1-9.” For young kids, this book is a great introduction to a beloved Bible story. I’m happy that it is part of a series too, which includes stories about Jonah and Noah.

What I Dislike: Nothing really, but I will point out two very minor items. There is one page where I didn’t feel like the illustration accurately depicted the text. It said, “One day people heard that Jesus was visiting Jericho. They crowded the streets to see him.” Besides Jesus, there are only three other people in the picture. While it’s true that three is a crowd, I don’t think it works here. Also, three words seemed too old for the book: complained, perched, and astonished.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: The publisher lists ages 4-8, but to me, the book format and limited text make it better suited for a 2-5 age group.

Publisher Info: Candle Books, 2011; ISBN:978-1859858813; Boardbook, 18 PGS., $4.99

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Special Info: Read a CCBR review of another book in the Tiny Readers series, Loaves and Fish.

Shifty Characters

Author Shirley Francis-Salley, along with illustrator Willow Raven, has created a different kind of book called Shifty Characters. Together, they illustrate in both words and pictures, how “characters” can “shift” to create different words. Part of the text reads:

Shifty Characters love to move.
They won’t stand still for long.
They are always changing and rearranging,
until the word that was there is gone.

For example, the “characters” in the word “barn” can “shift” to create the word “bran”. Even though both words use the same letters, the two words have entirely different meanings.

The author gives several examples of “characters shifting” to make new words. Then she draws a connection between the “shifty characters” and people by saying this:

And that’s the way God works with us,
for we are characters, too.
We need to be changed and rearranged
to make our lives brand new.

She gives some examples of people being changed: People who like to fight can be changed to people who are caring and sharing. Rude and mean people can be changed to being kind.

The illustrations make the book work, especially in the first part of it, as the alphabetic “characters” have faces so they look a bit like people (who are also “characters”).

What I Like: The author makes a good correlation between alphabet characters and human ones and how God can change the human ones. The illustrator has done a great job of personifying the characters to make that point.

What I Dislike: However, as you may have noticed, the text is written in rhyme. And, like many of you already know, I’m not a big fan of rhyming text as it’s very difficult to do and do well. Unfortunately, the rhyme scheme and rhythm of the text is off in several places, making the text jarring to read.

Overall Rating: I still give it a very good rating because the idea is a very good one.

Age Appeal: No age group is given but I would say 6-12 would be about right.

Publisher Info: Clay Jars Publishing, 2010; ISBN: 9780984336906 ; Paperback, $16.99.

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Shattered: A Daughter's Regret

Even though it is the second book in the "Secrets" series, Shattered: A Daughter's Regret by prolific author Melody Carlson, reads very much like a stand-alone novel. It centers around Cleo, a high school senior who makes one seemingly innocent rebellion, the consequences of which change her life forever.

As an only child, Cleo is a bit spoiled by her over-protective mother, much in contrast to Lola, Cleo's best friend, who is the oldest of three raised by a single mom. When Lola wins tickets from a radio show to a Christian concert, it seems the perfect plan for their last night together before Lola moves to far away San Francisco with her family. Of course, Cleo's mom won't let her go; it's not safe for two teenagers to drive alone into the city at night. But Cleo can't accept this. After her mom leaves for a friend's bachelorette party, the girls take mass transit to get into the city and to the concert. Lola believes Cleo's mom "okay"ed it and Cleo's mom believes the girls are having a slumber party. Aside from a dead cell phone battery, everything seems to be fine until the next morning.

Lola wakes Cleo for an early morning "good-bye." Moments later policemen knock on Cleo's door with news that her mother's body had been found just blocks from the concert. When Cleo checks her cell phone messages, her suspicions are confirmed. Her mother was in the wrong place at the wrong time because of her. After discovering Cleo's deception, Cleo's mom drove into the city to protect her, but met the hands of a murderer instead.

Grief and guilt combine to send Cleo into a downward spiral. Seeking to dull the pain, she takes some of her mother's old prescription medications. It dulls the ache and so she takes more. Slowly her habit becomes an addiction and soon she finds herself at the park spending her college savings to get a baggie of unknown, colorful pills from a shady drug dealer.

In the meantime, Cleo's aunt Kellie moves in to help her and her dad manage. Cleo struggles to balance that new arrangement with her secret self-medication, maintaining the lead role in her ballet recital and a budding relationship with her long-time crush at school. All while knowing she can never reveal to anyone -- not even Lola -- what role she played in her mother's death.

How long can she keep her drug habit a secret? Will she be able to quit on her own? And what role does God play in all of this? Will her father ever forgive her? Will she ever forgive herself?

What I Like: This book covers really heavy topics without being preachy. It clearly emphasizes the value of honesty and friendship (including support groups), but also highlights a beautiful balance between personal responsibility and God's grace. Forgiveness, a topic not often covered in YA literature is a pervasive theme. I really liked that. I like that the characters are fully developed. The whole book is wonderfully realistic without going crazy with unsavory details. Nicely done.

What I Dislike: The text goes back and forth between first person present tense and first person past tense. I realize this is a storytelling tactic as old as the written word, but I found it annoying. More importantly, I wish the spiritual content had been stronger. It was there, but extremely subtle.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: Teen

Publisher Info: NavPress, 2011; ISBN: 1600069495; Paperback; 208 pages; $14.99

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Special Info: Parents should note that substance abuse is a main theme within this book. In addition to the illegal use of drugs, it also references the sale and purchase of illegal drugs. Themes discussed but not central include alcoholism, murder and suicide.

See our reviews of other books by this author.

Treasures from Heaven

Do you ever wonder what Heaven will be like? In Treasures from Heaven, written by Leslie Jackson, young Christa and her mother have lots of ideas about it. Perhaps Heaven is like cotton candy or coffee. Perhaps Heaven is like a rainbow or a laugh. As the two drive along the road, they offer their thoughts in a lighthearted way.

Each two-page spread in the book has two to five lines of text on one side and simple, bright, kid-friendly illustrations on the other.

What I Like: The eye-catching illustrations are adorable and the banter between mother and child is enjoyable. To me, the best line is, “…most importantly, it [Heaven] will be filled with God’s love, and I can’t wait to get there.”

What I Dislike: While imagining what Heaven is like, Mom suggests Christa think of her favorite things. For some reason, that bothers me. Would, then, Heaven be different for everyone according to their personal preferences? Also, I would have liked some Heavenly Scripture references.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: The publisher lists ages 4-8, but to me it seems too "young" for that. I believe it's better suited for ages 2-5.

Publisher Info: Tate Publishing, 2011; ISBN:978-1617392672; Paperback, 24 PGS., $8.99

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