Learn and Spell Puzzle Book of Learning

Learn and Spell / Puzzle Book of Learning by Frank N. and Dotsie J., is a workbook designed to teach preschoolers their alphabet and numbers.

The pages of this workbook are bright and colorful. As children are learning the alphabet, they are also being taught a little rhyme about Jesus.

As the children are introduced to a number, because each letter is equated to a number. As the children learn these combinations of letters and numbers ("A is letter number 1"), they are given activities and games which combine the letters and their "partner" numbers.

What I Like: I like that a lot of thought has been put into the designing of this book. Rather than children being taught the traditional "A is for apple," words that children would use in their daily vocabulary are used instead. "A is for and."As children are being taught the alphabet, they will notice that vowels have a shadow behind them in order to teach them that these sounds are different from all of the others.

I also like that where most preschool learning books children are usually taught to count to the numbers 10 or 15, in this book they are taught to count up to 26 because of the number of alphabet in the English language.

What I Dislike: I personally have a hard time equating a letter to a number. All of the games use the letter/number relationship which is somewhat difficult for preschoolers to do, and the games are extremely difficult, in my opinion.

Although I know that a lot of thought and time has gone into the making of this book, I think it is a bit expensive.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-6 years.

Publisher Info: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013; ISBN: 978-1482701753; paperback, 48 pgs., $10.53

Buy it at Amazon.com for $10.53

Ella Mae: The Courageous Cheerleader

In Ella Mae: The Courageous Cheerleader, Ella Mae is bullied by some of the other cheerleaders in her school. Rather than striking back at them – being mean in return – she chooses to turn the other cheek and repay hurt with kindness. Before long things turn around at her school and the kids no longer think it’s cool to be mean. They even elect her queen for the day at her school.

Author Stephanie Cameron uses Galatians 6:9 as the reference for the story. She also includes a list of three discussion questions at the end of the book (each with its own Bible reference), as well as a suggested prayer and another list of scriptures that can be used for references to the story.

The illustrations are cartoon-like, but they are colorful and work well with the text.

What I Like: Bullying is, unfortunately, something many kids have to face on a daily basis. It’s good to have stories that related to the subject. I also like that the text is based on a true story. And, I like the numerous Bible references used for the text and the study questions.

What I Dislike: The story is written in rhyme, and as you probably know, I am generally not a fan of rhyming text. This is because it is very difficult to write in rhyme and to do it well. Unfortunately, although most of the text does actually rhyme, the rhyme is often forced, making the sentences sound unnatural and throwing off they rhythm of the text.

Also, although the story is about bullying, the reason for the bullying is never mentioned. Why is Ella being bullied?

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: It’s tough to say what the age group is because the story is about cheerleaders. You usually don’t have cheerleaders in elementary school, but the text is written for that age group. So, I’d  have to say ages 8-12 would be appropriate.

Publisher Info: Tate Publishing, 2012; ISBN: 9781628546002; Paperback, $8.99.

Buy the hardcover edition now at Amazon $18.99!

Special Info: A link to an audio download for the story is included with the book.

Can God See Me?

Can God See Me? by Penny Reeve is a sweet book in the spirit of The House that Jack Built where each page builds on what the previous page said.

The question is asked, "Can God see me?" Throughout the story, a very fantastical situation is thought up by a little boy and the question is continuously asked. I love how the end of the story concluded with, "At the base of the hill, far away from the tree... I'm so thankful God can still see me."

What I Like: On a personal level, I love that when my daughter walked up to me as I was writing this review, she remembered the story and the conclusion most of all. It has been several months since we read this one together. As a parent, I love when a book impacts my own child to the point where remembers it vividly.

I also love the illustrations. They line up perfectly with the fantastical wording. The illustrations leave plenty of "white" space for the words to take center stage, yet they stand on their own to complement the story perfectly.

What I Dislike: Although I have a paperback version of this book, it is only available as an e-book for Kindle at this point.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 3-8 years old.

Publisher Info: Wombat Books, 2013; ISBN: 978-1-922074-97-3 ; Kindle, 24 pgs., $3.99.

Buy it at Amazon.com for $3.99

Paul, Tarsus to Redemption

For kids who love manga, check out the book Paul, Tarsus to Redemption. This visually entertaining book by Matthew Salisbury and Gabrielle Gniewek follows the life of Saul in his early persecution of the church, his blinding encounter with Christ on the road to the Damascus (and name change), and all the way to his death in Rome. 

Classic manga illustrations by Sean Lam help the reader visualize every step of Paul’s journey. With the binding on the right instead of the left and panels read from right to left in Japanese style, readers can fully immerse themselves in the comic-style experience. The book helpfully provides directions on how to read the text. Ironically, this information is located at the end of the book, making it the first page readers unfamiliar with the genre see! The author also provides an annotated map of Paul’s excursions.

The book is divided into three chapters. Each chapter quotes a verse of Scripture.

What I Like:This is a book that would appeal to my son and kids who enjoy comic books. The artwork is visually spectacular. It’s a thick book, but a fast read, making it particularly appealing to reluctant readers.

What I Dislike: I felt like the text left a few gaps in the story that the pictures were not able to fully clarify. Therefore, I think kids must have a good grasp on Paul’s life from Scripture prior to reading the book. Without that background knowledge I think the tale would be hard to follow. There were also a few places where the writer/artist took some creative liberties which surprised me, but, in general, those served to make the story come to life.

Overall Rating: Very Good, though the artwork is Excellent. So VG with a nod toward EXCELLENT.

Age Appeal: None is suggested. I think it works for ages 8 and older.

Publisher Info: Magna Hero, 2012; ISBN: 978-0983639749 ; Paperback, 312 pgs., $9.99
This book is not currently available at Christianbook.com.
Buy it at Amazon.com for $9.99.

Special Info: This author or illustrator has other books that might interest your manga reader, including: Pope Francis: I Believe in Mercy, Many Are Called, and Judith: Captive to Conqueror.