The Berestain Bears' Harvest Festival

The leaves are changing into bright colors, the apples are ripe, and it’s time for the Bear family to enjoy the fall harvest. In Michael Berestain's book The Berestain Bears' Harvest Festival, the whole bear family walks to a neighbor’s house to enjoy a hayride, pumpkin picking, pumpkin pie, and a shared meal. On the way and throughout the story, they take small moments to count their many blessings.

Lovers of the Berestain Bears series will enjoy the comforting images of fall and the friendly family banter highlighted in the book.  Rather than having a story with a problem and solution, it’s more of a celebration of fall activities complete with a prayer of thanks from Preacher Brown.  At the end of the book, the author makes the story more interactive by including three questions to discuss and two activities to try out.

What I Like: The Berestain Bears were always a favorite of mine (and of my children). This book makes a nice addition to the collection and gives parents the opportunity to talk about the fall season in a fun way!

What I Dislike: The story was sweet, but slow moving. It lacked the kind of problem-to-solve with a moral lesson that distinguished many of the earlier books in the series.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8 years old.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 978-0310748656; Paperback, 24 pgs., $3.99

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The Berenstain Bears Reap the Harvest

Brother and Sister Bear are trying to decide what to do with their summer in Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain's The Berenstain Bears Reap the Harvest. Sister suggests they should get a job because "Papa says according to Proverbs, 'All hard work brings a profit."

Fortunately for the cubs, it just so happens Farmer Ben is looking for help - although he's not entirely sure the Bears are old enough to be really useful. Brother and Sister convince him they can do lots of things: Collect eggs, feed the chickens, sweep the barn, slop the hogs, call the cows, and make sure the bull pen is locked tight. But when they ask how much they will be paid, Farmer Ben surprises them. He tells them corn is his cash crop - the crop he sells for money. "I'll tell you what," the farmer says, "If you do a good job, I'll pay you the money I get for all the corn that grows in that corner of the field." He explains he won't know how much money that will be until autumn; it all depends on how much sunshine and rain there is, and whether they can keep pests away. "That's the way it is with farming," he says. "Same way it is with faith...our true reward comes later on - in God's good time."

The young cubs agree and work hard for the farmer all summer. And, lo, the corn crop is one of Farmer Ben's best ever. The cubs are pleased with their summer's pay and put all their earnings into the bank. "We want to keep it at least as long as it took to earn it," they say.

What I Like: My kids like Berenstain Bear books. This one seems to have a less obvious moral than most of the Berenstain books (a weakness, in my opinion), but it does a better job integrating a Bible-based theme into the story than many of the newer books in the series. My kids enjoyed it.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, but my 2 year old enjoyed it, too.

Publishing Info: Zonderkidz; 2011; ISBN: 978-0310722779; hardback, 40 pgs., $6.99.

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My Basket of Blessings

Counting our blessings is what Dr. Mary Manz Simon's My Basket of Blessings (and many reasons to thank God) is all about. This book is die cut to look like a basket, and each page has die cut images of items in the basket, giving a fun layered look. Adding to the attractive appearance are many sparkly images.

The text is well written rhyme and explains how the items in the basket remind us of God. For example, the juicy apples "will never match the sweetness of God's love for me" and the kitten "reminds me of God's caring and of his gentle touch." There's also a scarecrow to remind that God made us, a pumpkin pie, with it's wafting scent, to remind us God's gifts are everywhere, a squirrel whose "chatter now reminds me to share God's love with you," and a teddy bear, who reminds us bears sleep in deep caves and that God is with us day and night. The book ends:

"My basket overflows now the blessings from above.
These precious gifts around me remind me of God's love!"

What I Like: My 2 year old adores this book. He was instantly attracted to the sparkles and the die cast images in this book. The message is simple and the book keeps his attention over and over again.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but I'd say infant to preschool.

Publishing Info: Standard Publishing, 2010; ISBN: 0784728796; board book, 14 pgs., $12.99

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The Pumpkin Gospel

If you're looking for a way to explain what Jesus does for us, The Pumpkin Gospel by Mary Manz Simon is a great place to start. In well-written rhyme, Simon uses a carved pumpkin to illustrate how God gives us a "clean heart," forgiving "our mess-ups" and offering us "a new start."

The illustrations my Matt Whitlock show a father and two children carving a pumpkin. First the kids notice the slimey, stringy goo inside the pumpkin. It reminds them of "my insides before God makes me new." Then they scoop out the glop and clean the inside of the pumpkin - just like God cleans them of sin. The kids carve a smiling pumpkin, then put a candle inside it.

"God's love is like a candle
that shines from inside out.
It's beaming deep within me,
and so I now can shout.
To glow like my big pumpkin
and have a nice clean heart,
ask God to please forgive you.
You'll have a brand new start."

What I Like: Both my toddler and my kindergartner like this book a lot, and so do I. Using a carved pumpkin to illustrate how God "cleans" us is a simple and effective way to make the concept really stick with kids. This is an ideal book to read before, after, or while you carve a pumpkin. In addition, I really appreciate that each page features an appropriate Bible verse at the bottom of the page. For example, the first page, which talks about how pumpkins can show us about God giving us clean hearts quotes Psalm 51:7: "Wash me...until I am clean and whiter than snow."

What I Dislike: This isn't really a dislike, but it's tough not to compare this book to Crystal Bowman's My Happy Pumpkin (read our review of that book here). As it happens, The Pumpkin Gospel was published first. I think Simon's book also explains the concept more clearly. The Pumpkin Gospel's illustrations aren't quite as nice, in my opinion, but while My Happy Pumpkin is really designed for kids under 4, The Pumpkin Gospel is best for kids 4 and up.

My only real complaints about The Pumpkin Gospel is that it never mentions Jesus ("just" God) and that the glow-in-the-dark features don't work well. To be able to actually read the book with the lights out, you have to charge each two page spread with a bright light, turn off the light, read, turn the page, turn on a bright light to charge the next two page spread, turn off the light, read, and so on. Rather than do this, I suggest parents read the book through with the lights on, then turn off the lights and give their child a flashlight to play with the glow-in-the-dark feature.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Standard Publishing, 2005; ISBN: 978-0784717585; board book, 12 pgs., $10.99

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by this author.

The Scarecrow and the Spider

The Scarecrow and the Spider seems the perfect title for autumn, but it has very little to do with the season. This story, written and illustrated by Todd Aaron Smith, tells how two "scary" creatures discover that God gives us friends just when we need them.

Benny can't understand why he has no friends until one day when he sees his own frightening reflection in a pond. He wonders why he was "made to be so different." Later he discovers a beautiful spider web and watches with fascination as the spider does her work. When a bird comes to eat the spider, Benny does the only thing he knows he's good at: he scares the bird away! With a dance the spider shouts "I knew God was watching out for me!" She goes on to explain how God is the best kind of friend. "Everywhere you go and in everything you do, God is there -- even when you feel all alone!" Benny and the spider rejoice in this new friendship with each other and God. Neither has had many friends because they always seem to scare others away. Their conversation is cut short when three bully boys approach. They try to throw Benny in the pond. Now it's Spider's turn to be the hero. She races onto the hand of one of the boys who then screams runs away. Benny and the spider decide one of the ways God takes care of us is by giving us friends. "Friends share things [and] watch out for each other too."

The illustrations are comic book-ish with heavy black outlines and vibrant colors. The characters are quite expressive.

What I Like: The message is great. This book teaches the value of friends and God's provision in a wonderfully tangible way. I also like having an autumn-ish book that has nothing to do with Halloween.

What I Dislike: The last picture shows the scarecrow in silhouette, a clear reference to the cross. However, this message is never actually given. It's a beautiful picture, but the connection isn't made. I wish it had been. Also, the story is long for this age range, even repetitive in a couple spots.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 3-5

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2005; ISBN: 1400305500; Hardback; $9.99
This title is also available as a Boardbook: Thomas Nelson, 2007; ISBN: 1400311373; $7.99

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P is for Pumpkin

P is for Pumpkin: God's Harvest Alphabet was written by Kathy-jo Wargin and illustrated by Yawen Ariel Pang. The top of each page gives a short story or explanation, told in rhyming verse. The bottom of each page reiterates the something specific that starts with the featured letter. For example: "Apples and Acorns and all sorts of things -- Let's find the blessings that God's autumn brings. A is for Apple."
The bold illustrations show diverse characters through great contrast and rich colors.
What I Like: The text clearly represents the omnipresence of God. Almost every page talks about what He has provided for us and how He talks with us in every place and situation. It encourages a relationship with Him; I like that. I also appreciate anything that furthers literacy and reading readiness.
What I Dislike: The split text makes it cumbersome to read. I recommend reading just the story at the top or just the letters at the bottom. Otherwise, it feels like a continual self-interruption.
The illustrations are odd; all the characters sport heavy eyebrows and cone-like noses. Every time we turned the page, my children would ask "Mommy, why are those people so cross?" They even found some characters "scary" who weren't meant to be.
Finally, I'm not thrilled with the choice of words featured for each letter. I would have preferred that all references to Halloween be omitted. In this alphabet, D, J and T stand for Dress-up, Jack-o-lanterns and Trick-or-treat. Others will be unfamiliar to many children, especially those who don't live in rural areas. For example, the page on C talks about corn mazes and Q talks about the Quilting Bee. My kids (raised just outside NYC) didn't recognize these; they also didn't understand Harvest, Indian Corn, Orchards or Ravens. If you live in the country, perhaps these are familiar to your children. But if you live in an urban area, you may have a lot to explain.
Overall Rating: Ho-hum.
Age Appeal: 4-7
Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310711800; Hardback; $15.99
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God's Oak Tree

Unfortunately, there aren't many picture books for everyday learning that include Christian thought. For example, how many picture books have you seen that give basic science information while pointing out that God is the great designer? Well, God's Oak Tree does.
The first thing that struck me about this volume is its novel format. The cover features a die-cut hole, through which you can see a smiling acorn. Open up the book, and you'll find the pages are of different shapes, starting narrow and growing wider. Each time you turn a page, the image of an acorn hanging from a tree shifts, and on the opposite side the image of a fully grown oak tree gradually appears. Each page is beautifully illustrated by Chi Chung, with rich nature colors, lots of wild animals, and plenty of detail.
The rhyming text by Allia Zobel Nolan begins:

"Once there was an acorn.
God tucked it in a tree
so that one windy autumn day,
a breeze could set it free."

From there, we follow the acorn as it rolls across the lush grass and pops open. Winter comes, and soon the acorn disappears beneath a snow drift, but God makes sure the plant lives. Spring comes and the seedling pushes its way up through the earth. God gives it leaves "to wear" as it reaches higher and higher toward the sky. In the summer, the leaves are green, and in the fall they are many colors, and soon the seedling is a big oak tree.
One night, lightening hits the tree and breaks off a branch, but God sends some owls to live in the resulting hole. Other birds build nests in the oak's branches. Soon acorns fill the tree. When one falls off near the oak, the shell pops open, and the cycle begins again. On the last page, we see a huge oak tree giving shade to some children and animals; nearby, a seedling grows. "Deer marveled at the sight./God's sun surrounded it with warmth./God bathed it in his light."
What I Like: Everything! This book is really gorgeous, and the varied-sized pages are really no gimmick; they add a great deal to the book. The text is well written and informative, and always the author provides sound science (appropriate for young children) while reminding us that God is in control of it.
What I Dislike: Nothing.
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but my 2 year old absoltuely adores this book.
Publishing Info: KidZone, 2007; ISBN: 0825455367; hard back, $12.99.
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My Thankful Heart

If you’re looking for a book to make your young child aware of praising God, try My Thankful Heart by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

The book begins:

“What can we say thank you for?
Loads of things...and then some more!
(Saying thanks is what you do
When someone’s been kind to you.)"

The author then goes on to explain that God made everything...and he made it for people. She then encourages children to thank God for making the world, clothes, food, the ability to run and play, and everything else we need. She also encourages them to thank God for making them. She goes on to explain that God loves us unconditionally.

The book ends:

"Happy or sad, wherever we go
Here is something that we know:
God we love you! Yes we do!
ALL WE HAVE, it comes from...YOU!"

The illustrations by Patricia Jennings shows lots of small children in a sketchy, but colorful fashion. We see falling leaves and pumpkins, which makes this book especially great for the Thanksgiving season...but the message is good any time of the year!

What I Like: This is a simple introduction to God’s gifts to us, and our ability to thank him.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: Infants through preschoolers.

Publishing Info: Tyndale, 2004; ISBN: 1414300646; board book, $8.99.

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Give Thanks to the Lord

Give Thanks to the Lord is brand new from author Karma Wilson. Based on Psalm 92, this book celebrates everything that's best about Thanksgiving.

"Food and fun and family
all the wonderful things I see,
God has given these to me.
I'm just as grateful as I can be."

Everyone gathers with laughter. The kids play in the leaves and enjoy warm cider while waiting for dinner. The whole family eats until they're stuffed, surrounded by those they love. It's a beautiful story told through rhyming verse, all to this end: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord!"

Amy June Bates does a fantastic job as illustrator. Her drawings are sketchy, but sun-bathed and warm. A perfect complement to this book's text.

What I Like: The whole book! The size is great. It makes reading it an attractive holiday tradition. I love the illustrations. My kids have fun with the repetitive nature. Every few pages they 'read' with me: "It's good to give thanks to the Lord!" This makes for easy Scripture memorization, always a plus.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8, though I think even adults would enjoy this book.

Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2007; ISBN: 0310711185; Hardback; $14.99

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Special Info: See our review of I Will Rejoice, another top-rated book by Karma Wilson. Visit the author's website and see more by the illustrator online.

My Happy Pumpkin

Halloween will soon be upon us, making many Christian parents wonder just what to do with the season. My Happy Pumpkin, by Crystal Bowman, is a treasure for parents who wish to take a pagan symbol (the jack-o-lantern) and turn it into something with Christian meaning.

Subtitled "God's Love Shining Through Me," this board book - filled with colorful illustrations and rhyming text - tells the story of a young boy whose daddy is a farmer. The daddy plants seeds that soon turn into a pumpkin patch. The boy chooses his favorite, then:

"We wash it and dry it, then cut off the top.
We scoop out the seeds and the pulp and the slop.
We take all the mess and we throw it away -
into the trash - that's where it will stay."

The boy and his father carve out eyes, a nose, and a smiling mouth, then put a candle inside so the pumpkin can shine in the night. Then the boy compares his pumpkin (which, incidentally, is never referred to as a jack-o-lantern) to himself. He says God picked him out and made him "like new" by washing away his sins and throwing them away. The boy concludes that he tries to "be good" so other people can see "God's love and God's light shining through me."

What I Like: The illustrations, by Claudine Gevry, are bright, colorful, and inviting. The author does a terrific job at taking a familiar object (the jack-o-lantern) and turning it into a spiritual lesson. The comparison between the pumpkin and the boy is made clear without beating us over the head, too. Although the young children for whom this book is targeted may not quite understand sin, and the author does not attempt to explain it, parents will find My Happy Pumpkin to be an excellent introduction to the topic. Best of all, parents can walk their child through the concept again by carving a pumpkin. Even if you don't do it in association with Halloween, the physicality of the carving - coupled with a reminder of the book you've just read - is a terrific way to cement the concept of God washing away our sins.

What I Dislike: Bowman does a great job with the rhyming text, although there is one spot where she doesn't use a perfect rhyme.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 and under.

Publishing Info: Zonderkidz, 2007; ISBN: 0310711606; board book, $6.99.

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Special Info: You can see a portfolio of illustrator Claudine Gevry's work online.

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

The Pumpkin Patch Parable, written by Liz Curtis Higgs and illustrated by Nancy Munger, is yet another book in the Parable Series. Even though the story is about pumpkins, it’s not about Halloween, as the author points out in the introduction to the book: “Since the Lord Himself created pumpkins, it seemed appropriate to redeem this familiar symbol of the harvest season for his good purpose.” The story is about a farmer who grows pumpkins. Each year he tends them and watches them grow. When the pumpkins are ready for harvest, he picks them and chooses one for a jack-o-lantern. The farmer turns the pumpkin into a beacon on his porch for all his neighbors to see and enjoy. Bible verses throughout the text illustrate how God wants us to shine our lights for all to see.

What I like: The story was different, and I liked that. The main character was the farmer, but I guess you could also count the pumpkin as a character. The story wasn’t written with children as the main characters, but any child who is familiar with pumpkins will enjoy the story. And, the illustrations throughout the book are as bright and colorful as those on the cover.

What I dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: Ages 4-8.

Publishing Info: Tommy Nelson Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0785277226; Hardcover.

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Special Info: Other stories in the Parable Series include: The Parable of the Lily, The Sunflower Parable, and The Pine Tree Parable.