The Only Gift

The Only Gift put out by the Children's Bible Hour is a very reflective story reminding us and our children that the only gift Jesus wants from us is ourselves.

The Sunday school children are putting on a short Christmas play for their parents. Rather than going with the usual "Nativity scene" skit, the class chooses to do a skit where they bring gifts to Jesus- trophies they have earned in sports, music they have written, foods they enjoy eating, and a television they enjoy spending time watching. However, none of these gifts are what Jesus wants. Then one little boy stands before Jesus and offers himself to Jesus because it is all he has. This is the gift Jesus wants.

What I Like: This book offered a lot of opportunity for my 8 year old and I to talk about what we have to offer Jesus, how often we make other things in our lives idols, and how we need to make our lives a gift for Him.

I also love that this book comes with a CD. It gives children a chance to listen to the story as a radio show the way this story was originally intended.

The illustrations by Joel Spector were perfectly done. They certainly add to the story and do not take away from it in any way.

What I Dislike: I loved everything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5-12 years old.

Publisher Info: CBH Ministries, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-9855560-1-3; paperback, 32 pgs., $10.00

Available through Keys for Kids Ministries $10.00

The Gift Giver

On Christmas Eve a boy stirs from sleep to find an old man, in the living room, dressed in red with a bag full of gifts. Excitement soon gives way to disappointment as he finds he has received fewer gifts than expected. The old man sees the young boy's protest and tells the story of his origins and his motives. As the boy becomes privy to this mystery, a question comes to his mind: is it by magic that the old man accomplishes his task, or is it something else... The lesson he learns will change the way he views Christmas forever!

What I Like: The Gift Giver, by Jacob Haslem and Nick Allen, tells of Santa's humble beginnings and how he came to become Santa. It is centered around his love for Jesus and following God's will for his life to bless the less fortunate. The illustrations, by Elissa Weaver, are lovely and so life like.

What I Dislike: While the book does credit Jesus as the reason for the season, the story still leads a reader to believe that Santa exists in a supernatural way. In the story he explains how he has lived through centuries and will continue to do so until God says otherwise. His sack of toys that contained the gifts he handmade continued to refill itself (like the bread and the fish that fed the masses) and time was suspended while he delivered those gifts. The mix of the story of St. Nicholas, The Nativity Story and the modern tales of Santa Claus is sure to confuse my children between what is biblical, historically accurate and myth.

The price for a hardcover copy is extravagant at $23.95. The outside cover is very dark.

Overall Rating: Ho-Hum

Age Appeal: 4-8 yrs

Publisher Info: CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2015; ISBN: 978-1515273110; Hardcover, 40 pgs., $23.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $23.95

Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time

As Christmastime approaches, the idea of receiving gifts tends to push its way to the forefront of our children's minds - and push out the real reason for Christmas.

In Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time, Corine Hyman, Ph.D. takes the focus off receiving gifts. Instead, she gives a wonderful, biblically based explanation for our gift giving and leads us to the most wonderful Gift we could ever receive.

Throughout the story, we are introduced to different children of different races. Each child explains one reason why they give gifts at Christmas, and the page ends with a Bible verse relating to the reason the child gave for giving gifts. At the end of the story, it's explained that even though it's Jesus' birthday, these are the reasons we give gifts to each other.

The illustrations are very child-like and reminded me of the illustrations used in many of the Little Golden Books I read growing up. My 5 year old daughter was intrigued by the simplicity of the illustrations and noticed things I had overlooked - such as the letters on each of the gifts throughout the story and how they spell out a final message on the last page.

What I Like: I like how Scripture is used to explain to children why we give gifts at Christmas time. Each reason has a biblical basis to it.

I also liked that children of every nationality are portrayed in the illustrations. This book can be read to any child and they will find someone who looks like them somewhere in the story.

What I Dislike: Each two page spread begins with a very similar pattern. "This is my friend ______. Why do you give gifts at Christmas time?" It is not an exact repeat on each page, but it is very close. As a parent reading it to my child, the first couple of sentences on each two-page spread seemed a bit repetitive.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 5-9 years old

Publisher Info: Teaching Christ's Children, 2012; ISBN:978-0-9855423-0-6 ; hardcover, 32 pgs., $16.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for  $14.99 (hardcover), Kindle, $4.99

Water Or Goo?

Water or Goo?--that's the question in this Tania Abbey novel by Penny Reeve. It's a pretty important question, although not, one would think, for Australian Tania Abbey.

Tania is a spunky kid, and a bit of a teacher's pet, but one who has a big heart. She adores her teacher, Ms. Flinders, so when the teacher announces there is a water rally in their drought-stricken region of Australia (a problem that really has been happening in the last decade in that country), Tania is the first kid in class to raise her hand saying she wants to participate.

The only problem? Boisterous Tania didn't ask Mum and Dad first. Tania's parents decide she can participate in the rally and subsequently set up a booth, but only if Tania can come up with a good idea to educate others about water. She only has 24 hours to decide, since that's when the entry fee is due.

Enter Tania's best friend, Emily, as well as both kids' siblings. All of the kids throw ideas back and forth, but it's not until Tania goes to use the bathroom at Emily's house and the toilet backs up that she gets a lesson on how people in the third world live--and this sparks an idea that quickly snowballs. How would you like to drink water that someone may have been using in or near the bathroom? And the idea of a booth called "Water or Goo?" is born.

What I Like: There's a lot of good things in this book. Exposing kids--especially American kids who really have no knowledge of what's going on outside their little suburban home--to problems in other areas of the world is great. The initial premise for the water march is the drought in Australia, which, as I mentioned, was an ongoing problem down under when this book was published. But Tania's focus quickly goes from Australia's problems to those in the third world. A girl named Shanti in India is predominantly featured in the book, and I presume she was the subject of an earlier book because she's referred to quite frequently, with Tania wondering how Shanti survives with dirty water, or how she carries multiple vessels of water a long distance to her home daily.

This book offers some possible solutions to the dirty water problem. At the tail end of the book, there's an author's note which provides some additional information about how to help others get clean water, although they're primarily for UK and Australian youth. If, after your child reads this book, they feel moved to help, I would personally urge you to look into the organization "Wells for Life," which is an organization that helps bring new wells to areas of the world in desperate need of clean water. But this is just one of many American organizations bringing clean water sources to the third world.

What I Dislike: Story-wise, there's not much I don't like about this book. The religious content is minimal, but present, so the minimal part would be my only gripe. As a writer, though, I did find the writing a little choppy, but that probably won't bother anyone but the most aware of readers.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Christian Focus Publications, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-84550-341-3; Paperback, 94 pgs., $6.99

Buy it at Amazon.com for $6.94

Special Info: This book is written primarily for an Australian audience, and the lingo and spelling reflect that. For instance, "learnt" is used instead of "learned," and "crisps" are used instead of "chips," but there are many other examples throughout the book.

Silent Sally

For a lesson about helping others and being a DOER (not just hearing/talking about what God wants us to do but actually DOING it), check out Eric Wall’s book Silent Sally.

The rhyming book follows Sally as she spots classmates and neighbors in need and then steps up to assist them. Her peers think she is odd until they start to realize that her actions make a positive impact on the world. Yet even though they note her kindness, they still they continue to goof off in class, break the rules in the lunchroom, and trash the playground. Meanwhile Sally, ever vigilant, quietly stands alone as a model student.

Eventually, the teaching staff notices Sally’s efforts and the school decides to hold a celebration in her honor. Everyone is surprised when Sally doesn’t turn up to claim her award, and are amazed to find out she didn’t show up because she was out helping yet another person in need.

“Now they all were amazed/ Silenced as they heard the way/ Sally had missed the party to help yet another./ They were finally understanding/ The example Sally was setting,/ As they all began to discuss it with each other.”

So inspired is he by Sally’s selfless example, the principal declares a holiday, and the whole school goes out to do kind deeds in their community.

Special Note: Eric wall has contributed his artistic talents to several feature films, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Bolt, and more. Silent Sally is his second children’s book; his first is an adorable-looking book called The Harbor Light

What I Like: The story has a good lesson about being sensitive to those in need around us, and about how even the very smallest acts of kindness can make a very big difference. Through Sally, readers are provided with several simple ideas to help others—picking up trash, putting away toys, sharing a snack, caring for the class pet, and more. Even young readers will get that AHA moment when they realize that Sally does things that they can easily do as well. The artwork was cute and cartoonish, which will make it appeal to younger readers.

What I Dislike: The poetic meter was awkward at best, making the story very difficult to read out loud. Some of the rhyming matches were a stretch as well. I think it would have been much more palatable (and crisper) story if it were written in prose instead. Also, I thought it unrealistic to portray every other kid breaking rules or goofing off, for the school to throw a party because Sally helps a teacher to her feet and walks her to the office to rest, and for the principal to call a holiday.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: None is given. I think it's best suited for the K-1 crowd. The text is too long for preschoolers.

Publisher Info: Horizon Light Media, 2012; ISBN:978-0984683307; Hardcover, 32 pgs., $14.99
This book is not yet available at Christianbook.com.
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A Remnant Surprise

Great-Grandma decides she's going to make quilts for each of her thirty-five grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But in A Remnant Surprise, written by Vanessa Roam and illustrated by Glori Alexander, Great-Grandma gets a surprise of her own.

Great-grandchildren Walter and Gretchen want to help their great-grandma make the blankets, and Gretchen crawls around on the floor, picking up pieces of leftover cloth. She asks Great-grandma if she can have them, which Great-Grandma allows, even though the remnants are too tiny to do anything with. Gretchen and Walter take the pieces home to their Mama, who keeps them all, and urges her children to keep gathering them up and bringing them home.

Soon, all of the blankets are done, and Great-Grandma gives them to her loved ones, and that's when Mama gets to work. With all the remnants, Mama makes Great-Grandma a very special quilt, so all thirty-six of them can be wrapped in blankets made of love.

What I Like: Everything is great. The story is touching (it brought tears to my eyes), the illustrations are soft and cheery, and it's a book that begs to be read again and again.

What I Dislike: There is no mention of God or the Bible anywhere.

Overall Rating: Very Good, only because I wish there was even a little lesson on giving and receiving, or suggested further reading in the Bible. If there had been, this would have been an immediate Excellent rating.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC, 2011; ISBN: 978-1-61346-464-9; paperback, 24 pgs., $8.99

Buy it at Amazon.com for $8.99 or in a Kindle Edition for 6.63.

The Back Leg of a Goat: A Tania Abbey Adventure

In The Back Leg of a Goat: A Tania Abbey Adventure, written by Penny Reeve, Tania has a great idea. She wants to raise $50 to buy a goat for a poor family in India. She and her friend Sue, who recently moved away, had already raised $12.65. Tania says it’s enough to buy “the back leg of a goat, perhaps, but not enough for a whole one.”

Tania is determined to get enough money for a goat, but she needs ideas for a fundraiser. Her younger brother, Daniel, enlists the help of his friend Sam and Sam’s sister, Emily. Emily comes up with a brilliant plan. Tania is reluctant to go along with it because she doesn’t really like Emily, even though she doesn’t know Emily very well. But, since her desire to help the poor is greater than her dislike for Emily, Tania decides to work with Emily on the project.

One Sunday at church, the minister asks the congregation if they truly love God. The minister says, “You might be good. You might know a lot about him, but how much do you love God?” This really makes Tania think about God and her relationship with him. She knows about God, but she has to decide if she loves him enough to ask him to come into her heart.

Pencil sketch illustrations by Fred Apps are scattered throughout the text.

What I Like: This is a good book to fuel a child’s imagination for costume making. It’s a good book for teaching kids about caring for others. And, it's a good book that addresses the question of what it really means to love God.

What I Dislike: In the story line, it said Emily and her brother Sam used to live in India. Their background is useful in the storyline and the idea of helping a poor family in India. But, there is no mention of why they used to live there and why they no longer live there. It just seemed a bit odd to mention the fact that someone who now lives in Australia used to live in India but not give any other explanation for it.

Tania’s younger brother, Daniel, is recruited to help with the fundraising, but her older sister, Megan, is never asked to do so. Again, there is no explanation given for that.

Spoiler alert: The fundraiser is successful and they raise more than enough to reach their goal. However, no mention is made of what the extra money might be used for.

None of these omissions are big issues, I just thought they were worth mentioning. There are also a few punctuation errors in the text.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Christian Focus, 2008; ISBN: 9781845503406; Paperback, 89 pages, $6.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $5.99!

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Special Info: This is a book in the publisher’s Tania Abbey Adventures series. You can learn more about the series at the publisher’s website. You can also visit the author’s website.

Also, the characters in the book are Australian. The spelling of some normally familiar words might look strange, as “favorite” is spelled as “favourite” and “realize” is “realize”. Also, the kids say the word “Mum” for “Mom”.

Good King Wenceslas

In 1853, an Angelican priest named John M. Neale wrote the lyrics to the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas," which tells the story of a real 10th century Christian Behmian king, well known for his generosity. In the book Good King Wenceslas, illustrator Tim Ladwig brings this carol to life, showing the king watching a poor man gathering sticks for his fire one bone-chilling, snowy evening. The king instructs his young page to gather food and wine for the man, then the two walk into the snowy night to deliver it. The page isn't sure he can make it through the deep drifts, so the king instructs him to walk behind him, in his footsteps. Finally, they deliver the food and drink to the poor man, and the carol reminds us:

"Therefore, Christians all, be sure,
wealth or rank possessing,
ye who now will bless the poor,
shall yourselves find blessing."

The book uses all the verses of the song; except for a short introduction (which explains who the king was), there is no additional text. The last page of the book features simple piano sheet music and all the lyrics to the carol.

What I Like: Tim Ladwig's illustrations are gorgeous, featuring the shadows and lights cast by candles and fireplaces, and the glow of the moon on snowy scenes. He does a superb job of bringing this traditional carol to life. The cover of the book does the inner illustrations no justice at all.

I also must admit I didn't know the carol before reading this book. No matter. I hopped onto YouTube to listen to it, and immediately enjoyed it. I also let my children listen to the carol before we read the book. (You could also look at the book while the carol is playing, but there are a number of pages in the book that are wordless. These add a great deal to the story, showing the page gathering food, and showing the poor man's reaction to the gift of the food - but make it difficult to listen to the carol and look at the book at the same time.)

What I Dislike: Some of the lyrics are slightly modified from the original version, presumably to make the carol easier for young children to understand.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 5 and up, but my 3 year old likes the book, too.

Publishing Info: Eerdmans; 2005; ISBN: 978-0802852090; hardback, 32 pgs., $17.

Buy Now at Amazon.com for $11.56
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The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need

The Berenstain Bears have the same problem as many Americans: They have too much stuff. Finally, in Stan & Jan Berenstain's The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need, Mama lays down the law: The family is going to de-clutter. She points out there are too many Fast Wheels on the stairs and dolls with no heads. When Brother and Sister point out their parents have a lot of stuff, too, Papa has to admit he has quite a collection of fishing poles and Mama acknowledges her cookbook collection is out of control, also.

The family decides to give away what they don't need to those who could really use them, "especially with Christmas coming on." After gathering together the items they don't need, they visit the Old Bears' Home to donate games and puzzles. And even though Brother and Sister feel a little awkward at first, the Bear family sits down and keeps the old bears company for a while, too. Next, they take toys to the Young Cubs Hospital. Their final stop is a store that sells used things to raise money for the needy. There are bears in uniforms playing instruments outside, along with a big pot for donating money.

As the bear family heads home (past the many Christmas store displays) they feel content - and just a little bit less like they need a bunch of new stuff.

What I Like: My kids respond well to the Berenstain Bear books, and this one really does encourage them to give away toys and other items they no longer need to children who could use them. Although Christmas is mentioned, we don't think of this as a Christmas book; the message is good any time of year.

What I Dislike: Nothing, although unlike other recent Berenstain Bear books, there is no overt Christian message here, aside from the Bear family's willingness to give and the two mentions of Christmas.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, although slightly younger kids often enjoy the Berenstain Bear books, too.

Publishing Info: Random House, 1999; ISBN: 978-0679889571; paperback, 32 pgs., $3.99.

Buy Now at Amazon.com for $3.99

OR buy at ChristianBook.com for $10.49

Special Info: Read our reviews of other Berenstain Bear books.

You Were Made to Make a Difference

If you are looking for a positive, uplifting and challenging book to encourage teens to be their best for God, You Were Made to Make a Difference would be an excellent choice. Father-daughter team Max and Jenna Lucado speak to teens who love Jesus and are ready to take the next step.

The Lucados encourage teens to be who God made them, and inspire teens to reach out and share Jesus' love with the world. Each chapter includes biblical teaching, personal testimonies from Jenna and Max, real-life stories of teens making a difference, space for readers to record their thoughts, and practical suggestions for action teens can take. The chapters close with a passage from the Bible and a prayer. The book would be perfect for youth groups or teen small groups to read together. It would also work well for families to read together.

The focus of the book is on meeting the needs of those around us, as Jesus did. The book begins by looking at ways to reach out to family, friends, and schoolmates, and moves on to look at ways teens have influenced the world. The chapter, "Stand up for the Have-Nots," highlights organizations such as Heifer International, which fights global hunger; Do Something: Teens for Jeans,which sent jeans to people in Haiti and "Loose Change to Loosen Chains"(LC2LC) which fights slavery around the world.

The end of the book includes a four-page list of ways teens can help various people, starting with daily random acts of kindness. The Lucados also invite teens to sit down with their family members and discuss ways they can change the world together.

What I Like: This book does an excellent job of treating teens as intelligent, capable people who really can make a difference in the lives of others. The plethora of examples used throughout the book is truly inspiring. Time and again, Max and Jenna show us ordinary teens who acted on a simple idea, and achieved extraordinary results.

I also like the way Max and Jenna constantly remind readers of the gospel. We learn, without a shadow of a doubt, in order to truly change lives, we must first rely on the power of Jesus Christ.

Max and Jenna use a conversational tone, and write about relevant issues in teens' lives. They use lots of factual quotes and highlights to support their ideas. End notes with references are included at the back of the book.

What I Dislike: It took me a little bit to get used to the format of the book. Chapters have lots of charts, quotes, text boxes and lists scattered throughout. The chapters are long and don't have clear breaks. It worked best for me to read the entire chapter at once, and think about it the rest of the week.

The sections where Max and Jenna speak directly are clearly marked, but it isn't obvious who wrote the rest of each chapter.

Overall Rating: Excellent (despite above remarks). I just wouldn't plan to use it as a daily devotional.

Age Appeal: 12 and up

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2010; ISBN: 978-1-4003-1600-7; Paperback, 209 pages, $14.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $9.99

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Special Note: Read our reviews of other books by Max Lucado or Jenna Lucado here.

This book is based on Max Lucado's adult book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference. There are also several adult study guides, a DVD series and worship CDs available to complement the book.

Ronnie Wilson's Gift

Ronnie Wilson’s Gift, written by Francis Chan, the best-selling author of Crazy Love, is a touching story of a young boy’s wish to give a special gift to God.

When Ronnie Wilson learns the reason Jesus came to earth, he is amazed. He thinks God’s gift is so amazing he wants to give God an amazing gift in return.

But what can he give? His teddy bear is old and worn out, and he has only six dollars and forty-seven cents in his piggy bank. But, he has something truly special, something he loves more than anything else - his baseball glove, signed by his uncle, a player in the big leagues. He wants to give it to God.

He tries to mail it to Heaven. He can’t do that, but on the way home from the post office, he meets a man who is hungry. So, he gives the man some of the money he was going to use for postage so the man can buy a hot dog. Later, when he’s jumping on the trampoline in his backyard, trying to jump high enough to get to Heaven, he sees that his neighbor, Jesse, is playing by himself. So, he invites Jesse over to jump on the trampoline with him. And, the next day, when a little girl loses her balloon at the carnival, Ronnie gives her the balloon he just bought for himself, even though he was going to tie his baseball glove to it to see if it could float to heaven.

Ronnie is discouraged that he hasn’t found a way to get his ball glove to Heaven. But, in a dream, God tells him that when he fed the hungry man, played with the lonely boy, and gave his balloon to the little girl, he was not only helping them, he was helping God. Ronnie understands that he doesn’t have to send his ball glove to Heaven to give to it to God; he can give it to someone else and that, in turn, helps God. So, the next day he gives it to his friend Keith, who has always wanted to play on a real team but never had a glove. Ronnie knew his gift would be special that way.

The author includes this verse from Matthew 25:40 at the end of the story: “And the kind will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” The author also includes a letter parents at the end of the book explaining the importance of the parents’ responsibility to teach their children about God.

The illustrations by Jim Madsen are colorful and expressive and kid-friendly.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5-9.

Publisher Info: David C. Cook, 2011; ISBN: 9780781404778; Hardcover, $12.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $9.99!

Or buy at Amazon.com $10.39.

Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Francis Chan. Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Jim Madsen. Visit the author’s website.

Lydia of Philippi: Believer in the Lord

Here is a Bible study geared toward middle school girls--Lydia of Philippi: Believer in the Lord, by Sherree G. Funk. This eight week study workbook focuses on Acts 16 and Paul's letter to the Philippians. The lessons examine topics such as being led by the Holy Spirit, humility, generosity, the importance of prayer, living joyfully, and growing in faith. Each weekly session starts with a brief introduction, which includes either background information and/or thought-provoking questions to consider. Then several scripture passages are offered along with questions to answer and short comments from the author to help clarify the Biblical text. Lessons close with a succinct summary. Although a leader guide is not included with the workbook, it can be downloaded online.

What I Like: On her website, the author talks about her love of Beth Moore Bible studies. Given the effectiveness and popularity of Moore's work, I liked how Funk incorporated the same style into this guide. It had a nice Scripture-question-comment, Scripture-question-comment rhythm. I had my middle school child try the lessons. It was fun to see her "digging around" in the Bible for answers. My favorite section was week seven, which gave practical tips for how a teenager could shine like a star in a dark world.

What I Dislike: I like "meaty" questions that require thought and reflection, and the author provided many of those. However, there were also questions with multiple choice answers that didn't entail much thought. Here is an example: What was the "custom" of Jesus on the Sabbath? Answer choices: sleep late, watch football on TV, go to the synagogue, or attend soccer practice. While my child tackled the more meaningful questions with eagerness, she rolled her eyes at the no-brainer questions. Also, four of the eight lessons focused on Paul instead of Lydia. While that's perfectly fine, I think that fact means the title might not be the best fit.

Overall Rating: Paired with the online resources, Very good. As a stand-alone, Good.

Age Appeal: An age is not listed, but I think it would be appropriate for girls in grades 6th through 12, with greater appeal for the lower end of that range.

Publisher Info: Serving One Lord Resources, 2009; ISBN:978-0-9823137-0-1 ; Spiral-bound paperback, $ 15.00

Not available at Christianbook.com.
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Special Info: Find the online resources for this study.

The Incredible Discovery of Lindsey Renee

Teaching kids about giving is an important aspect of growing up. And 13-year-old Lindsey Renee is about to get the lesson of a lifetime in The Incredible Discovery of Lindsey Renee, written by Joni Eareckson Tada and illustrated by Irena Roman.

Lindsey is unhappy attending church with her family for a special missions night. Though she sits in the pew with her parents, her mind is at the mall where her friends are. In her pocket is a five-dollar bill from her allowance, which she's promised her parents will go to the missions, but she'd rather spend on a sweater at The GAP.

When the plates are passed, Lindsey abruptly gets up and leaves. As she wanders the church, she has an encounter with the intriguing Mr. Billingsley. He knows all about her, and shows Lindsey her Books of Life, surprising her with details she didn't know anyone else knew about her. At the end of their conversation, Mr. Billingsley shares how her decision on whether to give her five dollars could affect the ability of a missionary to fix an airplane, which the missionary uses to reach remote parts of the area he serves.

What I Like: I like how the book shows that even simple decisions can affect others we may not even know - even around the world.

What I Dislike: The ending of the book - where Lindsey gives her $5 and the missionary gets the spark plugs he needs - makes a good point, but it seems contrived from an adult's viewpoint, since the spark plugs were already being sent to the missionary. The missions people didn't have to have the $5 to send the parts since they were already on their way - however, that's the point kids are supposed to take away from this story.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8, but due to the nature of the story, and the age of the main character, I'd say closer to 7 - 10.

Publisher Info: Crossway Books, 2001; ISBN: 1-58134-195-4; Hardback $15.99

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Special notes: This book was originally released under the title of "It's in God's Hands" in Tell Me the Truth in 1997. We've also reviewed other books by Joni Eareckson Tada. You can find them here.

The ABCs of Handling Money God's Way

Looking for a way to introduce godly handling of money to young children? I highly recommend Howard and Bev Dayton's The ABCs of Handling Money God's Way. Offering a unique blend of interesting storyline and biblical fact, it's hard to imagine a better way to introduce your child to the world of money.

The book begins with a fully illustrated story of a group of young friends. They decide they want a puppy, but one child's mother mentions how expensive a puppy can be. This is a revelation to the children; they never realized puppies cost money. So the mother decides to teach the kids the basics of money.

As they go through the mother's lessons, the children decide to do extra chores at home to earn money for a puppy. They also pray that God will provide a way for them to get a dog. One child is tempted to spend the money on other things, but eventually decides to save for the puppy instead. All the kids are tempted to go into debt to buy a puppy, but instead help someone in need. In the end, the person they help gives them a puppy her dog gave birth to.

"'God has taught you a great lesson,' Mrs. Day said. 'You worked hard. You gave to someone who was poor. You saved some of your money. And you were honest. The Lord blessed you because you were faithful stewards.'

'Let's name the puppy Steward!' Elizabeth shouted. 'His name will help us remember to be faithful stewards with our money.'"

Each chapter teaches a lesson in a kid-friendly way. In one chapter, kids learn God owns everything. In another, that God wants everyone to be good stewards of the money and things he gives them. Later, children learn God wants them to work hard at whatever they do and that they should give away at least 10% of what they earn. Kid also learn about saving money, and about prioritizing wants and needs. They learn debt should be avoided and that, when needed, they should seek council from their parents about money. Along the way, kids also learn the importance of honesty, hard work, and having Jesus as your best friend.

Each chapter is about 3 pages and ends with 2 worksheet pages. One worksheet page contains questions on what the Bible says about money, while the opposite page asks kids to identify different kinds of coins or behavior related to money.

Throughout, biblical references are given.

What I Like: First and foremost, I'm delighted my 4 1/2 year old finds this book engaging. She enjoys the storyline about the puppy, and can relate to it. One read of this book also had her asking to do extra chores to earn money for a toy she's been wanting. I also really LOVE the fact that this book isn't merely about dollars and cents. It also teaches about good work ethic and generosity.

The illustrations, which feature children of many skin colors, are expressive and interesting, and the add-ons, like easy Bible verses to memorize and simple questions and activities to do, are also most appreciated. The concepts covered are all simple - with the exception of giving about 10% of what we earn. However, the authors do give young children a generally easy way to understand how much, minimally, they should give: "You give one penny out of every ten pennies you receive. You can give more if you want."

What I Dislike: Nothing, really, although I might prefer it if the kids weren't given a puppy. It's absolutely true God rewards us for faithfulness - but as adults know, he doesn't always do so in ways we expect.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5 - 7.

Publishing Info: Moody, 2003; ISBN: 0802431526; paperback, $13.99

Buy Now at ChristianBook.com for $10.99

OR buy at Amazon.com for $13.70

Special Info: One page includes an illustration of Jesus. Also, read our reviews of books on money.

Pete and Pillar: The Big Rain

If you're having trouble finding Christian books for young boys, or if you simply want a picture book so good it could have been published by a mainstream publisher, Jeffery Stoddard's Pete and Pillar books are a great resource. In Pete and Pillar: The Big Rain, Stoddard tells the tale of two friends: Pete, a dump truck, and Pillar, a bulldozer, bearing in mind John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Pete and Pillar are considered unlikely friends "because everybody knows haulers don't talk to diggers." But the guys love each other; they often hold belching contests to see who can let out the most dark fumes. They jump start each other when their batteries die. They even scratch themselves on purpose, leaving bits of their paint on each other. Still, other pieces of heavy equipment warn Pete against Pillar - and vice versa. One truck says to Pillar, "When you really need him, he'll be gone."

Then one day, it rains hard and long. All the machines hurry home so they don't end up rusted and parked behind the shed forever. But Pete realizes the river bank may soon cave in, flooding the town below. As he struggles to push rock and earth up to the bank, he glaces up to make sure Pillar is okay. But he is gone. Pete's heart sinks.

Finally, the water stops rising, an exhausted, sad Pillar climbs out of the river. Determined to have it out with Pete, Pillar follows his friend's muddy tracks up a mountain above the town. There, he finds a dam - and Pete's smoke stack sticking up out of the mud. "Pete had sacrificed himself to save his best friend and the town."

Enlisting the help of other pieces of heavy equipment, Pillar pulls Pete out from the mud and carries him home. All the haulers and diggers scrape the mud from Pete and Pillar stays with his friend all night as "he slowly came back to life."

"From that day on, diggers and haulers in that small town worked side by side as friends. And if you listen closely to diggers and haulers working in your town, you can hear them toot their horns to each other. Yup. They're talking about Pete and Pillar. Two best friends."

What I Like: Everything! This is a sweet tale focusing on heavy equipment - something both my 4 year old and 16 month old love. Stoddard's writing is tender, funny, and strong. His illustrations, in a sketchy but colorful style, bring his character's to life. This book is a favorite in our house.
What I Dislike: Nothing, really, although I wish the actual Bible verse inspiring this story was quoted. (Only the book, chapter, and verse number are printed in the book.)
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Age Appeal: 4 to 8, but some toddler will enjoy this book, too.
Publishing Info: Warner Press2007, ; ISBN: 978-1593172039; hardback, $12.99
Buy Now at ChristianBook.com for $9.99
OR Buy at Amazon.com for $11.04

Special Info: Read our reviews of other Jeffrey Stoddard books.