I See You There: My Father's Love

I See You There: My Father's Love by Kevin Main was originally written as a poem. Because of the encouragement of his wife, his little poem became a fully illustrated book.

The poem explains, in very beautiful descriptions, the different ways that we can see God- from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to when we close our eyes at night. The poem really caused me to pause and think of the ways God reveals Himself during the course of a normal day.

This book is not long with each page containing a four line part of the poem, yet the illustrations fill up the page and bring the words to life.

I personally loved the illustrations in this book. They appear to be a series of watercolor paintings depicting different aspects of God's beautiful creation. Each picture shows a father interacting with his children, showing them something that God created for them to enjoy.

What I Like: Now that my daughter (6 years old) is a reader, I really like that she was able to pick up this book and read it with minimal help from me. Although this book is written as a poem, she was still able to read it with understanding.

I love how the author did not just write a book and leave it for us to read. He actually gives parents a "guide" and purpose right at the beginning of the book. He wants us to use this book to spend time with our children and to speak of God's love for them. This book is designed to be a catapult to generate conversations with our children of our Heavenly Father's great love for us.

What I Dislike: I loved everything in this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 3-8 years old

Publisher Info: Lighthouse Christian Publishing, 2013; ISBN: 9781482031102 ; paperback, 38 pgs., $9.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $8.15

God's Great Plan

God's Great Plan by Melissa Cutrera is a beautiful poem that spans God's creation of the world, all the way to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. It shows our need for a Savior and how Jesus fills that need in our hearts.

God's Great Plan is laid out for us beginning with Creation. We are then shown how man's sin changed the perfect world God had created. We see how our penalty should be death. Yet because of His great love for us, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross in our place. God's plan was not over, though, because Jesus rose from the dead conquering sin and death once and for all. He is now in Heaven preparing a place for us.

What I Like: This book not only has a great story line, but it has beautiful illustrations, as well. Each page is illustrated to match the words on the page so it is easy for non-readers to follow along. Some of the pages are illustrated in very dark colors to indicate the sin that has separated us from God or to show the darkness in the world during the death of Jesus. However, as dark as those illustrations are, they are still captivating and set the mood for the words.

As I read this book to my five year old, I could not get over how attentive to each page she was. She even asked thought provoking questions based on her understanding of the story line and illustrations. Her most impressive question (after I read one line of the poem) was, "Have I gone my own way?" This led to a wonderful conversation.
 
What I Dislike: I liked everything about this book.
 
Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: I would say this book is great for 5-12-year-olds.

Publisher Info: Shepherd Press, 2013; ISBN: 978-1936908-813; hardcover, 27 pgs., $16.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $14.46.

Baby's First Book of Prayers

If you’re looking for a toddler-friendly book of prayers, check out Baby’s First Book of Prayers by Melody Carlson. This hardcover book is mini sized, like a thick pocketbook, making it both durable and easy for small hands to hold. The book features forty-one prayers that address a variety of simple topics, such as food, family, nature, joy, and sadness. The two-page spread format is consistent throughout, with a full-page illustration (done by Judith Pfeiffer) on the left hand side and a four-line rhyming prayer on the right. The meter rarely falters, which gives the prayers a singsong quality. Here is an example:
Bless my home, dear God, I pray./ Keep it safe by night and day./Bless each room and bless each wall./ Bless my family. Bless us all. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and they display various ethnicities.

What I Like: This book could easily be used to establish a “devotional time” routine to start or end your child’s day, especially since the prayers lend themselves well to additional discussion by astute parents. At one prayer a day, it would take well over a month to cover the whole book. At the same time, if you need a “teachable” prayer for a certain situation—such as learning to say you’re sorry or expressing happiness—you can usually find a suitable match. The size of the book is just plain fun too. It has a big-kid thickness with a little kid artistic appeal.

What I Dislike: Nothing really, except I would have personally appreciated some Scripture references to coincide with the prayers.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Ages 2 and up

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, YEAR; ISBN:978-0310702870; Hardcover, 96 pgs., $6.99

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Special Info: CCBR has reviewed several books by Carlson. You can check them out by clicking here. You can check out other children's books by Melody Carlson. See: Benjamin's Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs, Her First Bible, His First Bible, Baby's First Bible, Christmas at Harrington's (a $15.99 book right now sale priced at Amazon for $6.40), and more! Carlson also writes books for teens.

I Can Say a Prayer

Having examples for prayer is the best way to teach a child how to pray. Sophie Piper offers a dozen examples of how to pray and what to pray for in I Can Say a Prayer. These model prayer for children, but also assure them that their prayers are heard by God.

Illustrations by Emily Bolam further emphasize the rhymes and prayer from mini-chapters such as "I can find a quiet place" and "I can kneel down." 

What I Like: The topic of prayer is divided so kids learn where you should pray, how you should pray, things you should pray for, all in rhyming form. The inclusion of scripture, paraphrased and referenced, is a wonderful touch that allows readers to go directly to the Word of God and see what it says.

All of the short poems are varied, so they all have their own rhythm. I found this refreshing, even though I did have to readjust a little when reading aloud. Some of these may be appropriate to teach your child to recite, like this one from the section, "I can share a meal":

"Let us take a moment
To thank God for our food,
For friends around the table
And everything that's good.

Let us say
A thank you prayer
For the food
That's here to share."

The pictures in this are so cute! They're bright and cheery, just the sort of thing to engage young kids.

Also, the format is great because you don't have to read the whole book at once, which is wonderful, if you've got busy kids like mine! While it's not designed to be a bedtime book, reading one or two of the mini-chapters (all of two pages long) would be a nice way to cap off the day.

What I Dislike: Nothing, but see the special info section below.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 2 - 5

Publisher Info: Lion Hudson plc, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-7459-6233-7; Hardback, 30 pgs., $12.99

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Special Info: I would say these are neither good nor bad, but items parents should be aware of. First, the Lord's Prayer at the end of the book is from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, so it may not be a familiar version to all. Second, several scriptures are paraphrased, but they are directly referenced so you and your child can read the original text. Also, Jesus' face is shown at least once; He is shown as a Caucasian.

Fear Not

If there's one thing a small child should learn about God, it's Fear Not. In this book by Paula McWhorter, Jesus' life is illustrated in a manner that teaches the reader to not fear anything. A gentle call to confession of sins and admitting Jesus as Lord and Savior is a parallel thread throughout the book.

What I Like: I really liked the illustrations. Whoever the illustrator is (I'm not sure because I can't find a credit) his or her images are very well done, especially the first part of the book.

What I Dislike: There's a lot to nitpick in this book. First, I really didn't think the use of the King James Version (KJV) was appropriate for the target age. It hampers the ability of a small child to understand (or their parents to read aloud without tripping over the words). I also didn't understand why the author decided to remove the word "begotten" from her quote of John 3:16. As near as I can tell, it's the only instance where a word from scripture was deleted. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors on top of that, including varying whether "He" was capitalized or not when referring to God/Jesus.

Some of the text reads:

"Finally on Christmas Eve,
God sent His only Son."

I find this questionable for two reasons: first, we don't know exactly when Jesus was born, and second, an "eve" is the day before. Why have a Christmas Day if Jesus was born on the eve?

Another issue I had was this quote:

"Satan vowed to kill God's only son."

I can see how it could be portrayed this way, but my understanding of the reason Jesus had to die was because He was the only sacrifice that could cover everyone's sin completely, unlike the sacrifices from the Old Testament of goats, bulls, and sheep, which were only temporary. So, God sent Jesus to be sacrificed; it wasn't necessarily Satan who kill Him.

I also wonder if some of the concepts mentioned, such as the veil in the temple being torn after Jesus' death, are appropriate for the age of the readers.

All of the people (Jesus included) in the book are extremely Caucasian. There is one image that's supposed to portray kids from around the world, and even the African child is light-skinned. Six of the nine images are obviously supposed to be white, with one Eskimo, one Asian/Chinese, and the African.

All of the writing except one page is a black background with white lettering, which is incredibly difficult for most people to read.

Overall Rating: Ho-hum

Age Appeal: 5 - 8

Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2011; ISBN: 978-1-4497-2663-8; Paperback, 32 pgs., $13.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $11.86.

I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery

Both beautiful and moving, I Lay My Stitches Down blends poetry and quilting to give us a snapshot of the lives of American slaves. The colorful, quilted pictures evoke strong emotions and the lyrical poems poignantly express daily life.

Author Cynthia Grady and artist Michele Wood have joined to create a unique, interesting volume, rich in history, emotion and scripture. In fact, Grady has purposefully included "a biblical or scriptural reference, a musical reference, and a sewing or fiber arts reference. . ." in each verse. The verses also represent a quilting square, as they consist of ten lines and ten syllables. Wood's artwork also uses squares and patterns to evoke the images of quilts. Grady also includes explanatory notes, giving specific information about daily life, traditions, spiritual songs, and African heritage.

The poems use the vernacular, and cover a wide range of topics. The harsh realities of relentless work, slave families torn apart for profit, and the dangers of the underground railroad are portrayed. However, there are also poems celebrating the bravery of slaves and those who helped them. In "Schoolhouse," a schoolteacher conducted lessons loud enough for slaves to hear, and in "North Star," a slave owner taught a young man to read and freed him.

What I Like: My oldest daughter was fascinated by the poems and images in the book. I like the way the poems give us a glimpse of daily routines, but also show the emotions behind them. In the poem, "Broken Dishes," we read, "She always needling me./'Add some more salt.'/Or, 'Girl, why cain't you move faster than that?"/Her voice so shrill, it make your skin goose up."

I love the paintings, as well. Wood's bold colors, gorgeous patterns, and characters with vivid facial expressions perfectly capture the spirit of the poems.

The link between faith, quilts and slavery is an interesting angle, and makes me curious to learn more about about quilting.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 10 and up

Publisher Info: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-8028-5386-8; Hardcover, 32 pages, $17.00

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Jesus Teaches Us Not to Worry

Our lives are filled with worry. In Jesus Teaches Us Not to Worry by Julie Stiegemeyer, Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6) come alive in rhyme to teach kids to depend on God when they're concerned.

The story is a basic retelling of a small portion of Jesus' famous sermon, starting with how the crowd gathered to listen to Him. After a brief overview of things covered in Matthew 5, Jesus tells the people not to worry, that God will give you all you need.

"'Do not worry,' Jesus said,
'about what you will eat.
God will give you all you need--
water, bread, and meat.'"

At the end, a modern-day family is shown reading a Bible Storybook together. The reader is urged to listen to God and remember how He cares for us.

What I Like: As with other books I've read in the Arch Book series, the stories from the Bible are told with little exaggeration and in a manner appropriate for their audience.

I love the fact that the author indicates that Jesus talked about more than just the topic of worry--it's an open invitation to read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount with your child.

The last page is a note to parents--and it's filled with great information on the story itself, as well as suggestions on how to talk to your kids if they're concerned about something.

What I Dislike: There's not much I dislike, but occasionally, the rhyming rhythm was tricky to read (even silently). This has been noted as a flaw by our other reviewers for other Arch Books, as well.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5 - 9

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-7586-2581-6; Paperback, 15 PGS., $2.49

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OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $4.98 (6 pack).

Special Info: The face of Jesus is shown throughout the story. We've also reviewed other books by Julie Stiegemeyer, which you can find here. Additionally, reviews of other books in the Arch Book series may be found here.

The Amazing Word of God

Similar to The Message by Eugene Petersen, The Amazing Word of God presents paraphrased Scripture. Only this volume does it entirely in rhyming verse. The publisher calls it:
"a refreshing, uncomplicated reading of the most popular books of the Bible, including prophecy."

Author Penny Zee labored for seven years over the project, motivated by the conviction that children and adults absorb more and learn faster through poetry than prose. It begins:

In the beginning God created the heavens
And then He created the world
And as His Spirit hovered over the waters
His magnificent plan unfurled

The book includes 50 Bible stories. These are listed in the Table of Contents along with their main character(s) and corresponding book(s) of the Bible. The Life of Jesus includes over 100 sub-stories.

At well over 500 pages, this book touches on nearly every book of the Bible. Some obvious exclusions are Psalms, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Colossians, several minor prophets and some of the smaller epistles. Catholic readers will also notice the absence of books such as Judith, Maccabees and Baruch.

As this is not intended to be an exhaustive account of Scripture, some sections offer abridged accounts. For example, the book of Judges is represented only by the life of Samson. This portion comes immediately after Joshua and the battle of Jericho, thereby skipping centuries of history and several other leaders of Israel. This is just one example of how the book proves selective in its portrayals.

What I Like: Poetry is exceedingly difficult to write fluidly; the hurdles magnify when one seeks to relay Scripture accurately. The author's hard work is evident in the pages. She clearly consulted several versions of Scripture (as evidenced by the bibliography at the back of the book) and some commentaries. This book could prove a helpful reference tool, offering fresh perspectives on certain parts of Scripture.

What I Dislike: The rhythm and flow of text is inconsistent. Some parts are wonderful, but others can be frustrating to read. The author has employed a coded system of punctuation to help readers pace the lines "properly" (detailed in the book's Introduction), but the reading is still cumbersome in many places. Unfortunately, I often focused so much on how to read that I missed what I was reading.

The book's endorsements are sensational and, I feel, misleading. My greatest concern with this book is that many people will mistake it for an actual Bible rather than a paraphrase. Considering the title and the publisher's claims all over the book jacket, this would be easy to do. Such a mistake is dangerous because (1) the text includes the author's interpretation of Scripture rather than a translation of Scripture and (2) several parts of the Bible are not represented here. As long as readers clearly understand what it is and what it is not, however, this book could prove a wonderful resource.

Finally, the most minor of concerns, the top of every page includes the author's name and this book's title, but not the applicable book of the Bible or even the story re-told. With a book this size, it would be easier to find desired sections, if they were labeled more specifically. Also, I would love to have direct Bible references (book and chapter) listed with each story. This would more easily facilitate further study.

Overall Rating: Good -- Noting the clarifications made above.

Age Appeal: All ages, though I recommend 8 and above.

Publisher Info: Creation House, 2010; ISBN: 1616381612; Hardback; 560 pages; $21.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $14.99!

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This title is also available in Kindle format for $13.19.

BibleRhymes' Christmas Story

Are you looking for a Christmas book that evokes the spirit of Dr. Seuss? If so, then BibleRhymes' Christmas Story by K.W. McCardell with the artwork of Antonella Chirco is for you.

The Christmas story is familiar to almost everyone: Mary and Joseph are to be married, but Mary turns up pregnant before vows are made. An angel appears to both Mary and Joseph to reassure them. The baby is born in a stable.

But, you've probably never seen the story in rhyme:

"Mary and Joseph, a wonderful pair,
Were a couple in love who'd lock eyes and stare.

They wanted to share their lives to the end,
And planned to be married ... the ultimate friends."

What I Like: As I eluded to, the rhyming in this book is great. It is easy to read aloud, and the story is told in a fresh way. It frequently made me smile - even laugh once or twice.

The artwork by Antonella Chirco is simply amazing. I'm still trying to figure out what medium or mediums are used.

I also wanted to note that I think the quality of the book is superior to many books aimed at the same audience. The pages are of a rather thick paper, and they seem like they'd put up with abuse more readily than some. The price-point of this book may seem steep, but I really believe it's worth it.

What I Dislike: The only thing I really didn't like is the fact Mary and Jesus are both blue-eyed.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: BibleRhymes Publishing, LLC, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-9790605-2-6; Hardback, 28 PGS., $17.95

Special Info: The face of Jesus is shown, though only as a baby. We've also reviewed other books in the BibleRhymes series. You can find them here.

Buy it at Amazon.com for $17.95.

Do You Love Me More? (Faith Basics for Kids)

"Do you love me more than you did before?" This is what the little boy in Do You Love Me More? by Crystal Bowman and Ava Pennington wants to know. With illustrations by Kristi Valiant, we follow the boy through his day, where he frequently stops to ask God his question.

"My friends come by to have some fun.
I share my toys with everyone.

I help my friend who stubs his toe,
so God, I really want to know.

Do you love me more
than you did before?"

Then, the boy's mom pulls out the Bible, and explains the concept of grace.

"We read the book and then I see,
God sent his only Son for me.

He died for me and took my place.
God's love is free. He calls it grace."

What I Like: I love how this book is from a boy's perspective and he's questioning whether by doing good works, God loves him more. All too frequently, this seems to be the message in today's society. And the note to parents/teachers at the end gives some great verses to emphasize what the Bible says about being "good" versus being saved.

I also loved the fact that the family in the book weren't your homogenous white family. It's refreshing.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-7847-2916-8; Hardback, 26 PGS., $8.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $7.19.
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Special Info: We've reviewed other books by Crystal Bowman here.

The Twelve Prayers of Christmas

The Twelve Prayers of Christmas, by Candy Chand, is a collection of a dozen poems told by various characters (for example, Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, and more) who experienced Christ’s birth. The book features rich, beautiful, two-page spread illustrations done by James Bernardin, with the text framed in simple boxes. The book starts with Mary pondering God’s plan (and her trust in that plan) and ends with the baby Jesus describing the stable.

What I Like: I like the idea of sharing each character’s reflections on what is happening. I loved, loved, loved the amazing illustrations. They were attractive, authentic, and inviting, with a classic “Christmas story” feel to them.

What I Dislike: The poems were nice but short. However, the stellar illustrations made up for the simple text.

Overall Rating: With a bargain price of $6.80 from Amazon, Excellent!

Age Appeal: Ages 3 and up

Publisher Info: HarperCollins, 2009; ISBN:0060776366; Hardcover, 32pgs., $16.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $12.49
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A for Angels: A Bible Alphabet

Bible story books come in many shapes and colors. In A for Angels: A Bible Alphabet, written and illustrated by Laurie Parker, there is a combination of poetry and stories to achieve a unique A to Z experience.

Covering everything biblical from Angels to Zacchaeus, this rich text explores not only stories, but several Bible verses that emphasize the alphabet for your young readers.

"H is for HANNAH. This wife hardly smiled,
For she and her husband could not have a child.
She prayed in the house of the Lord and He heard,
And what she had so hoped to happen occurred.
For heaven sent Hannah a sweet baby boy.
He made her feel happy. He brought her heart joy.
A priest raised the son for whom Hannah had prayed.
This honored a promise to God she had made."

What I Like: The illustrations are quite unique. They seem to be a combination of painting and collage work, and have a slight 3-D appearance. Older kids are sure to love them.

Ms. Parker makes good use of alliteration many times throughout the book (using the same beginning letter/sound to emphasize.) For instance, in the "P" story (which tells the parable of the prodigal son,) "P" is often repeated: Parables, preach, people, popular, privileged, possessed all appear in the first 6 lines of the poem.

What I Dislike: I personally find poetry very difficult to get through, and this book was no different. Even while reading silently, I had difficulty making it through this relatively short book. The stories themselves were fine, although there were a couple instances where the poems touched on many topics instead of sticking to one story, such as in "M is for Miracles." This one notes many miracles from the Bible: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, the three friends of Daniel who went into a fiery furnace and were unharmed, Moses dividing the sea, among others.

The "Y" story didn't follow the pattern set in the rest of the book. It had no accompanying picture, and its poem was not really a poem at all, but an intro to Matthew 11:29 (Take my Yoke upon you...).

One thing I really wish this book had was Bible references for the stories. Most of the stories I knew, and could find in the Bible, but the "H" story referred to Hannah, and I am not familiar at all with her story. I'd like to go read the story in the Bible, but without a reference, it would be a tedious task.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: The author suggests 4 - 8, and while I believe this would be a superb coffee table book, I would hesitate to suggest a young child read this. I'd personally recommend at least age 8 and up, depending on the strength of your young reader.

Publisher Info: Quail Ridge Press, 2007; ISBN: 978-1-934193-48-8; Hardback, 56 Pages $18.50

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Psalms For Kidz: Psalm 139

Most of us have seen the pro-life bumper sticker "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you--God." In Psalm 139 "God knows all about me!", this verse plus the rest of the Psalm are explained so kids can understand God and His omnipresent nature.

Eye-catching watercolors accompany the verses:

"God knows
When I wake up--
Sees me hugging
My little pup.

God knows
What I will wear--
Out in the warm
Or chilly air.

God knows
All about me--
The things I do--
Who I will be."

Written by Sherri Trudgian and illustrated by Melanie Moreland, Psalm 139 "God knows all about me!" is part of the Psalms For Kidz series.

What I Like: I really like how the concept of God's all-knowing presence is presented. I think kids can easily grasp that He knows what they're doing--whether it's hiding, doing chores, or stealing a cookie.

What I Dislike: A couple times reading this aloud to my daughter, I tripped over the verse-- but it didn't detract from the story.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: Little Sprout Publishing House, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-9779194-2-0; Paperback, 32 PGS., $7.99

Buy it at Amazon.com for $7.99.

Special Info: We've reviewed other books in the Psalms for Kidz series. You can find them here.

Hear My Prayer

Award-winning poet Lee Bennett Hopkins compiled a wonderful collection of prayers, including two of her own original works, in Hear My Prayer. Fourteen prayers in all, some are familiar and others brand new. While nine of them were written by anonymous authors, others are from Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Robert Browning.

The illustrations by Gretchen "Gigi" Moore are saturated with bold color. They feature diversity of characters and a touch of whimsy.

What I Like: I like that the prayers are personal. The book offers beautiful examples for children to follow when they don't know how to pray or what to pray for. Short in length, they make for easy memorization, too. My 6-year-old likes that she can read this book by herself. The font is large and clear, perfect for emerging readers.

What I Dislike: The illustrations are not my favorite style. They appear "unfinished." Other than that, there is nothing I specifically "dislike." But there is also nothing that stands out as extraordinary.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-7

Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2011; ISBN: 0310718112; Hardback; 32 pages; $12.99

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Special Info: This book is also available as an e-book for $9.99. If you like this book, you may also be interested to read our reviews of other books on prayer.

Zack, You're Acting Zany!

Lovers of Shel Silverstein will appreciate the poetic wit of Marty Nystrom’s Zack, You’re Acting Zany! This book, a follow up to Nystrom’s popular Don’t Mess with Moses, is a collection of 120 wacky poems based on New Testament stories and themes. Nystrom’s goal is to do more than make kids laugh; he wants them to look into God’s word. That’s why each poem also includes a quip and a scripture reference. Here is an example called Never Too Old: “Great-great-grandma’s ninety-seven/ Great-great-grandpa’s ninety-nine/ But when God looks down from Heaven/ He still says, “They’re kids of mine!” Then Nystrom provides a quip and a verse to go with the poem: We are children of God. 1 John 5:19.

Sometimes Nystrom tells the whole story. Other times he gives an introductory tidbit and leaves the reader with the task of uncovering the rest of the story. For example, in a poem called Charades, Nystrom says, “Poor ol’ Zacharias/ He cannot speak a word./ He’s trying hard to tell us/ what he saw and what he heard./ He flaps his arms/ like outstretched wings/ it really looks absurd./ Why’s the guy so tongue-tied/ just because he saw a bird.?” And he follows up with “What did Zacharias see and hear? Find out in Luke 1.”

What I Like: I think the book’s bright and whimsical illustrations are a perfect fit for the rollicking poems. I also like that the poems are not only humorous, but they can serve as a springboard to talk about New Testament stories. It gives people of all ages a fun new way to explore the Bible.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: The publisher lists ages 9-12, but I think the book appeals to younger kids as well. It would also be an excellent school resource.

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2010; ISBN:9780784721933; Hardback, 192 PGS., $17.99.

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Special info Read a CCBR review for another book by this author.

Nate Saint: Heavenbound

As a child, Nate Saint longed to learn to fly. His wish came true, and he eventually flew supplies to missionaries in Ecuador. In Nate Saint: Heavenbound, you learn of the life of Mr. Saint, who was killed in 1956 by natives he was trying to reach with the Gospel. This book is written by Renee Taft Meloche and illustrated by Bryan Pollard.

"When Nate grew up he learned to fly
and thought how he could be
a pilot and still serve the Lord
our God wholeheartedly."

With this, Nate and his family set off to Ecuador and begin flying in supplies to missionaries. It's when he decides to try to make contact with the Auca (which means "savage") that things go awry for Nate and he and some of his fellow missionaries are killed.

What I Like: The illustrations are especially eye-catching and give you a good feel for the jungle and its inhabitants Nate might have encountered.

What I Dislike: In a few spots, the rhyme didn't quite work. I would have liked to know who Nate flew with on his fateful final mission, too.

For younger readers, there's a section towards the end where the Auca Indian man tells a lie about spending the night with an Auca woman; this is the inciting incident that leads to the death of Nate and his friends. While I realize this is factual, I wonder if it could have been handled more delicately for the younger crowd.

Also, this book lacks a bibliography, which I would have liked to see for additional reference.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 6 and up.

Publisher Info: YWAM Publishing, 2001; ISBN: 978-157658229-9; Hardback $8.99

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We've reviewed other books in the "Heroes for Young Readers" series by Renee Taft Melochee. You can find them here.

Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children

In Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children, kids learn how this big-hearted woman served others in India. Written by Renee Taft Meloche and illustrated by Bryan Pollard, this book charmingly describes how young Amy Carmichael came to care for the poor and hungry.

"Her name was Amy Carmichael
and she was having fun
enjoying tea and tiny cakes
so tasty on her tongue,
when through the tearoom windowpane
she noticed, in surprise,
a homeless girl was gazing in
with hollow, hungry eyes."

After this inciting incident, Amy makes a vow to help people like this girl when she grows up. In her home in Ireland, she invites the poor into church, despite what members of the church think. She eventually builds a larger church to house everyone.

Then God takes Amy abroad: Japan, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and finally India, sharing the Gospel. In India, she becomes so well known, orphans break out of Hindu temples to find her. Amy welcomed every one.

What I Like: Sharing someone's life story in rhyme is a unique. In my opinion, it makes it easy to follow. The illustrations did a good job of evoking images of Ms. Carmichael's life.

What I Dislike: There were a few spots where the rhyme didn't quite work. Also, there were several pages that focused exclusively on the orphans that found Amy, and while their stories are impressive and I would like to know more about them, I felt they took up too much of the story.

I would like to have a bibliography in the back where I could learn more about Ms. Carmichael, as well as see what sources were used for reference.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: 6 and up.

Publisher Info: YWAM Publishing, 2002; ISBN: 978-157658233-6; Hardback $8.99

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We've reviewed other books in the "Heroes for Young Readers" series by Renee Taft Melochee. You can find them here.