Tallest of Smalls

Let me first admit I'm not a huge fan of Max Lucado's books. For whatever reason, they don't normally grab me. But when it comes to Lucado's newest children's book, I'm a fan.

The Tallest of Smalls is, first and foremost, a beautiful book. Maria Monescillo's illustrations are vivid, rich in color and texture, and full of small details kids love to discover. Without these exciting drawings, this book would be far less interesting.

The text is written in Dr. Seuss-inspired rhyme. The first two times I read this book aloud to my children, I found it clunky and difficult. However, I soon discovered it's really not the text itself that was giving me trouble, but the placement of it on the pages. Unlike a Seuss book, for example, that has blocks of the text on the page, this book's designers chose to spread the stanzas out on the pages - sometimes creating strange breaks in the text. Once I knew the story better, the text flowed more smoothly.

The story is pretty basic, and (at least to an adult) predictable. Ollie is a "not cool" boy who lives in the town of Smalls, where the cool people periodically proclaim someone wonderful and give him a pair of stilts to walk around on. Ollie has little hope of being chosen. His pants are patched, his legs are skinny, his socks never match,

"he laughs with a snort
and sleeps with a drool,
too common and dull
for the gang of the cool."

Yet, amazingly, one day they do choose him. But Ollie quickly discovers it's tough to walk around on stilts. Birds perch all over him, and he falls "right back where he started," on the ground. The cool people take away his stilts and everyone abandons him. Dejected, Ollie sits on the ground - until he feels the hand of Jesus on his side.

Jesus tells Ollie to keep his feet on the ground, to "choose low over high...You're precious, my Ollie/not too short or too small;/I made you, remember,/you're mine after all." And so Ollie learns

"I may not be much -
the smallest of Smalls-
but since Jesus love me,
I'm the tallest of talls!"

What I Like: This little book is a great reminder not to judge ourselves by the world's standards, nor to get caught up trying to "be someone." With well-written rhyme and gorgeous illustrations, this book easily holds my preschooler's attention.

What I Dislike: I wish this book's designers had made reading this book a bit easier by keeping the stanzas together.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Thomas Nelson, 2009; ISBN: 978-1400315147; hardback, $16.99

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other Max Lucado books. Watch the book trailer for Tallest of Smalls at YouTube. Tallest of Smalls is tied in with Fearless, Lucado's book for adults.

Our Father

Our Father couples The Lord's Prayer with explanations written by Sabrina Bus. Each phrase from Jesus' prayer is given one to two sentences of contemporary paraphrase or elaboration.

For example, the first page reads "Our Father" at the top and, at the bottom, reads "God, we can talk to you like a father. You think that everything we tell you is important."

The illustrations by Xavier Deneux feature bold, primary colors and multi-ethnic people. The proportions are a bit exaggerated (some heads too large; some mid-sections too large), but this does not detract from the characters' appeal and friendliness.

What I Like: I love the bright colors. The size of this book (6 x 6") is perfect for tossing into a bag and taking to the doctor's office or wherever. I like that the text quotes The Lord's Prayer in its entirety.

What I Dislike: No Scripture references are offered anywhere. The book doesn't even say which Bible version is used to quote the prayer. Also, I felt the explanations were too simplistic. They offered no doctrine and very little clarification. Some didn't even seem to relate to the portion of the prayer quoted. For example, the last page reads "God, when we are sad you are near to us, and you make us feel like smiling again." This is coupled with "deliver us from evil."

Overall Rating: Good for infants and toddlers, but Ho-Hum for preschoolers.

Age Appeal: Baby to Preschool

Publisher Info: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2006; ISBN: 0802853137; Boardbook; $7.99

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Special Info: You may also be interested in our review of I Can Pray With Jesus: The Lord's Prayer for Children or any of our other reviews of books on prayer.

Raiders From the Sea

Raiders From the Sea, is the first in a series of three books, known as the Viking Quest series, written by Lois Walfrid Johnson.

In this opening volume, thirteen-year-old Briana and her fourteen-year-old brother Devin, are captured by Viking raiders who land in Ireland. The Vikings are led by a boy, a lad of about 15 years, named Mikkel, the son of a great Viking chieftain. Before she is captured, Briana saves Mikkel from drowning, not knowing who he is. She and her brother later find themselves captive on a ship headed for Norway, with Mikkel in charge. In gratitude for saving his life, Mikkel releases Devin before they get to Norway, but he refuses to let Briana go. Instead, she is forced to sail with the raiders and their load of captives all the way from Ireland to Norway.

Briana comes from a God-loving family. Before she is captured, her father tells her, “Whatever you face, if you ask God to help you, He will.” When a treacherous storm threatens to destroy their ship, the Vikings pray to Thor for aid. Not getting any results, they threaten to start throwing captives overboard to appease their god. Briana prays to the Almighty God for help. After the storm subsides, the Vikings show Briana a grudging respect for saving their lives, even though she doesn’t take credit for the miracle.

Near the end of the book, after the ship has landed in Norway, Briana searches for a chance to escape, but will she make it? Follow her exciting tale of adventure in the next book, The Mystery of the Silver Coins.

Even though this is a chapter book, there are black-and-white pencil sketches at the beginnings of each chapter depicting a scene from that particular part of the book.

What I Like: Sometimes it’s difficult to get kids interested in history. Historical fiction novels such as this one are a great way to introduce children to historical topics without them feeling like they might be “learning” something.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Young Adult.

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2003; ISBN: 0802431127; Paperback, $7.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

The Work of His Fingers

The Work of His Fingers was written and illustrated by Alison Brown. As the subtitle suggests, it is "an illustrated rhyme in praise of creation."

The text explains that our world was not created by some big explosion, but rather by a God of vast understanding and power. He used His infinite wisdom to place the earth in just the right spot so that we could live with water and air, day and night, all the things we need to be comfortable and happy. His intricate design goes even to the depths of fruits and vegetables. The author emphasizes that all things follow their own kind and that life comes only from life. It ends by asserting:

"There's no need to debate or question or doubt
what God has so wonderfully done...
for the evidence all around us agrees
with Genesis chapter one!"

The illustrations, done mostly in colored pencils, are quite detailed. They alternate between full-color and black and white, but always offer realistic images and high contrast.

What I Like: I love the content of this book. It's doesn't push specific creation theories (such as the length of a day of creation or what happened to the dinosaurs), but rather confronts evolutionary theories by elevating the power and creativity of God. It's beautifully written, wonderful poetry of true praise. My kids really like the illustrations, as do I. They're very well done!

What I Dislike: I feel the text would have been stronger if written in prose. The poetry flows nicely, but it detracts from the content. Toward the end of the book, one illustration shows a monkey. My five-year-old exclaimed "Oh! This book is about monkeys!" While my kids really enjoy this book, this reaction shows me they didn't get it. It's not at all about monkeys, but this was the conclusion they reached. The sing-songy rhythm led them to rely on the illustrations more than the text for comprehension.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8, though I think kids up to age 10 might enjoy it.

Publisher Info: Banner of Truth, 2007; ISBN: 0851519652; Paperback; $8.00

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Bible Heroes I Can Be

Bible Heroes I Can Be by Ann Eisenberg takes a unique approach to introducing young children to famous biblical people. Each two page spread in this board book features a well known Old Testament person and a one-sentence explanation of something he or she is famous for. Another sentence, along with a smaller picture, illustrates a modern-day child doing something similar.

For example, the first page reads: "Noah built an ark. I can build lots of things." The large picture shows a biblical-era man building a huge boat, while the smaller picture shows a toddler or preschool-age girl making a sandcastle.

Other pages discuss welcoming guests like Abraham and Sarah, being kind to animals like Rebeccah (who watered the camels), having colorful clothes like Joseph, helping with the baby like Miriam, making (building block) walls tumble like Joshua, playing beautiful music like David, et cetera.

What I Like: This is a simple and easy way to talk to babies, toddlers, and perhaps preschoolers about people in the Bible and virtues we can learn from them. The illustrations by Rosalyn Schanzer are bold and equally strong while showing Bible times and modern times. (The cover illustration really doesn't do her work justice.)

What I Dislike: Although the book says "Joshua made the walls fall down," God really did this. But I just used this as an opportunity to discuss the point for my daughter. In addition, there is no mention of achieving virtues through the help and grace of Jesus Christ. (This book comes from a publisher of books for Jewish children.)

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 1 - 4.

Publishing Info: Kar-Ben, 2004; ISBN: 978-1-58013-124-7; board book, $6.95

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Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World, tells of Martin Luther, and how his actions started the Reformation. Written by Paul L. Maier and illustrated by Greg Copeland, the life of Luther is recounted in 32 pages.

The book begins by setting the stage for readers, describing just how spiritually dark a world Martin Luther was born into. There is little detail given about his childhood. When he was of age, Luther began studying law at the University of Erfurt. One day he was knocked to the ground by a bolt of lightning. Terrified, he promised to become a monk if St. Anne would only spare his life. He lived, and became a monk to the extreme disappointment of his father.

Maier goes on to describe how disillusioned Luther was by the hypocrisy of the pope and the cardinals. When he was sent to Wittenburg to be a professor in the university, he began to read the Bible, finding answers to his deepest questions. He came to believe that righteousness is a gift from God, not obtained by works.

Fully persuaded, Luther was ready to share his concerns with the teachings of the Catholic church. Most of us know the story of how, on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed his list of 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church.

The book goes on to describe the aftermath of the posting of the thesis. The anger of the leaders of the church, the great debate at Leipzig, and Luther's famous speech to the emperor Charles V, made him a marked man. Luther was forced to go into hiding to preserve his life, and during that time of seclusion, translated the New Testament into German.

The book concludes by covering the rest of Luther's life: his preaching, hymn writing, marriage, and birth of children. He died after suffering multiple heart attacks, and confessed the name of Christ on his death bed.

What I Like: The full page paintings are beautiful! This would make a wonderful coffee table book. I think this book gives just enough information for children to understand the political and religious climate in Luther's day. Weighty topics are handled with care.

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about this book. Just remember that this is an overview of Luther's life. It is not an in depth study of the factors that influenced Luther's actions.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: The publisher states 4-8, but I'd have to disagree. I think that this book is too advanced for some 4-5-year-olds. I think even older school-aged children would enjoy this book.

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2004; ISBN:0758606265 ; Hardback $10.49.

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Special Info: You may be interested in our other reviews of books by Paul L. Maier.

Big Truths For Little Kids

Every night we've been reading from Big Truths for Little Kids, a devotional written by Susan and Richie Hunt, and illustrated by Nancy Munger. This devotional will teach your child how to apply truths from the First Catechism. As you work through this book, you will find yourself memorizing the catechism, and getting to know two children, Cassie and Caleb and their friends.

The format of this devotional is as follows: catechism questions for reviewing/memorizing, a story to read about Cassie, Caleb and their family and friends, questions to answer about the story, and a Scripture and suggestion for prayer.

The illustrations are tastefully rendered in black and white; one or two per devotional.

What I Like: We've found that reading this book with our children has become a precious time of sharing and learning. Crucial character building qualities are stressed, and the stories are engaging. My three year old daughter remembers what she's learned, and we are able to apply the stories to her life. Susan Hunt and her son have put a lot of love and spiritual discernment into the writing of this book.

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about this book! I do feel that at times Cassie and Caleb display wisdom and discernment beyond their years, but for this age group it is quite effective.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 4-8, but my just turned three year old enjoys it!

Publisher Info: Crossway Books,1999; ISBN:1581341067; Hardcover $16.99.

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Special Info: If you would like to read a list of the questions in the First Catechism, you can find them here. Also, we've reviewed another book by Susan Hunt, and you can read that review here.

First Virtues for Toddlers

If you want help instilling good qualities like generosity and patience in your toddler or preschooler, First Virtues for Toddlers by Dr. Mary Manz Simon is a great addition to the family library.

This fat book contains 12 stories (originally published as individual books), each emphasizing a different virtue: kindness, truthfulness, loving nature, patience, forgiveness, friendliness, thankfulness, obedience, joyfulness, generosity, politeness, and a desire to do the best job possible. Each story is short, written in strong rhyme, and has cute pictures of animals drawn by Linda Clearwater, Dorothy Stott, Kathy Couri, and Phyllis Harris.

Here's an example of the text:

"If I make
a great big mess,
I'll be honest
and confess.

I will not steal
from a store.
I will pay
at the door."

Each chapter always refers back to the Bible, offering a simple biblical quote for children to memorize.

The last few pages of the book contain notes for parents, with ideas on promoting virtues.

What I Like: This book is well written and has adorable illustrations. What's not to like?

What I Dislike: My only complaint is that the parental notes would be more useful directly before or after the stories they pertain to, rather than squeezed in at the end of the book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, infant to toddler, but because this isn't a board book, most parents won't be able to read it to their baby. In addition, my four year old (who tends to have advanced tastes) really enjoyed this book and it lead to several interesting conversations about good behavior.

Publishing Info: Standard, 2006; ISBN: 978-0784718483; hardback, $14.99

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My Everyday Promise Bible: 365 Bible Promises for Little Hearts

My Everyday Promise Bible: 365 Bible Promises for Little Hearts, written and illustrated by Phil A. Smouse, is a book filled with enough Bible verses and promises to last an entire year. The verses are numbered Day 1 – Day 365. You can start out on Day 1 and read straight through day by day or skip around as you like. Each day’s reading is on one page. Each page has a title for the reading, a Bible verse that is paraphrased so it’s simple enough for little ones to understand and a devotional about the verse. There is an index at the end of the book that breaks down the verses into categories such as friends, pride, sadness, etc.

The illustrations are colorful and eye-catching, done in a cartoon-like manner, sure to hold a young child’s interest.

What I Like: I like the variety of verses and the easy way you can find a verse about a particular topic in the Index.

What I Dislike: Although the text is written in a simple, straight-forward manner, the book itself is cumbersome. It has a board book cover and heavy-weight paper pages to hold up for extended use. The book is nearly 400 pages (with each all the verses and the Index). This makes it quite thick and heavy. I don’t think children ages 3-5 will find the book very user-friendly without a lot of help from someone else.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 3-5.

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, Inc., 2009: ISBN: 9781602604759; Hardcover, $14.97.

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books written and/or illustrated by Phil A. Smouse. Visit the author’s website.

The Ancient Omen: Elijah Creek & the Armor of God #2

The Ancient Omen is the second book in Lena Wood's unusual and intriguing series, Elijah Creek and the Armor of God. Elijah Creek, and his friends Robbie, Reece, Mei and Skid, found some ancient pieces of armor buried on the land behind the campground where Elijah and his family live. This set of armor is somehow linked to the verses about "putting on the full armor of God" in Ephesians 6. In book two, they set out to find new pieces of the armor. Their quest soon involves them in a dangerous mystery.

The book begins with the friends' discovery of a belt and a compass. They believe the belt is "the belt of truth" referenced in Ephesians 6. The armor is very old and was brought over from Ireland. Although it is meant to remind us of God's power, two Christian archaeologists explain it "is not a magic thing that. . . has special powers, or some ridiculous thing. We are not talking about sorcery!" As the children follow the compass' leading and continue their search, they stumble upon a dead body in an abandoned well. Believing they are in over their heads, they tell their parents and the police what they have found. Although Elijah isn't a Christian yet, he is intrigued by Reece's faith and determination to tell the truth no matter the cost. Following her example means confessing to trespassing, lying, and sneaking out of the house. The investigation takes on a new tone as Elijah is grounded and the police are involved, but Elijah and his friends still have a big role to play.

Elijah and his friends are convinced Mr. Dowland, a retired minister who once served at the church where the armor was found, was somehow involved with the dead body. At one point, Elijah wonders just how bad a good person may have become. Elijah ended up killing Mr. Dowland's dog (in the first book) after he sent it to attack the children, and Mr. Dowland may have burnt down the church he used to pastor. It turns out, there was a land dispute because the church bought land with plans for expansion, but was unable to expand as membership shrank. When the church was unable to sell back the abandoned land, they went into foreclosure. However, Mr. Dowland's daughter fell in love with the banker's son before the deal went bad. After the dispute, rumors have it Mr. Dowland would not allow his daughter to marry the son of the banker. Imagine the town's surprise when the bodies in the well turn out to be a young girl and her baby.

Elijah and Reece confront Mr. Dowland about their belief he was responsible for the deaths of his daughter and her baby. Soon after, they witness the demise of Mr. Dowland, who never internalized the message "the truth will set you free." They also learn the belt is indeed from the early Middle Ages and includes the Hebrew word for truth. As he is making these discoveries, Elijah is also busy accompanying juvenile delinquent campers on a kayak expedition, helping his mom at the community Christmas Village bazaar and craft fair, trying to impress Reece and searching for his missing younger twin sisters.

In the end, some of the roughest campers help in the search for the missing twins and they are returned safely. Elijah gives Reece a cross necklace from the Christmas Village, which is just what she wanted and Elijah's mom and dad trust him with more responsibility as he remains truthful and respectful while being grounded. It is never quite clear whether Mr. Dowland was responsible for his daughter and grandson's death, or whether it was suicide, an accident, or murder by the banker's son. At least Elijah has learned the importance of telling the truth and, as he considers his new-found knowledge Reece has been praying for him, he takes a step closer to God.

What I Like: I really like Elijah's character. It is neat to see a Christian book written from the point of view of someone who is not a Christian yet. Although Elijah believes he had a vision and there is a special call on his life, he is confused about "Christian" things. When he attends church with Reece, he has a hard time following the "rules" (the order of the service, standing, sitting, etc. . .). He does, however, like the sermon as the pastor is explaining how many Indian names for God have biblical parallels, and Elijah has Indian ancestry. Elijah always notices when Reece tells the truth even though it would be easier not to. This is a good reminder for Christian readers. Our friends watch us more than we may think.

I also like the inclusion of Mei, a Japanese girl whose parents are here on a two-year work visa. We learn lots about her culture and even some phrases to say, without it feeling forced. Wood is a natural at characterization, and all of her characters are engaging and authentic. She does an excellent job showing Elijah shift from lying out of habit, to being aware of the truth, to trusting the truth really will set you free.

There is a neat page titled Ancient Truth at the back of the book which lists several Bible verses. There is also a page of Japanese phrases and pronunciations.

What I Dislike: Throughout my reading of the book, I felt like I had missed the beginning or had turned a show on in the middle. The Ancient Omen needs a prologue to catch readers up to speed on what has happened so far. We get several hints about the fire at the church, the mysterious armor, and the archaeologists who are examining the armor, but there are lots of loose ends both in the beginning and the end of the book. We only learn about the armor in disjointed bits and pieces, and the author assumes we have a better understanding of who Mr. Dowland is than we do. This makes the murder mystery aspect of the plot confusing. I also didn't learn why everyone was concerned about Reece's walking until the second half of the book when the author mentions she has a limp. I still never found out what the limp was from.

Overall Rating: Good as a stand alone, but probably very good if paired with Book One: The Severed Head.

Age Appeal: 8-12, but I would say 10 and up.

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2005; ISBN: 0-7847-1590-4; Paperback, $7.99

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Special Note: There is a fairly gruesome description of Mr. Dowland's dog decaying. Also, the bones in the well include a baby who was conceived out of wedlock.

Skid and the Too Tiny Tunnel

My preschooler absolutely adores Skid and the Too Tiny Tunnel by Jeffery Stoddard. She asks for this book again and again, and pages through it on her own, too. Skid addresses two things my daughter is focused on just now: Wanting to do what grown ups do and being afraid of the dark. I'll bet your young children deal with those things, too.

As the book opens, we meet Skid, a tiny tractor in a world of enormous diggers, bulldozers, dump trucks, and cranes who frequently tell him, "Stay here little guy; you're too small...We have important work and it's no place for a dinky tractor with a putt-putt engine." All except Pillar, the giant bulldozer. "You don't have to be big to be mighty," Pillar says.

"I don't?" says Skid. "How can a little tractor like me ever do big things? I'm even afraid of the dark."

Pillar replies, "A lot of tractors are afraid of the dark...You just have to do what you were made to do, even if you're afraid."

Then one day, a tunnel the heavy equipment machines are working on collapses and Pillar is buried beneath the rubble. Pete the dump truck asks Skid for help. Only Skid is small enough to make his way through the rubble and dig out Pillar. Skid is afraid, but he tried anyway. He carefully digs Pillar out and soon all the heavy equipment is cheering him. Skid, Pillar says, was "a mighty brave machine."

"That's why when you pass by an important construction job today, you'll probably see a little loader named Skid. Because even big machines know they just may need a brave tiny tractor to do what he was made to do."

Skid is a high quality book and could easily pass as a mainstream title. In fact, the only thing that makes this book Christian is the subtitle: "A story of courage based on Deuteronomy 31:6."

Throughout, Stoddard's illustrations bring the characters to life. Somehow, he manages to bring out the human qualities in heavy equipment and dump trucks.

What I Like: Everything. This is a delightfully told, well written story with quality illustrations. The message is a good one, and appeals to two central issues in the lives of young children. And while this book may generally appeal more to boys, my daughter is a huge fan, too.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really, although I would have preferred that the Bible verse be quoted. ("Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.") But perhaps the publisher chose not to do this, hoping the title would be more accessible to the mainstream market.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Warner, 2009; ISBN: 978-1593173555; hardback, $12.99

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