Andi's Circle C Christmas

Andi's aunt is visiting the ranch, putting a real damper on the holiday season in Susan K. Marlow's Andi's Circle C Christmas. Aunt Rebecca is grumpy. She's always picking on Andi for not being lady-like. And she bosses everyone around. Andi doesn't like it one bit - but she's not sure what to do about it. She's tempted to talk back, but her big sister warns: "You won't dare talk back to Aunt Rebecca. Or do anything mean to her. Mother would be so ashamed...Christmas is Jesus' birthday. Remember?...You can't give Jesus a real present, like a pot holder...But you can give Him the present of trying to make Aunt Rebecca happy."

"I can try," Andi says without enthusiasm. "But I think I would like to give Jesus a different present." Nevertheless, next time Aunt Rebecca bosses Andi around, she actively remembers asking God to help her make her Aunt happy, then shuts her lips tight.

Then Andi and her aunt take a buggy ride in order to go to a Christmas tea. One of the wheels bounces off the buggy, leaving both Aunt Rebecca and Andi stranded in the rain. It's too far to walk anywhere, so Andi decides they can unhitch the buggy horse and ride him back home. Aunt Rebecca could never think of riding a horse, however; it's not lady-like. She tells Andi to ride back to the ranch by herself to fetch help. This brings Andi to tears. She doesn't want to be the boss, she discovers. But she knows she can't leave her possibly hurt Aunt alone in the rain and mud after dark. Finally, she convinces her aunt to ride behind her on the horse.

Safely back at the ranch, Aunt Rebecca is kinder to Andi, appreciating her help and courage. On Christmas, Aunt Rebecca still scolds a little about peeking at the presents, but she does it with a smile. "Happy birthday, Jesus!" Andi thinks.

What I Like: My 6 year old daughter loves the Circle C series of books; she can easily relate to Andi, who struggles with the same things she does - including being respectful and kind even when she doesn't like someone. I like Andi's Circle C Christmas because it's a sweet, innocent tale that encourages my child to think about kindness and how it pleases God. The 10 black and white illustrations by Leslie Gammelgaard also add to the reading experience.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: There is no recommendation by the publisher, but I'd say 5 to 8.

Publishing Info: Kregel; 2011; ISBN: 978-0825441875; paperback, 80 pgs., $4.99.

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Susan K. Marlow, including additional books in the Circle C series.

Heaven, God's Promise for Me

“We wondered when our Granny died,/ Where did she really go?/ It’s lonely here without her,/ And we just miss her so!”

When someone dear passes away and little ones start asking questions about Heaven, where can a parent turn for help? Check out Heaven, God’s Promise for Me, by Anne Graham Lotz. Kid-friendly, whimsical pictures created by Laura J. Bryant depict children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and animals of all kinds.

The story explores the promises God gives us about our eternal home. The book opens with a letter from Graham to parents, telling why she wrote the book and giving them some encouraging tips about how they can pass on their faith. Then the story begins. Written in rhyming verse, it follows a brother and sister as they pray for answers about Heaven, and then look for answers in the Bible. They discover that God not only has a great big house with many rooms, but that “Jesus, His Son, is preparing a place. With treasures from above--/ Our favorite foods and colors,/ And the special people we love…” Jesus will also wipe away our tears, and there will be no crying or pain or sickness or sadness or hunger!

The book goes on to describe the beauty of our Heavenly home. Finally, in the grand tradition of Billy Graham, daughter Anne Graham Lotz masterfully takes the tale to a poignant culmination by encouraging readers to put their trust in Jesus. In fact, after the story, the author includes a prayer kids can recite to ask Jesus into their hearts. The book also includes questions parents can use to help talk about Heaven (such as “Where is Heaven?” and “Will you be welcomed in Heaven? Why?”) and a helpful list of Scripture references used to build the foundation of the story.

What I Like: The book seems like a great tool to help guide children to understand eternity and how to put their faith in Christ. The inclusion of Scripture references provides both parent and child with a stepping stone to further explore the ideas presented in the story. I also LOVE the bright and appealing watercolor illustrations.

What I Dislike: Rhyming books are hard to write well. (In fact, out of the rhyming books I’ve read most recently, Crystal Bowman is one of the few authors who consistently gets the meter right.) In this book, the meter works some of the time, but sometimes it’s simply off. Because of that, when I read it out loud, I stumbled over a several verses. Still, the message and illustrations paired with the extra support (letter to parents, prayer, Scripture references) are strong enough to offset that flaw.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Ages 4 and up.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2011; ISBN:978-0310716013; Hardcover, 40 PGS., $16.99

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Special Info: Anne Graham Lotz is the CEO of AnGeL Ministries. You can find out more information about this ministry at her website. She mainly writes books for adults. Some titles are The Magnificent Obsession: Embracing the God-Filled Life, Just Give Me Jesus, and Heaven: My Father’s House.

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

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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.

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The Donkey's First Christmas

God often uses the least likely people to accomplish his goals, and in The Donkey's First Christmas by S.T. Schroder, he also uses a stubborn donkey.

This little blue donkey doesn't want to do anything - unless it's his own idea. To avoid working for his master, he puts on illness, or hides, or just plain refuses to move. But one day, despite hiding, limping, coughing, and loudly braying, his master gives him - for free - to a man.

The donkey's heart sinks as he sees his load: A very pregnant woman, plus some luggage. "I won't and you can't make me," the donkey thinks, but the woman offers him a pear: "There you go you sweetie. Let's have a bite to eat. It wouldn't do to start our trip without a little treat." The donkey decides he'll do as the woman asks - "but only for today."

The woman's kindness keeps the donkey walking, even when he thinks he can't go a step further, until at last he collapses in a stable. The next thing he knows, he hears a baby crying.

"Then when I saw the mother
pull her tiny baby near
an angel who'd been watching

Leant and whispered in her ear
'
You see now little donkey
what a special thing you've done?
By helping carry Mary
- you helped God's precious son.'"

What I Like: This is a cute book, with chunky, sweet illustrations in soft colors. It appealed to both my children - who, like so many young kids - sometimes want to be as stubborn as the blue donkey. Although the book does not give the full story of the first Christmas, it does create an opening to discuss it, all while holding a young child's attention better than a more realistic book might.

What I Dislike: Schroder's rhyming text occasionally is forced, but my only major complaint is the text, which uses a capital O whenever an O appears in the text, reminding us of the first illustration in the book where the donkey is shown braying "e-Or!" While this is creative, it - combined with the thin font designed to appear hand written (or, perhaps it is hand written) makes it difficult for me to read the story without hesitating.
Overall Rating: Despite the problem with the font, very good.

Age Appeal: Toddler to early grade school.
Publishing Info: Tilli Publishing; 2011; ISBN: 978-1908053015; paperback, 24 pgs., $9.99.

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Special Info: To see a book trailer for The Donkey's First Christmas, visit the author's website. There, you can also download an excerpt from the book and email the author about free lesson plans to go with the book.

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

Once there were three trees with very specific wishes. One, author Elena Pasquali writes in The Three Trees, wanted to be made into a chest that held treasure. Another wanted to be made into a ship holding a mighty king. The last tree was more content: "I want to stay here on the hillside, pointing to heaven."

Many years later, the trees are chopped down. The first two are eager to meet their destiny, but the third mourns: "Now my dream is over."

A carpenter takes the wood from the first tree and makes it into a feeding trough - not a treasure chest. The tree sighs at it's new, humble life. But then one night, a newborn baby is laid into the trough. "Suddenly the first tree knew that it was holding the greatest treasure the world had ever known."

A shipwright takes the wood from the second tree, but he makes it into a humble fisherman's boat - not the ship of a king. The tree sighs at it's dull life. But then one night, someone riding in the boat says "Peace. Be still." And the stormy sea turns calm. "And the second tree knew that it was carrying the mightiest king the world had ever known."

The wood from the third tree sits for a long time before someone hastily makes it into a cross. A man is attached to the cross, and the cross stands on a hillside. The man is removed and the cross is empty.

"Then came a bright dawn. By a miracle, the man who had died was seen alive again. The tree that had borne his death was now a symbol of his life. And the third tree knew that it would stand for ever, pointing to heaven."

What I Like: God will often use us in ways we do not expect - and even the most humble among us are useful to him: Two facts beautifully illustrated in The Three Trees. This tale is simple and well told, and is sure to become a favorite not just for Christmas and Easter, but all year long. The illustrations by Sophie Windham have a beautiful folk art feel to them, making this a book a visual treat, as well.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

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

Publishing Info: Lion; 2011; ISBN: 978-0745962894; hardback, 32 pgs., $14.99.

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Special Info:This folktale has been featured in a number of books. including one by Angela Elwell Hunt, which we reviewed here.

Janie's Freedom: African-Americans in the Aftermath of the Civil War

The South was a turbulent place after the Civil War ended. The slaves were free from slavery, but not necessarily from trouble. Many white men resented having to free their slaves, so life was still hard for a black person in the South. Many of the freed slaves left the South and traveled to the North to find work and greater acceptance.

Janie is one such slave. It’s been two years since the end of the war. She is still living at Rubyhill, a plantation that was mostly burnt when Sherman’s troops came through. She has been raised by Aunty Mil, an elderly, blind slave on the plantation who has treated Janie like her grandchild. Janie was taken away from her parents when she was five and sold to Rubyhill.

Aunty Mil has taught Janie about God. When Aunty Mil feels it is about her time to “go to Heaven” she encourages Janie to leave the south and head North for a better life. The Master of the plantation is dead and his widow is leaving to join her family in Philadelphia. Her parting instructions to her former slaves are: “Stay at Rubyhill as long as you like. Take whatever you can use from the house or from anywhere else on the land. My men won’t be coming back. Neither will I. May God bless you all and keep you safe.”

After the departure of Miz Laura, Janie and four other young form plantation slaves decide to leave “home” and strike out for Chicago. Janie has always wondered what happened to her parents and hopes someday to be reunited with them. The journey to the North is not easy, and the former slaves must trust in God to help them through to a better life.

Janie’s Freedom: African-Americans in the Aftermath of the Civil War, written by Callie Smith Grant, is told from two perspectives, that of Janie herself and that of Annie, Janie’s mother. Both characters tell their stories of how they were separated from their family members and for their hopes to be reunited.

What I Like: I like historical fiction. You get a good sense of what it was like for former slaves living during this time period. Janie’s character is based on a composite of former female slaves who still lived in the South after the War.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, 2006; ISBN: 9781597890861; 144 pages, Paperback, $4.99.

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Special Info: This book is part of the publisher’s Sisters in Time series.