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.

Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love

Have you ever been smack dab in the middle of doing something when the thought God is smack dab in the middle of all this with me comes to mind? Larry Libby’s and John Blase’s picture book, Smack Dab in the Middle of God’s Love is a great reminder of God continuous love for us.

Set in a Mexican village, the story follows a conversation between a childless couple and a group of their “adopted” neighborhood kids. The discussion starts with a question from Willie Juan: Little friends, someday when you are in heaven, what do you think Abba will ask you?

The children share ideas that reveal something about their faith, fears, and expectations. For example, one thinks Abba will want to know if Abuela, or grandmother, was loved and cared for. As the children speculate, they ask questions. Willie Juan responds to each child with wisdom and encouragement. For example, when one expresses uncertainty, he says, “Even when we sometimes forget things, Abba always remembers His love for us.”

Throughout the book, the authors use the phrase “smack-dab in the middle” to provide unity and flow to the tale. They also sprinkle in a number of Spanish words, which serves to make the texture of the setting richer. The story concludes with the same warmth and sense of caring that it opens with via a reminder: we are ALL smack-dab in the middle of Abba’s love… a love big enough to hold us all.

The illustrations, done by Nicole Tadgell, are beautiful. She captures the heart of the message by painting realistic looking characters from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. She adds authentic Mexican details to the home, yard, and clothing. Each two-page spread exudes contentment and love and acceptance, which make the illustrations particularly well suited to match the focus of the book.

What I Like: I loved the illustrations and the way the authors/ illustrator incorporated so much of the Mexican culture into the book. As a teacher, I appreciate the inclusion of Spanish words in the text and the repeated use of the phrase “smack dab in the middle.” Plus I like that the message about God’s love was conveyed in every aspect of the book.

What I Dislike: It was a little long in length, which means younger kids might have trouble staying engaged the whole time it takes to read through the story. And, while it's a sweet story, there is not a lot of action going on.

Overall Rating: I’m split between Excellent and Very Good. The illustrations were so well done, and the general sense of warmth in the story so strong, I think the idea of the book is excellent. But the length gives me pause, as does the lack of any real action that will maintain reader attention. Therefore I'll rate it Very Good with a nod towards Excellent.

Age Appeal: Ages 4 and up, although I would personally lean toward 6-8.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2011; ISBN:978-1400317134; Hardcover (also available in Kindle), 32 pgs., $14.99

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God Made Something Beautiful

Nature is filled with lots of wonderful things. In God Made Something Beautiful by Penny Reeve and illustrated by Roger de Klerk, kids learn to look for the extraordinary in everyday life.

The two unnamed children in the story are out for a walk, and they happen across all kinds of interesting things--animals, trees, birds, flowers. They discover an eye looking at them through a bush, and they have to figure out what goes along with it--first tail feathers, then loose feathers, finally a whole peacock!

What I Like: The story is simple and straightforward for young children and early readers. Finding the animals is fun! My daughter (3 1/2 years old) quickly pointed out out everything the pages asked us to look for, and then some.

The illustrations are vibrant and engaging. There's also a Bible verse on every page to accompany the story.

What I Dislike: Only one minor thing: The kids in the book, probably around the age of 6 or 7, are by themselves, with no parents around. Granted, this is a Scottish book, so maybe it's a little more acceptable across the pond to allow your younger kids to go on a nature walk alone. This didn't detract from my family's enjoyment of this book, though.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 2 - 5

Publisher Info: Christian Focus Publications, 2002; ISBN: 978-1-85792-773-3; Paperback, 16 pgs., $4.99

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Special Info: As this is a Scottish publisher, there are a few instances of English spellings.