Snuggle Time Prayers

Snuggle Time Prayers by Glenys Nellist is a beautiful board book with simple scripture based prayers for young children.

Glenys Nellist is one of my favorite children's authors. Her writing speaks in a voice that children can hear and understand. Based on her writings, I can picture her having a very safe voice, perfect for the ears of little ones.

Each prayer features a one line verse with a reference. The prayer then reflects the heart of the verse with personal application in a way that little ones can understand.

These prayers can be read one each night, or as in my 4 year old's case, several in a row because he liked them so much.

What I Like: I am big on finding great illustrations in children's books because little ones can see and be pulled in by the pictures before they can read the words. Cee Biscoe's illustrations perfectly match the voice of Glenys in this sweet book. The cover photo is a great example of the illustrations found throughout the book.

What I Dislike: I loved everything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 2-4 years old.

Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2016; ISBN: 978-0310749325; boardbook, 30 pgs., $9.99.

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Love From a Star

Author Katherine Cutchin Gazzetta provides the perfect bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers with her book Love From a Star.  The story shows a bear with two sidekicks—a floppy bunny and an elusive frog—as they look to the stars at night.  The overall message is simple: Wherever you are, whatever you face, God is there. Just look for His star.

Each two-page spread hosts two lines of text and an accompanying picture.  The text does rhyme, but the rhyme is split between pages. (For example, one page in the spread says, “You see, God put me here/ to watch over you.” The rest of that stanza is found when you turn the page: “ to love you and guide you,/ in all that you do.”)

Gazzetta also does the illustrations, which are, in my opinion, the best part of the book. The watercolor images are charming, whimsical, and fluid. The coloring is bold in hue and yet soft in execution.

Extra note: According to Amazon, the 2013 version of the book comes with a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars. However, I did not receive any stars with the book, so I am uncertain if this is true or not for the 2015 version.

What I Like: The illustrations are a big selling point for me.  Gazzetta does a nice job of wooing the reader with her images. The text is also short enough that the book can hold the attention of preschoolers and toddlers.

What I Dislike: I was a little confused over the idea that God puts stars in place to watch over us, and by the thought that a star could love someone (“Know that your star loves you tonight'").  While it is a heartwarming thought, I don’t see any Scriptural basis for this concept, which, in my mind, gives me pause. However, I am certain with an explanation that the stars are a reminder of God’s love (which I assume is the intention of the writer), then it would be just fine.

Overall Rating: Excellent (if the reader takes into mind what I mentioned about stars)

Age Appeal: None is provided, but the simplicity of the text suggests a younger audience, toddlers through preschool and perhaps up to Kindergarten age

Publisher Info: Sleeping Bear Press, 2015; ISBN: 978-0989206716; Hardcover and Kindle, 32 pgs., $14.99

This book is not currently available at Christianbook.com.

Buy the HARDCOVER VERSION at Amazon.com for $14.99 or the KINDLE VERSION for $14.24.

My Kiss Won't Miss

If you’re looking for a ritual bedtime tale for youngsters, check out My Kiss Won't Miss by Lesley Dahlseng. The story starts where the day ends…with a mother tucking her beloved child in to bed for the night.

Using friendly banter, the mother in the story connects with her child quite beautifully. She makes it clear: if he runs and hides, she’ll blow a kiss, which will always find him. It’s a comforting reminder of how a parental love follows children no matter where they stray. It’s a love that’s faithful, and echoes the even more powerful, pursuing love of our Heavenly Father. To make doubly sure children understand this blessing, the tale ends with the words from Romans 8:38-39. (Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.)

The book is written in rhyming couplets, which makes it kid friendly and memorable. Timeless illustrations by Mirela Tufan accompany the text. They are whimsical, loaded with delicate details, and tied together with a wispy dream-like thread that flows from page to page. Tufan depicts children from around the world in playful but sleepy splendor… showing the universal aspect of love.

What I Like: Everything. As a side note, Amazon states that the book won these awards:
*Gold Medal Winner of the Feathered Quill Awards
* Gold Medal Winner of the Illumination Awards
* INDIEFAB Book of the Year Finalist
* Five Star Publications Award for Best Children's Illustrated

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Pre-K through Kindergarten.

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Publisher Info: Whetword Press LLC, 2014; ISBN:978-0615987040 ; Hardback, 32 pgs., $17.99
This book is not available at Christianbook.com.
Buy it at Amazon.com for $13.36.

99 Stories from the Bible

99 Stories from the Bible by Juliet David is a beautiful, well illustrated children's story Bible.

This was one of the books that my children loved me pulling out in the evenings and reading from before bedtime. My 6 year old reader loved that she was able to follow along with me as I read to her, and my 2 year old loved the colorful, child-friendly illustrations on each and every page.

As the title suggests, this book covers 99 of the more familiar Bible accounts in a very summarized way. Each account takes no more than one to two pages recount each story. Many of the accounts are broken up into smaller accounts which is how there are 99 stories. For example the account of Moses is broken into six separate stories: A Baby in a Basket, God Speaks to Moses, Moses Meets the King, The Sea Dries Up, Moses Climbs a Mountain, and Giants.

What I Like: Illustrations are a huge selling point for me (not that content isn't important in any way). Children usually tend to gravitate to whatever is beautiful, colorful, and well-drawn. I love how almost each account has a two page illustration with the words being placed in areas that are not busy but still colorful. The illustrations on the cover (pictured) are examples of the full page illustrations in the book.

I also like that children are made familiar with the Bible accounts that they may skip over otherwise such as the story of Hannah. The summaries are short but give enough information to children so they have a reference point to go back to.

What I Dislike: I liked everything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 2-8-year-olds

Publisher Info: Candle Books, 2013; ISBN: 978-7-85985-847-9 ; hardcover, 192 pgs., $14.99

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Finish the Dream- God's Amazing World

Here is a unique approach to a bedtime routine: Instead of simply reading your child a bedtime story, why not introduce them to a dream-like landscape, explore that setting with them, then ask them to close their eyes and continue to drift along in the word-painted world? That’s what Sandra and Herb Reiersen set out to do in their book Finish the Dream- God's Amazing World.

Using vocabulary rich in imagery, Reiersen offers five dream scenarios: an icy tundra, a tranquil underwater paradise, a tour through the galaxy, sailing across the sea, and a cloud’s eye view of a home town. There is a certain meditative, almost hypnotic quality to each story. The authors start each adventure with a Scripture verse from Job and the words, “Close your eyes, my little dream traveler“ and use a cloud to transport the dream traveler to the different places. The words seem to be selected to soothe the spirit and lull the reader into sleep. Meanwhile, illustrator Jillian Britz uses digital art to create simple, colorful images. Each story ends with a reminder that we are surrounded by God’s love and the words, “Now, sweet dreamer, where will you go as you finish the dream?”

What I Like: I like the idea of a story that encourages creative thinking in children. The words also have a calming effect on the reader.

What I Dislike:: Overall I enjoyed the pictures and thought they worked well with the text. However, the underwater fish seemed out of place to me. Instead of blending into the realistic and peaceful quality of the rest of the book, these looked quite cartoonish to the point that they jolted me away from the lullaby of the text.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: No age is sited. I would estimate this book appealing to the Kindergarten and first grade audience. It may work for some preschoolers as well, depending on their maturity level.

Publisher Info: Beaver's Pond Press, 2012; ISBN: 978-1592985074; Hardback, 48 pgs., $17.95

This book is not available at Christianbook.com.
Buy it at Amazon.com for $14.00.

Rockabye Baby Jesus

Sharing the story of Jesus' birth is a popular thing at Christmastime. Finding an age-appropriate message for your toddler just got a little easier with Rockabye Baby Jesus, written by Heather Tietz and illustrated by Nancy Miller.

With soft, rhyming rhythms and pastoral pictures, Rockabye Baby Jesus is a terrific way to introduce the story of Christ's birth and lull your little one to sleep at the same time.

From the book:

"Then out of the stillness
and star-dappled sky,
a great heavenly host
sings the Babe's lullaby."

What I Like: Everything! The story stayed true to the biblical account in a manner younger kids can understand. The pictures are wonderful and the rhyming flawless. I really liked how the story started out with a wide view--first starting with a silent night, then zooming in to the shepherds, the town of Bethlehem, until you reach the stable and Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. However, it does not continue on until the wise men reach Him; the story ends in the stable.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Infant - 6

Publisher Info: Paulist Press, YEAR; ISBN: 978-0-8091-6760-9; Hardback, pgs., $12.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $11.01.

Special Info: At the end of the story, Jesus' face is shown, and the family is shown as Caucasian--Mary and Joseph with brown hair, Jesus with blond.

Mommy Whispers

A young mother looks at her newborn daughter, and it’s love at first sight… a love that grows and endures. Jenny Lee Sulpizio’s book Mommy Whispers captures the profoundly rooted connection between mother and daughter with a series of tender memories passed down from one generation to the next.

The story follows a girl from birth to adulthood. During each stage of the child’s life, her mother is there to pray for her, encourage her, and whisper this same refrain: “You are God’s gift to me, forever you will be.”

The bright colors, smiling faces, and whimsical energy of Peg Lozier’s illustrations capture the sentiments perfectly.

What I Like: Mommy Whispers holds the same kind of rich remembrance and parental devotion depicted in Robert Munsch’s bestselling story Love You Forever. It also enfolds in a similar fashion, lovingly providing snapshot images of certain stages of life, from infant to toddler to grade school to dating to marriage and then finally to birth again. I especially appreciated the prayer aspect. Any parent could learn a lesson from the well-crafted prayers Sulpizio weaves into the story.

What I Dislike: It is a little pricey for a paperback. But that shouldn't be a huge deterrent. And... this isn’t really a dislike… but a note. I think the story ---the poignant, fathomless love of a mother for her child… and then that child experiencing the same depth of emotion when she becomes a mother herself—would be better understood and appreciated by the adults reading it. I would likely give this book as a baby shower gift… to the pregnant mother rather than to the expected baby!

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: None listed. It's described as a keepsake book. The snuggle factor might make it appropriate for the preschool through kindergarten crowd.

Publisher Info: Isaac Publishing, 2010; ISBN: 978-1609200138; Paperback (or kindle), 34 pages, $12.95

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The Color of Grace

When a little boy asks his mother what grace looks like, his mom takes the opportunity of a teachable moment in The Color of Grace by Jennifer Neill. As illustrated by Amy Fox and Charles Bishop, the boy continues to ask questions about grace as the mother prepares her son for bed.

Momma, what does grace sound like?
It sounds like the water flowing down from a stream.

What I Like: The illustrations by Ms. Fox and Mr. Bishop are very nicely done. Thematically, they seemed to be a bit on the Christmas-y side of things, although I don't think this is meant to be a Christmas book.

What I Dislike: I really grappled with the theme of this book, and never could understand it very well despite multiple read-throughs--more than average for most of the books I review here. Its concept seemed so out there, I didn't think it was very believable or even understandable. Perhaps if there had been a foreword of some kind by the author to explain the book it would have helped in my comprehension of what was trying to be conveyed, however the only bit at the beginning was a list of several names Jesus is known by, which are referenced to one degree or another throughout the story, as well as a scripture from Titus.

Overall Rating: This is a book I just didn't "get" so for that reason, I have to give it a Ho-hum rating.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: In the Wind Books, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-9817749-2-3; Paperback, 28 PGS., $12.99

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God, I Need to talk to You about Bedtime

God, I Need to Talk to You About Bedtime, written by Susan K. Leigh, is one in a series of 18 little books. Each follows a young child as he or she talks to God about a specific problem or struggle. This one is about a little girl who has difficulty falling asleep.

As she prays to God, she tells Him all the reasons she doesn't want to go to sleep, then remembers all the reasons her parents gave her for why she should. She even recounts how God rested after creation.

Three verses are quoted in sidebar fashion: Ecclesiastes 4:6, Proverbs 3:24, and Genesis 2:3.

The illustrations by Bill Clark appear to combine ink line drawings with watercolor. They're fun and touch sketchy.

What I Like: This series always offers indirect, yet effective lessons about prayer. It shows by example that kids can talk to God about anything that's on their hearts. I really like that. I also like the frequent inclusion of Scripture quotations. My kids like these because they make easy memory verses.

What I Dislike: I don't like the size of this book. It's so tiny (4-1/2" x 5-1/2"), I'm sure it will easily be lost. However, the size does make it an easy book to slip inside an overnight bag for a sleepover at Grandma's, so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

My biggest problem with this title is that it doesn't solve the bedtime problem. My son is a night owl who consistently struggles with falling asleep. He simply isn't tired when bedtime arrives. This book reiterated all the logical reasons we've given him for why he should go to sleep, but it didn't offer any suggestions for how. This frustrated both him and me.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2011; ISBN: 0758626584; Paperback; 16 pages; $1.19

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $0.99!

Special Info: See our reviews of other books in this series. We've also reviewed a Christmas book by this same author.

Sleep, Little Child

Sleep, Little Child is a picture book of a rhyming lullaby written by Marc Hoffman. Framed by gentle instrumental music, Hoffman and his wife both sing and narrate the lyrical tune on an accompanying CD. (There is also an all-instrumental track.) The watercolor pictures, created by Tony Waters, hold a calm, cozy appeal perfect for bedtime. They depict a young tousle-haired boy and baby sibling being tucked into bed by obviously caring and loving parents. The text and the pictures work well together. For example, when the author states that the little child will be watched over by his Heavenly Father, the illustrations shows equal devotion by the earthly parents. As the boy peacefully slumbers, we see him dream of playing in the clouds. The book features large text, with only a few words or phrases per page. Therefore, most of the story is “told” through the watercolor images. The last page of the book provides the sheet music for the lullaby.

What I Like: I love the idea of setting up a bedtime routine that includes a song and a book…and this lullaby lends itself well to this type of ritual. I can envision toddlers snuggling up with book in tow.

What I Dislike: I tend to like lullabies written in a minor key, but that’s less of a dislike than a preference. Also a personal preference: I didn’t like the stuffed monkey the boy slept with. However, my daughter thought it was cute. (Other than the monkey, I thought the illustrations were quite pleasant and comforting.)

Overall Rating: Excellent. My daughter said it was very sweet.

Age Appeal: No age is listed, but I think it would work best for toddlers, ages 2-5.

Publisher Info: Virillion Music, 2010; ISBN:978-0-615-31434-1; Hardcover, 27 PGS., $17.95

This book is not available at Christianbook.com.
Buy it at Amazon.com for $17.95.

Bedtime Stories for Little Angels

Can a kid ever have enough bedtime stories? Probably not. And Bedtime Stories for Little Angels by Sarah J. Dodd and illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic is a good addition to any child's library.

With short stories that are fun, yet not filled with adventures to keep kids awake, Bedtime Stories for Little Angels has ten tales that will enchant children. Included in the book are:

"The Balancing Trick"
"Sophie Slips Up"
"Accidents Happen"
"Patchwork Princess"

What I Like: All of the stories center around an easily identifiable value. For instance, in the story "Watch and Wait," Poppy learns about patience. In "Tasha's Gift," the topic is sharing toys. I can't think of many better ways to put my children to bed at night than thinking about a value they need to learn.

The illustrations by Ms. Kolanovic are soft and cute. They won't excite your little one to make bedtime more difficult, either.

What I Dislike: All of the main characters in the stories are girls. While this doesn't detract from the stories, I would like it if some of the stories had little boys as the main characters. There are boy characters, however, in the form of brothers and fathers.

Values are discussed, but the Bible and God aren't mentioned at all. I would have appreciated more discussions about God, or at least mention of Him. The publisher does state that the stories are loose interpretations of Jesus' parables. If you're familiar with the parables, you can see the correlation. For instance, the story "Hugly Comes Home" seems to be based on the parable of the woman with the lost coin.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: Lion Children's, 2009; ISBN: 978-0-7459-6114-9; Hardback, 45 PGS. $12.99

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Special Info: This book was put out by a British publisher, so instead of "mom," it's "mum," and a flashlight is referred to as a "torch."

Time for Bed Bible Stories

From Noah to Jesus, Time for Bed Bible Stories shares bite-sized stories just the right length for bedtime.

Stories include:

• Noah Builds an Ark
• Daniel and the Lions
• Jonah and the Gigantic Man-Swallowing Fish
• Jesus Calms a Storm
• Jesus and the Tiny Taxman
• Jesus is Alive!

All of the stories have bright and cheerful illustrations to accompany them, many showing smiling people and animals.

Time for Bed Bible Stories is written by Juliet David and illustrated by Sarah Pitt.

What I Like: The stories are short, maybe a couple paragraphs at the longest, so they're quick to get through. You could easily read three or four stories to your youngster before shutting off the light at night.

What I Dislike: Several stories feel unfinished. In many cases, adding one more finishing sentence probably would have strengthened the stories, and left me (or my kids) without questions. For instance, in "Joseph and His Special Coat," the end of the story states that "one day Joseph's father and brothers came to live in Egypt too." There's no mention of how the father and brothers were reconciled to Joseph. A one or two sentence addition could have fixed this.

None of the stories had references, which I would have liked in case my child wanted to know more about a particular story.

From a writer's point of view, the book doesn't feel like it was edited well. The first story, Noah Builds an Ark, is written in present tense, while every other story is in past tense.

Overall Rating: Ho-hum

Age Appeal: 4 - 8, but I feel the way the stories are written, older children may get bored. My personal feel is Baby - 5.

Publisher Info: Candle Books, 2010; ISBN: 978-1-85985-778-6; Hardback, 93 pages, $12.99

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Special Info: We've also reviewed other books by Juliet David. You can find them here. Also, some parents may wish to know that all of the stories that feature Jesus show His face.

Just Like You

Are you looking for a quiet bedtime story for your children - of any age? If so, Just Like You, written by Marla Stewart Konrad and illustrated by Lin Wang, is a terrific choice.

Starting with a mother in the United States, this story shares how different cultures celebrate the birth of new babies, how some things are different - like neighbors in the Amazon bringing gifts of fish and fruit to the new family - and how some things are the same - such as the new mom counting all the fingers and toes and singing lullabies to the new baby.

Many cultures are touched on: America, Australia, the Arctic, Egypt...each giving a glimpse into how different places celebrate the arrival of a new member of the family.

What I Like: Though the story is simple, with only cultural changes for each page, as an expectant mother, the book really pulled at my heartstrings. It was hard to make it through without crying - even after multiple reads.

I really liked the fact other cultures are shown. For older children who may read this, I think it will open their eyes to how different - and how similar - people from other places are.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8, but I think the lyrical manner the book is written in will have younger children listening too.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-310-71478-1; Hardback $15.99

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God's Light, Shining Bright

Finding a way to share with your child that God is all around can be difficult. Having God's Light, Shining Bright, written by Allia Zobel Nolan and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, in your library can be a major tool to help your child see God in everything.

"God turned on the switch a long time ago
and created a special, spectacular show.
If you look all around on warm summer nights,
you can see Him in all of the dazzling lights."

As the story moves from an amusement park to a fireworks show and finally to home, your child sees some of the places to look for God's light: lightning bugs, sparklers, fireworks, the stars, and moon.

What I Like: The natural progression of this story makes it a great bedtime story. The LED lights made my active toddler engage in the story and book more than other books. They're used to illustrate various kinds of light on the pages, such as the sparklers and stars as mentioned above.

What I Dislike: I stumbled over some of the wording and rhymes when reading this book aloud.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 3 - 5, though my one-year-old was fascinated by the lights.

Publishing Info: Kregel Kidzone, 2006; ISBN: 0-8254-5527-8; board book $12.99

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It's Bedtime for Little Monkeys

Susie Lee Jin's It's Bedtime for Little Monkeys is just as simple and cute as her Good Table Manners for Little Monkeys. This small (about 5 inch by 5 inch) board book is ideal for young children learning about routines. It begins with mama monkey calling her two children off their banana skin hammock and into the house for bedtime. They take a bath, brush their teeth, listen to a bedtime story, say prayers, give goodnight kisses, and say goodnight.

"Sleep well, little monkeys, Have sweet dreams!"

What I Like: The illustrations are whimsical, silly, and just plain fun for kids and parents alike. My preschooler loves both Jin's "monkey" books, even though her tastes are generally more mature. Who can resist these cute little guys?

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, but I'd say baby to preschool.

Publishing Info: Harvest House Publishers, 2010; ISBN: 978-0736928328; board book, $5.99

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other Susie Lee Jin books.

Sleepy Time Blessings

Sleepy Time Blessings is a calming board book for little ones who are ready to go to sleep. Written by Sally Anne Conan, and illustrated by Nicole Rutten, it tells of a little baby bunny who has one to bed for the night. As he is ready to sleep, there are guardian angels surrounding his crib:

"Sleepy baby
Time for bed
Angels gather round your head
Blessing tummy
Blessing toes
Blessing eyes and ears and nose ..."

Sometimes nighttime is scary for little ones, but this book assures them that God watches over them while they sleep. Even while a blustery winter wind is pictured blowing outside, the baby bunny sleeps contentedly, snuggled into his crib.

What I Like: This book is decidedly calming with muted colors and gentle, simple words. It portrays a decided sense of security for little ones who may feel a little nervous at bedtime. It will remind them that God watches over them even as they sleep. The cadence of your voice (if you read it soothingly) may even lull your child to sleep!

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about this book except maybe that I'd have liked it to be a little longer.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: Baby-Preschool

Publisher Info:Eerdmans Books for Young Readers , 2009; ISBN:0802853501 ; Board Book $7.99.

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $5.99.

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Sweet Dreams Princess: Bedtime Bible Stories, Devotions & Prayers

Sweet Dreams Princess: Bedtime Bible Stories, Devotions, & Prayers, written and illustrated by Sheila Walsh, a well-known Christian singer and author, is over 300 pages and filled with 81 different Bible stories and devotions for girls. The stories are taken directly from the International Children’s Bible. Each story is two pages long. At the end of each story is a devotion, followed by a short prayer, a promise or a praise.

The prayers are intended for encouraging girls to develop the habit of talking with God through prayer at the end of the day. An example: “Lord, please forgive me when I have an unthankful heart. I want you to know that I am THANKFUL for you and your goodness to me!”

The promises are short notes about God’s promises. An example: “God still speaks to his Princesses through the Bible and through our quiet times of PRAYER and praise!”

The praises are little blessings to help girls think about all the blessings in their life and praise God for them. An example: “Dear God, you created the world and all that is in it. Nothing is too difficult for you!”

The artwork starts with the cover. It is bright pink with a jeweled crown (fake jewels set into the cover) sitting on a puffy pink pillow (a piece of stuffed fabric in the shape of a pillow glued onto the cover). The pages alternate in different pastel colors with various borders and stars and flowers sprinkled throughout.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests 4-8 as the intended age group for this book. Most kids in this age group would need the stories read to them. I think girls as old as 10 would enjoy a Bible story book like this one.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2008; ISBN: 1400312973; Hardcover, $16.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $10.99!
 
Or buy at Amazon.com $12.74.

Special Info: This book would be considered a girls-only book. I don’t think boys would be very interested in reading it.

Visit the author’s website. Read our reviews of other books by this author.

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The Time For Bed Angel

Ronica Stromberg takes a playful look at what a guardian angel must do to keep up with a child, particularly a little boy named Andrew, in The Time-for-bed Angel. Andrew’s guardian angel, Sam, watches over him day and night, through all Andrew’s daily adventures. Andrew is a mischievous lad, who gets himself into all kinds of messes throughout the day that Sam must continually “sort out.” By the time Andrew is ready for bed, Sam is too.

The text is minimal. The story starts out, “Andrew could ruffle the feathers of an angel. And he did.” The words don’t explain what’s going on, but the lively illustrations by Kristina Stephenson sure do, as we can see Sam hovering in the background, trying to keep up with his charge.

What I Like: I like a story for young children about angels that is written in a way children can understand. As mentioned, there are very few words, but there are lots of pictures to convey the message clearly that it’s not easy for a guardian angel to keep up with a young child. Children will understand the message just by looking at the pictures. And, this is a great bedtime book for little ones.

What I Dislike: : I like the story and the illustrations, I just think it would have been nice if the author had included some Biblical reference about angels on the title page.

Age Appeal: 2-5.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Publisher Info: Lion Books, 2008; ISBN: 0825478154; Hardcover, $14.95.

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $11.99.

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Special Info: This book is written with boys as both of the main characters, giving it a somewhat boys-only appeal, but I think little girls would enjoy it, too.

Visit the author’s website. Read a profile about the illustrator, Kristina Stephenson, at the Zondervan website.