Channing O'Banning and the Turquoise Trail

Channing O'Banning and the Turquoise Trail by Angela Spady is the second of the Channing O'Banning books.

Channing is a precocious 4th grader who becomes interested in dinosaur bones and rocks after being given an assignment from her history teacher. She gets to learn more than she bargained for when her family takes a trip out West to New Mexico.

Throughout the story, Channing learns that true friends never abandon you when you embarrass yourself, that it is always important to make restitution when you lose something that has been lent to you, and that God has created a lot of different but amazing people with their own traditions.

What I Like: As with the first book, I love the relationship Channing shares with her grandmother. Nana is her sounding board when, in her mind,  her nine year old world gets turned upside down.

What I Dislike: As with the first book, I don't particularly care for the relationship Channing and her sister Katie have. They are constantly picking on each other, saying things that are not kind, and always looking for ways to verbally cut each other. As a mother with two children, I realize that sibling relationships are not always sunny, but I prefer to surround my children with examples of how siblings are to treat each other well. As I read this book with my eight year old, we talked about the attitudes the sisters had towards each other.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 6-10-year-olds.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2015; ISBN: 978-0718032364; paperback, 128 pps., $6.99.

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Angels: A 90-Day Devotional about God's Messengers

Angels: A 90-Day Devotional About God’s Messengers, by Christa Kinde, is as the title implies, 90 days of devotions about angels. Each day's devotion starts with a Bible verse about an angel that is mentioned in the Bible (i.e, Gabriel), or answers a question about angels. Other Bible verses are scattered throughout the text. 

Each devotion also includes a discussion about the day's topic and ends with a section called "Dig a Little Deeper." this section contains questions that require discussion and/or future research about the topic.

What I Like: I like the thorough way the author has addressed the idea of angels. She discusses the subject from multiple angles, giving in-depth evidence for their existence.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Teens and up.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310747659; Paperback, 192 pages, $9.99.

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The Kindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

Channing O'Banning and the Rainforest Rescue

Channing O'Banning and the Rainforest Rescue by Angela Spady is a great chapter book for young readers who are looking for wholesome adventures.

Channing O'Banning is a 4th grader who learns about the value of friendship and offering others a chance at friendship. Channing and her best friends' worlds are rocked when Marco moves into town.  She decides that she doesn't like Marco when he befriends her best friend Maddy. Yet a family summer vacation and a chance to get to know Marco help Channing realize that it is important to give others a chance at friendship.

What I Like: I really liked the relationship that Channing had with her grandmother. I am a firm believer in the importance of cross-generational family bonds, so seeing Channing consider her grandma as a person she could confide in and trust and someone she truly wanted to spend time with was refreshing.

My daughter really enjoyed this book. We read it together and every night she would always ask for one more chapter. I love books that my children cannot wait to read.

What I Dislike: I did not like the relationship Channing and her sister had. I know that siblings do not always get along perfectly (I have two children of my own), but children need to be shown good examples of siblings relationships, not ones that are hostile and passive aggressive. These two girls were always antagonizing each other and verbally cutting of each other. I had to constantly remind my daughter that this was not how we expected her to treat her brother.

Overall Rating: Recommended.

Age Appeal: 6-12-year-olds.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2015; ISBN: 978-0718032623; paperback, 112 pps., $6.99.

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The Plans I Have for You Devotional

The Plans I Have For You Devotional by Amy Parker is a book of 90 daily devotionals. The book is divided into six sections; each section has 15 devotions. Each section highlights a character of the Bible as well as a specific thought

Each section highlights a character of the Bible, providing Bible verses and stories to show how the section title relates to that particular character as well as to our individual lives. A couple of section titles are "There's Nothing You Can't Do" and "I've Given You a Purpose." Moses is highlighted in the section called "There's Nothing You Can't Do" and Mordecai in the other one. Each section is filled with poems, stories, quizzes, scriptures and other items of interest that relate to the topic of that section.

Black and white illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton are plentiful throughout and are multicultural in nature.

What I Like: Just about everything.

What I Dislike: Since the book is divided into 6 sections and each section has 15 devotions in it, and since the number "90" in printed in the upper left-hand corner of the cover, I thought each devotion would be numbered, i.e., #1 - #90. They are not. That's not really a problem; I just thought they would be.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: I'd say this book would be great for tweens and teens, so ages 9 and up would be about right.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310725220; Paperback, , 160 pages, $14.99. 

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Amy Parker. Visit Amy Parker’s website.

My Big Book of Bible Heroes for Kids: Stories of 50 Weird, Wild, Wonderful People from God's Word

My Big Book of Bible Heroes for Kids: Stories of 50 Weird, Wild, Wonderful People from God’s Word by Glenn Hascall is filled with, as the title says, stories of 50 "weird, wild, wonderful people" from the Bible. Hascall writes about well-known Bible heroes such as Noah, Abraham, Joshua and John the Baptist. He also includes stories about lesser-known characters like Shiphrah and Jochebed (Yes, those are real Bible names!).

The author relates an incident that illustrates a special heroic trait of each Biblical character mentioned. Each story is followed by a set of questions called "Learning from a hero." The questions are designed to create discussion about each story so the reader can learn from what the hero did.

Full-color Illustrations by Amit Tayal highlight every story title page, providing life-like representations of the people mentioned.

What I Like: This is a great selection of stories. I especially appreciated that the author included some stories about women from the Bible.

Each story includes a page with the person's name and a Bible reference for the story. It also includes the person's "Heroic Quality." Some of these qualities are endurance, compassion, and respect. I like the idea that being a hero doesn't mean you have to have a "super" power, you just need an "Heroic Quality."

What I Dislike: Unfortunately, the writing style is rather boring. While the author chose good Bible characters to write about, he writes too much with the passive tense, instead of using action verbs. For instance, consider these two sentences: "Samson was the strongest man anyone had ever seen. When he was born, he was dedicated to God." The word "was" is used three times in just these two short sentences. That's okay, but I think it would have been better written like this: "Samson was the strongest man anyone had ever seen. After his birth, his mother dedicated his life to God." What do you think?

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 7-10.

Publisher Info: Shiloh Kidz, 2015; ISBN: 9781634093156; Paperback, 158 pages, $14.99.

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Glenn Hascall.

  

Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories

Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories, by Elizabeth Akinteye, is a book of 10 Bible stories based on the 10 Commandments. The stories are preceded by an explanation of each commandment.

Colorful illustrations by Kate Solenova, that each make up a two-page spread, are scattered throughout the book.  Each chapter includes a head-shot of a child, which alternates between a boy and a girl.

What I Like: Sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense to a child when you just give them a rule, like "honor thy father and thy mother." What does that really mean? The author does a good job of presenting the concepts of the commandments, with not only an explanation, but also a story that illustrates the point further.

What I Dislike: The illustrations of the children, both on the cover and in the book, appear to be computer-generated and are not very realistic.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Ages 7 and up.

Publisher Info: Grosvenor House Publishing, 2015; ISBN: 9781781489802; Paperback, 80, $13.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

I Want To Be Just Like Jesus: Bible Storybook

I Want to Be Just Like Jesus: Bible Storybook, by Stephen Elkins, is a Bible storybook for children. book contains 40 different short stories about Jesus, each dealing with one of Jesus' characteristics. For instance, some characteristics cited are Jesus Was Responsible, Jesus Was Sincere and Jesus Was Generous.

Each of the short stories is preceded by a Bible verse and followed by a section called "Jesus in Me" that explains what each character trait means and how children can be like Jesus. Each section ends with a "Prayer for Today" and a call to action. One reads: "To be just like Jesus.... I will be sincere."

The illustrations by Simon Taylor-Kielty and Ruth Zeglin are bright and colorful and very kid-friendly.

What I Like: I like the overall design of the book. Although each section is four pages long and is repetitious in terms of what it contains and how it is laid out, the backgrounds, borders and illustrations make each one different and very visually appealing.

What I Dislike: Although I like the illustrations, as the people depicted in them remind me of Precious Moments figurines, I don't like the illustrations of Jesus. He simply looks like a big kid with a beard. He doesn't really look like an adult.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: No no age group is given for the book. It's difficult to determine the exact age group, as the layout and illustrations would suggest a rather young audience, say 4-8-year-olds. However, many of the words used in the stories are way above that age group. I'll say the appropriate age is somewhere between 6 and 10 years.

Publisher Info: Tyndale, 2015; ISBN: 9781496408211; Hardback, 173 pages, $14.99.

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Stephen Elkins.

Power Prayers for Boys

Power Prayers for Boys by Glenn Hascall is, as the title implies, a book of prayers for boys. Each chapter deals with a different "type of power." For instance, some chapter headings are "My Attitude: The Power of My Thoughts"; "My Family - The Power of Love"; and "My Respect - The Power of Honor." Each chapter has 15 prayers relating to the chapter subject matter and each prayer is preceded by a corresponding Bible verse.

The writers use several different versions of the Bible for reference: NIV (New International Version); CEV (Contemporary English Version); NCV (New Century Version); NLT (New Living Translation); NLV (New Living Version); and NLT (New Living Translation).

What I Like: This looks like a good book for boys to go use. It gives them guidance and insights about 21 different topics that are relevant to them in their daily lives.

What I Dislike: I don't really like the type size used for the pages. The book is printed in a rather small type face. I think it would feel more user-friendly if the type were just a bit bigger.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Shiloh Kidz, 2015; ISBN: 9781630588588; Paperback, 218 pages, $7.99.

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Special Info: The title suggests this book is just for boys. Although some of the issues are specifically addressed to boys, many of these are relevant to girls, as well.

Read our reviews of other books by Glenn Hascall.

Play and Learn Bible Stories: Noah's Ark Wipe-Clean Storybook

Play and Learn Bible Stories: Noah’s Ark Wipe-Clean Storybook by Shiloh Kidz, is an interactive storybook about Noah and the ark. Each text page includes some type of activity that goes along with the story segment on that page.

Most of the activities are sticker-related, with over 100 bright stickers to paste in various places throughout the book. The text pages are numbered, and the stickers are grouped according to corresponding page numbers, making them easy to locate. There are also some tracing activities scattered throughout the pages. The tracing can be done with any type of dry erase marker (not included). The activities can be repeated again and again, as the stickers are reusable and the pages can be wiped clean.

What I Like: Just about everything. The pages are bright and colorful, the activities are kid-friendly, and the activities can be repeated.

What I Dislike: The book is supposed to be for ages 3+. The activities will be fun for all, but the language used in the text is not what I would consider kid-friendly for this type of activity book. Youngsters will enjoy the bright pages and the activities, but most of them will have trouble with the language level used to tell the story.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The book is listed for ages 3+, but I think an appropriate age group would be about 3-8.

Publisher Info: Shiloh Kidz, 2015; ISBN: 9781630588946; Paperback, $6.99.

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Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessing

Mother's Day Blessings by Mike Berenstain the latest book from the Berenstain Bears Living Lights Series. This series incorporates faith and values into the story line of each book. The Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessing is about the Bear family's tour through Bear Country as they celebrate Mama Bear and learn about why mothers are so special to all of us.  On the very first page the author shows a picture of Mama Bear with a passage from Proverbs 31... "She is worth far more than rubies.  Her children arise and call her blessed. Honor her for all that her hands have done."

What I Like: I enjoy how this series weaves the scriptures and values into each story. The series was designed to "help children learn how God wants them to live every day."

I also liked that the book showed mothers in a variety of different roles.  There were moms that stayed home with their children, moms that worked, moms that owned a business and a mom that worked in ministry as a Pastor's Wife.
 
What I Dislike: I wish that the book was a little longer.  I feel that the conclusion of the book was a bit rushed. 

 
Overall Rating: Very Good.
 
Age Appeal: 4-8 years old.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN:0310748690; Paperback, 32 pages, $3.99

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The Beginner's Bible: All About Jesus Sticker and Activity Book

The Beginner’s Bible: All About Jesus Sticker & Activity Book by Zonderkidz, is filled with very short stories and activities relating to Jesus. The stories are about Jesus’ birth, his baptism, his first miracle, etc. A short story is told on each page, and activities relating to that story are included on that page.

Activities include stickers, tracing objects, coloring and drawing pictures, counting exercises, and several different kinds of puzzles. Colorful, cartoonish illustrations fill each page.

What I Like: This looks like a great book to not only keep little ones busy, but also to help them learn about Jesus.

What I Dislike: Although there are lots of stickers (more than 50) included with the book, and many places where they go throughout the pages, the stickers are not marked according to what page they are supposed to go on. I looks like it would be rather complicated for youngsters to locate the stickers themselves.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: No age group is given, but I would say this is the type of book for children in preschool and kindergarten.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310746935; Paperback, $3.99.

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Under The Sea Holy Bible

The Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIV, is a perfect gift for children ages 6 to 10. Themes of underwater fun and sparkling fish grace the interior of this wonderful children’s Bible. The outside is covered in foil and sparkle. The interior has color inserts featuring whimsical underwater scenes with themes of God’s care and love for each of us and all of creation.

What I Like: The cover of the Under The Sea Holy Bible is absolutely adorable with the sparkly and foiled illustrations. Kids will be drawn to it. Within, there are several bright blue pages mixed within the bible pages that highlight teachings that kids could relate to easily. The ten commandments are listed in a simplistic form that makes sense to children. Another page highlights all of the children and teens mentioned throughout the bible and a small reference to who they were and what they did along with the scripture where you can find their story.

There is glossary in the back as well.

What I Dislike: Because I love the special blue pages so much, I was disappointed that there weren't more of them.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 6-10 years old.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2016; ISBN: 978-0310754046 ; Hardcover, 1152 pgs., $24.99

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Meet the Leapers

Meet the Leapers by Jennifer Gordon is the story of a frog family who live in the Soon Forgotten Pond. One day and angel visits the Daddy Frog and tells him to get his family to the largest lily pad in the pond in order to save them from the great storm God is sending.  Daddy Frog is told to encourage the other creatures to change their ways before the great storm comes. Sadly, no one listens to him. However, because the frog family obeys God, they are safe.

What I Like: I always look for how illustrations match up with the actual text of a book. Having a non reader, I know that he will connect with a book based on the pictures he sees. Scott R. Strub did a fantastic job connecting the text to the illustrations. Not only do they complement the story on each page, but the text is tastefully applied to the page. It is never put in an area that will make it difficult to read.

What I Dislike: I thought the attempt at making this story an adaptation of the account of Noah's Ark was a bit of a stretch.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 4-8-year-olds

Publisher Info: Jennifer Gordon, 2013; ISBN: 978-1-62890-413-0; paperback, 22 pgs., $8.95

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Angels In The Bible Storybook

Where were the angels when God created the world? Why did an angel force a donkey off a road? Who did the angels get out of jail twice? Young readers will find answers to these and other questions in this exciting storybook, written by bestselling author Allia Zobel Nolan with illustrations by Alida Massari. Angels in the Bible Storybook gives children a fascinating look into how God’s powerful behind-the-scenes helpers interacted with Bible greats from Abraham, Lot, and Gideon to Zechariah, Mary, and Jesus himself, acting as messengers, protectors, warriors, and more.

What I Like: Angels in the Bible Storybook, by Allia Zobel Nolan is an exhaustive look of every biblical account involving angels. All of the information is biblically based and follows the order of the bible. The illustrations by Alida Massari are very detailed and colorful helping readers envision biblical stories more clearly.

What I Dislike: Nothing. However, I would say that it is a very long storybook and not one a child could read through before bed.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 4 - 8 years. A four-year-old would probably need an adult to read through and help them understand the stories.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN: 978-0310743651; Hardcover, 224 pgs., $12.27

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The Honey Bees Truth Be Told

The Honey Bees Truth Be Told, written and illustrated by Paula J. Giordano, is the second book in the Honey Bees series designed to teach children that God's Word can help them find a solution for any situation they find themselves in.

In The Honey Bees Truth Be Told, Bella has a problem- she lies about everything. She lies about having been to a theme park, and she lies about her abilities to do tricks on a balance beam. Bella's grandmother, Oomah, shares two Bible verses with her to show her what God thinks of lying. The next time she is confronted with a situation where she is tempted to lie, Bella remembers those verses and chooses to be truthful instead.

What I Like: As with the first book The Honey Bees Going to a New School, I love how the author teaches children to practically apply God's Word to their lives.

What I Dislike: As in my review of The Honey Bees Going to a New School, I felt that the use of a single paragraph per page made for difficulty in reading the story and not confusing which character was speaking which line.

In this book, the illustrations cover the entire page and the words are placed on top of the illustrations. This made for difficult reading what the letters printed in black were placed on top of very dark parts of the illustrations.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: 4-8 years old

Publisher Info: Xulon Press, 2012; ISBN: 978-1624193545; paperback, 34 pgs., $24.99

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The Honey Bees: Going to a New School

The Honey Bees: Going To A New School, written and illustrated by Paula Giordano, is the first of two Honey Bees books which teaches biblical truths and reminds children to always look for a solution to their problems in God's Word.

In The Honey Bees Going to a New School, NiNi is a little bee who is scared about going to a new school. Her grandma, Oomah, teaches her through Scripture that God will never leave us and will be with us when we are afraid.


What I Like: So many times, children are taught only Bible stories but are not shown how to practically apply God's Word to their lives. This book teaches children to take the principles from those Bible stories (David and Goliath is used in this story) in order to apply them to every day life.

What I Dislike: My four year old questioned why the bees looked like humans. Although I understand where the author/illustrator was coming from, to a young child, the idea of bees looking like tiny humans can be confusing.

I also was confused at times by the writing style. Everything on a page was written in one paragraph. At times, the only separation between a conversation between two characters were the quotation marks. Personally, having a conversation broken up on different lines is easier to read. It was also a bit hard to read since the verb tenses changed between past and present within the same paragraph.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 4-8 years old

Publisher Info: Xulon Press, 2012; ISBN: 978-1-61996501-0; paperback, 30 pgs., $19.99


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Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids

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The Big Dreams, Big Prayers Bible for Kids is a hardcover New International Version of the Bible designed for use by children 8-12 years old.  Children in this age group often have difficulty connecting with God's Word because they don't comprehend what they are reading.  The highlighted verses in this Bible as well as the easy-to-read NIV version of the Bible will help with understanding.

This complete NIV text contains several features that will be appealing to this pre-teen group:
1. a reading plan to assist them as they read through the Bible;
2. Introductions before each book of the Bible with details about the book to help them understand;
3. prayer journaling pages with verses to help with their prayer life.


What I Like: This Bible is the perfect edition to bridge your child from Bible picture books to adult Bibles.  I like that it is a complete edition of the Bible.
 
What I Dislike: There was nothing that I disliked

 
Overall Rating: Very Good
 
Age Appeal: 8-12 years old
 
Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2016; 0310744237; Hardcover, 1,344 pgs., $19.99

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My Big Book of Bible Stories

My Big Book of Bible Stories: Bible Stories! Rhyming Fun! Timeless Truth for Everyone! by Phil A. Smouse is a fun way to introduce your young ones to Bible stories.

The Bible stories are all written in a rhyming fashion which, as the back cover suggests, "sound a lot like Dr. Seuss!" By finding creative ways to rhyme words and with the use of nonsensical words, the author has brought a new way to teach these accounts to children.

What I Like: I really enjoyed the formation of the rhymes. It has been great to read these to my children and see them smile just as widely as me as the words used to make the rhymes complete.

The illustrations are simple, colorful, and cartoon-like which perfectly matches the Dr. Seuss style of writing.

What I Dislike: I wish the stories had been left in chronological order. While it starts out with "Creation" and "Adam and Eve", it then jumps to "Daniel and the Lions" and back to "David and Goliath."

One of my main goals in teaching my children God's Word is to develop a deep respect for the Bible and the Heroes of the Faith inside. I personally felt that some of the approaches to the characters were too light-hearted for my taste (I am not a super uptight person). I understand that some of this was due to the need to make the verse rhyme.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 3-8 years old

Publisher Info: Barbour Books, 2011; ISBN: 9781607428947; e-book, 256 pgs., $14.99


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God and Me

God and Me by Penny Boshoff is a daily devotional written for toddler/preschool aged children. There is a devotional for every day of the year.  Each devotional contains an applicable title, short message, recommended Bible passage for further study and a prayer for the day. The devotional is designed to be read with toddlers or young preschoolers. Each day's devotional is very short which is ideal for the attention span of this target audience.

If you are looking for an engaging way to introduce your child to the Bible and Christian principles at a very young age, then this is the devotional for you! The content and photographs are not gender specific and will interest both boys and girls. I read this devotional with my three year old daughter and my four year old son and they were both equally engaged.

What I Like: I liked the variety of topics that were covered in this devotional. With titles such as "Twins,"  "Waiting Patiently," "Cats," "A Hungry Tummy," and more, my children learned about many different topics and Biblical principles.

I also loved the photographs on each page. They featured real children (similar to those seen on the cover.)  Little children love to look at pictures of other children and babies. The photographs also directly related to the day's message. I think that it helped my little ones have a better understanding.

What I Dislike:  There was not much that I didn't like about this devotional.  However, I think there are some families that will not like the prepared "Prayer for today" written at the end of each devotional. Many Christian families try to teach their young children to pray from their hearts more authentically and not to use another person's words.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: Toddler/Preschool
 
Publisher Info: Tommy Nelson Publishing 2013; ISBN:978-1-4003-2394-4;  Hardcover Devotional, 379 pages, $19.99

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The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible for LIttle Ones

For Berenstain Bears lovers everywhere comes a storybook Bible for toddlers. The thick-covered The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible for Little Ones, by Jan and Mike Berenstain, is a sturdy board book that highlights eight stories from the Bible: Creation, Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, The Birth of Jesus, The Good Samaritan, Palm Sunday, and the Resurrection. In true bear fashion, all the characters are portrayed as bears, including Jesus.

What I Like: I love the Berenstain Bears, so of course this book appeals to me. Seeing Biblical characters in bear-form is interesting.

 What I Dislike: For me, there is a disconnect between the format and the text. The text is geared for preschoolers through age 8, but boardbooks are typically intended for the toddler age group. In addition, some of the stories had major gaps; however, parents willing to expand on the story can easily fill in the missing details.

 Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: ages 4-8

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 978-0310749417; Boardbook or Kindle, 30 pgs., $9.99

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