A review of the NIrV "Minecrafters Bible"

My second-grader pretty much as Minecraft on the brain or at least as his background soundtrack all the hours he's awake, and some of those during which he's asleep. I thought this might make a nice birthday present for him. Educationally, it's also a step-up from all the paraphrased storybook bibles we already have in our collection. At 1144 onion skin pages, the NIrV Minecrafters Bible includes the full text of the Old and New Testaments, along with 24 thicker full-color pages with illustrations of stories that lend themselves to be recreated in the "boxy and pixelated" style that my son loves so much. If you're not aware of Minecraft or other video games that use this low-res style, you might find the illustrations a little odd, especially when they include a block-headed Jesus. However, the familiar look of the pictures were a big draw even to my 5-year-old who is just beginning to learn to read.

The New International Readers Version strikes me as a good choice for young readers. It dispenses with a lot of the poetic (and for children, indecipherable) language of other versions. For example, Psalm 23 begins "The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need." The beatitudes in Matthew 5 begin "Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. They kingdom of heaven belongs to them." Paul encourages the Philippians in v. 4:12-13: "I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough of not enough. I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength." 

Of course, these details matter more to me than to my son, who mainly has skipped over the black and white text in favor of the color plates, which feature paraphrased stories that lend themselves to building-focused illustrations. Many of these stories do not coincide with the adjacent text. For instance, Solomon's temple is inserted into the psalms, and Jesus' miracle of feeding sits next to Jeremiah. Often, the colored pages will set up the beginning of a story and end on a cliff-hanger, with encouragement to flip to the verse reference of the actual story.

Overall, I think this version can be useful to cause Minecraft-loving kids to crack open the pages of scripture. The easy to read translation is also a plus for younger readers who might find the Bible's more esoteric passages hard to digest.

 *I received this Bible from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Children's devotional "I AM" develops trust in God, delves into His many names

The Parrino house has quite a collection of children's Bibles. The title of Diane Stortz's sparkling (literally) new children's devotional, "I AM: 40 Reasons to Trust God," told me I had to get my hands on this one. The name is drawn from Psalm 9:10- "Those who know your name put their trust in you." I really like that thought-- the more of God's names we know, the more we meet Him in the fullness of His personality, the more reason we have to trust Him. Moreover, I love that this story bible takes as its central theme the many names of God because I feel it's important for kids get a taste of the complexity and wonder bound up in God's many attributes. 

The book covers 40 stories, evenly selected from both Old and New Testaments, with about four to six pages per story. The Old Testament stories include both the Hebrew name and an interpretation-- and I found myself learning some new names: El Emeth (God of Truth). El Kanna (Jealous God), and El Nehkumah (God of All Comfort) among them. The New Testament stories focus on both the names people called Jesus, such as Rabbi and Son of God, as well as names Jesus gave Himself, such as The Bread of Life and the Good Shepherd. 

I liked that the collection included some less common in the children's bible genre, such as the story of Ruth in the Old Testament and Jesus with Mary and Martha in the New. 

Each chapter contains a verse containing one of God's names, a retelling of  a Bible story that illustrates the featured facet, and a page of devotional content, including a couple of paragraphs subheaded "What Does It Mean?", a two-sentence prayer and a "Learn More" box with additional verses and a few sentences answer to the question "What Happened Next?"

With my own littles, (aged 7, 5 and 2) I stuck mainly to reading the name, verse reference and story. They tended to stop paying attention to the devotional portions. If you're someone who feels most secure when the devotional package is completely spelled out, I AM's format will appeal to you. Personally, I don't like everything to be scripted out for me. I like there to be some wiggle room to pause and let the boys raise their own questions, so after the first couple of chapters I stopped reading  the boys the devotional content. 

One other (minor) qualm I had was with the illustrations, which are vibrant and eye-catching and full of action-- but also, I found them a little bit too big-eyed, red-lipped, gown and hair-flowing, Disney-perfect. Kids really are drawn to this style, so my mention of it is more a matter of personal taste than criticism. 

Overall, I found this a worthy addition to our growing collection of illustrated Bible resources. 

I received my copy of I AM from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

4 picture books that explore what it's like to be a refugee

I'm a little late on this post as Thanksgiving Day has passed, but honestly, why should feelings of gratitude and thankfulness abruptly give way to the materialistic frenzy of Black Friday? They shouldn't. I'm still immensely thankful to have a lovely home and to have my family near me: safe, happy and healthy. And when so many in this world do not have a home and are not able to keep their families safe and happy and healthy, I hope I'll continue to be thankful regardless of the day or season. In particular, knowing that hundreds of thousands of Syrian men, women and children are terrorized and displaced by ISIS humbles me. The heated debates over this crisis in the news and on social media show that it's easy to let fear, mistrust, self-righteousness and self-love be the lens through which we see the world. But because of Jesus, I'm compelled toward compassion, and I hope to model it for my boys. So with these thoughts in mind, I bring you four moving picture books (found at my local library) that make the concept of a refugee a little more personal.

For me, How Many Days To America?: A Thanksgiving Story by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Beth Peck perfectly united both a sense of gratitude for our country's freedoms and bounties as well as a sense of duty to maintain our long tradition of receiving those who are fleeing religious and political persecution. For my kids, it tells a rather gripping tale of a family who leave all their possessions behind to escape their Caribbean island home by boat. They face rough weather, food shortages, pirates and rejection from other potential destinations before finally being received in the United States on Thanksgiving day. While I found the story engrossing and my boys aged 2-7 stayed tuned in to the end, they were mostly interested in knowing whether pirates still existed today and why the pirates in the book didn't look like the Veggie Tale variety.

ZonderKids "Good Samaritan" a good intro to Jesus' parables for new readers

I have to confess my kids and I rarely stay on with a devotional or children's bible all the way to the end. Lately I've been trying to build my collection of stand-alone bible stories. I've also got a first-grader learning to read, so Zonderkids' I Can Read book, Adventure Bible The Good Samaritan seemed like a good fit-- plus, it's one of my favorite parables. With only a sentence or two on each of its 32 pages, this slim paperback Level 2 reader kept my three sons' attentions.

I liked that this version puts the familiar story into context as a parable Jesus told in response to a question about obtaining eternal life. I also liked that the text and illustrations of the priest and the Levite didn't portray them as "bad guys" but rather as people making the wrong choice because of fear and anxiety. This choice leaves the characters open for discussion. My son wanted to know, "Why did they just leave him there?" The book also ends with a simple description of the relationship between Jews and Samaritans, "In Bible times, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along. They were foreigners and did not know a lot about each other" (32). I felt this provided another jumping off point for relevant discussion.

"The Plans I Have For You" prompts kids to think about God's plan for their lives

During our Sunday morning devotional time, after some raucous worship in the basement, the boys and I sat down to read The Plans I Have For You by Amy Parker and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. The title seems to come from Jeremiah 29:11, in which God promises a future and a hope and has plans to prosper and not to harm the the Jews exiled in Babylon. It's an oft quoted verse among Christians, perhaps so much so that the authors didn't feel the need to mention the scripture anywhere. Instead, the book is written in the voice of God, speaking both to readers and to the cute, multicultural children depicted in the lively illustrations. A visual metaphor of the "You Factory" runs through the pages, as God creates children destined to be firefighters, chefs, nurses, mountain climbers and ballerinas.  I appreciate the message of this book, which encourages children to not only dream about their futures, but to rest in the thought that God has formed them with a specific talents and gifts to accomplish a specific task on the earth.

Review of Believe Storybook by Randy Frazee

The Parrinos have been on the move lately...in particular, we've moved from Hopkinsville, KY to Cleveland, OH. With our family in flux, I'm longing for some consistency. Just before we moved, I began reading the Believe Storybook: Think Act Be Like Jesus, written by Randy Frazee and illustrated in a rich, evocative style by Steve Adams. Unlike most of the children's bibles in our collection, this is a weighty book. A hefty 256 pages measuring 9 x 11 inches, and 2.8 pounds, the Believe Storybook is arranged into three 10-chapter sections: Think, Act and Be. Each chapter teaches a particular theme using one old and one new testament story.

According to the cover, this devotional, based on the popular Believe series of devotionals, is geared for ages 4 and up. I have a 4-year-old, but he only sat next to his big brother and I for about 30 seconds before scampering off to grab another book off the shelf.

"Only God Can Make a Kitten" Quietly Promotes Outdoor Exploration

I'm always on the look out for God-aware picture books to enrich my boys' understanding of Him. Only God Can Make a Kitten, by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant looked promising for several reasons. The book follows a curious boy, his mom and baby sister as they romp through quintessential experiences of a curious kid outdoors- star gazing, tree climbing, beach splashing, nest spying and kitten snuggling to name a few. With each new scene, the boy asks, "Mama, who made...?" Mama answers her little boy in simple rhyme that God made each wonder he points out.

"Mama, look! On the ground! Who makes these rocks so smooth and round?" the boy exclaims as he scales a pile of boulders. "With a way unknown, only God can make a stone," Mama answers as she climbs after her son.

Book Bargain: Roald Dahl's "More About Boy"

I don't normally buy reading material at Dollar Tree, honestly. But over the weekend, I saw Quentin Blake's familiar illustration style peeking up behind a stack of generic inspirational books and stepped in for a closer look. More About Boy, tales from the interesting life of Roald Dahl (1916-1990), author of James and the Giant Peach, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The book's list price is $15.99, but it's selling for a buck at the dollar store! Much more interesting than an autobiography, this 220 page paperback is like Dahl's scrapbook of his childhood and budding aspirations as a writer, filled with black and white photographs, maps, snippets of letters and stories in the author's handwriting and Blake's silly scratchy sketches. I read the first chapter while eating breakfast and look forward to sharing it with my oldest son as a way to inspire him to work hard and pursue his interests.

Review of "Bible Favorites: One Sentence Storybooks"

It's not easy finding bible stories balancing simplicity and meaning for very young readers. These days, I typically focus on materials for my 6-year-old because I assume I'll be able to use them later when my 3-year-old and 1-year-old get older. This new set from Tyndale Kids and Focus on the Family targets preschoolers aged 3-5. Combining early literacy and familiar Bible stories, the Bible Favorites: One Sentence Storybooks collection by Nancy I. Sanders and illustrated by Hannah Wood features 10 booklets in a box with a Velcro closure. I was surprised by the diminutive size of the books-- at 5.75 inches by 4.75 inches, the set is just a little fatter than some people's smartphones. Each of the books are just 12 pages long, and really do consist of a single sentence, revealed a few words at a time to present one simple concept from each story. The first five books cover Old Testament stories, including the creation narrative in Genesis, Noah's Ark, Moses and the burning bush, David and Goliath, and Nehemiah rebuilding the wall. The last five cover New Testament passages, including the Wise Men, Jesus walking on water, the Good Shepherd, the Prodigal Son and Jesus' resurrection. 

I love the soft, almost luminous paintings and find that my boys are drawn to this style of illustration too. The simplicity is also attractive, and I read all 10 books to 3-year-old Rockam in one sitting this morning. He enjoyed the suspense of the steadily building narrative and the growing detail in each picture. For example, my favorite of the set, "The Sad Son," builds this way:

1. The sad son
2. The sad son came back home
3. The sad son came back home to his dad
4. The sad son came back home to his dad for a hug.

I thought this rendition of the Prodigal Son was so sweet and included just the right amount of detail for my wiggly, fun-loving preschooler.

An older or more mature child would probably enjoy the last pages of each book, which recap the key vocabulary, give some spiritual significance to the story and provide a memory verse and a prayer. Rocky wasn't too interested in these elements, so I skipped some of them. I also noticed that while the stories are ultra simple, some of the devotional content was more than a couple logical leaps removed from the narrative. For example, in "Two Mice and the Ark," the story begins and ends with three pairs of animals boarding the ark. The devotional segment "One Truth to Learn" reads: "Sin is anything bad someone thinks, says, or does. God sent a flood to get rid of sin on the earth. But He used an ark to save Noah, his family, and the animals." I would need to recount much more of the story to help my son understand the connection between mice on an ark and God getting rid of sin with a flood. The memory verse and prayer take another turn, focusing on God's forgiveness and salvation.  I felt that the devotional's more advanced concepts seemed imbalanced with the playful simplicity of the story. But I also think the format allows parents to use or skip as much of the content as they deem helpful. As I mentioned in my previous post, it never hurts to read children's devotional books beforehand so you can make the most of the moment when you read them with your kiddos.

Overall, I think this is a good addition to my small collection of bible materials for the littlest readers. My son's spirituality is still in its nascent stage, and I count the One Sentence Stories to be a fun and adaptable way to plant some seeds in the soft soil of his heart.

*Thanks to Tyndale Kids for sending me a copy of these books in exchange for my honest review!*

Review of "I Can Learn the Bible" by Holly Hawkins Shivers

As a mom of three little boys, I'm always on the lookout for devotional materials for the preschool and kindergarten set. With my oldest, I've read several children's bibles, such as The Big Picture Bible, The Jesus Storybook Bible, I Can Read New Testament, and Jesus Calling Bible Storybook to name some. Holly Hawkins Shiver's I Can Learn the Bible: 52 Scriptures Every Kid Should Know, is a children's adaptation of her father's popular devotional, The Joshua Code. It is listed as being for ages 4-8, so I was keen to get my hands on it. The book is designed to be used over the course of a year, but I decided to test out a few of the devotions on my 6-year-old and 3-year-old over the course of a week. As with all devotionals and children's story Bibles, I feel that the key is to adapt the material to my children's level of comprehension and interests. In Shiver's new resource, I found plenty of material to help my boys ponder their Maker, but most of that required me to be a very active reader, tweaking some of the wordings and being open to their honest questions. Here's some of the highlights and hiccups we encountered:

Highlights
I've not read The Joshua Code, so I can't comment on how much of Shivers' exposition is her original insight or thoughts adapted from her father's book. However, I liked the way she explained Romans 8:28 by comparing God's working all things for good to cooking up a batch of homemade biscuits. While individual ingredients, such as baking powder or flour would taste awful by themselves, Shivers explains, "Like those yucky ingredients, some things in life 'taste' bad to us or make us very sad" (31). I thought this was clever, and my 6-year-old was held by the metaphor. Other deep yet kid-friendly moments included Shiver's use of "Opposite Day" to describe God's Kingdom, in which the King is a servant, the greatest shall be the least and the first last. In week 17, Shivers presents the Bible's famous shortest verse, "Jesus cried." She explains that Christ's tears were not because he was sad that Lazarus died, after all, he could easily resurrect him. Instead, Jesus was feeling empathy for his friend's bitterly grieving sisters. This opened up a moment for me to ask Stephen whether he'd ever cried when someone else was very sad. My son couldn't relate to this, but quickly came up with his own example of how he laughs when his friend laughs or feels happy when those he cares about are happy.

Hiccups
As much as I liked Shiver's treatment of the Lazarus story, I couldn't completely rely on the text to enlighten my children. The book's illustrations are in a quirky, whimsical style and employ a mix of animal and human characters. Because "Jesus Wept" is accompanied by a cat crying a puddle of tears, my 3-year-old innocently asked, "Is that Jesus?" We all got a good belly laugh out of that. Additionally, the second part of the devotion shifts to talking about Psalm 56:8, in which God keeps our tears in his bottle. At this, my oldest shouts, "His bottle?! Does God drink our tears?" In my own reading of the psalms, I've always found this wording a little bit weird and figured something must be lost in the translation. So I told Stephen that the psalm also says God writes our cares in his book, an idea that is a little easier for him to grasp and conveys the spirit of the verse without conjuring up Alice in Wonderland scenes.

I didn't read the entire book to my boys, but read through it myself--something I recommend doing for all devotionals parents plan to read to their kids! There are a few other weeks I might skip or verbally rewrite when I do get a chance to share them with my boys. For example, week 26 features God looking at our hearts rather than external appearance in 1 Samuel 16:7. I think this an entirely appropriate topic for children, however Shivers writes that, "You might think things like, I am too short, I am too skinny, or My hair is ugly" (116). This gave me pause. Many children between the ages 4-8 are still blissfully unaware of their physical appearance. My 6-year-old has always been at least a head shorter than his classmates, but only recently realized it and doesn't see it as a flaw. For some children, hearing that they might think these negative thoughts would actually be their first introduction to these thoughts. As a side note, this is why it's so important that we as parents don't practice negative self-talk in earshot of our kids. Other parents may have kids who have already expressed discontentment with their physical appearance, and this would be a perfect devotion to read with them.

My final critique is Shivers' exposition of "God's phone number," Jeremiah 33:3. The verse reads, "Pray to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets. You have never heard these things before" (54). Despite the obvious emphasis on God speaking and, presumably, the praying person listening, the entire devotion emphasizes that we can talk to God and tell him everything and get things off our chest, and thank him when we're done. She writes, "When you are talking to a friend, one of you is talking and the other is listening. That is the way communications works. Well, prayer is the talking part of our relationship with God" (55). She also implies that God's answer is simply that He picks up the "phone" and will always be ready to listen to us whenever we pray. I don't dispute any of this, of course. But Shivers implies that we do all the talking. And, if I'm honest, many of my prayers are one-sided conversations. This is why I've been intentional about encouraging my son to listen for God's still small voice. To hear God's answers to his questions, and to even, like Samuel, hear God's speaking when he hasn't asked for an answer.

So, in conclusion, I plan to continue using I Can Learn the Bible with my sons because it is a book that opens up space to talk about God's word with simple metaphors and playful images. However, this book, like all children's bibles, requires that I tune into God's moment-by-moment rhema word to be able to flesh out some of the devotions and trim others to best meet my children's needs.

*Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Review of "Jotham's Journey"

I know it's not very helpful when a blogger posts a review of a book for Advent after Christmas, but I'm going to do it anyway. I had been eyeing Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent, by Arnold Ytreeide, for a couple of years now, but knew my children were too young to sit through a serial story without pictures. A family tradition of reading together, an idea promoted on the back of Ytreeide's book, is something I hope to incorporate into every holiday season. Because things get really busy with all the trappings of Christmas in our consumer culture, it wasn't easy to carve out time each night to read to the boys, and only my 6-year-old stuck through to the end of the story. But he did enjoy the story of a little 10-year-old shepherd boy who gets separated from his family after an impulsive act of defiance. Throughout the nightly chapters, Jotham gets stalked by wild jackals, sold into slavery, rescued by an Essene scribe from Qumron (the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered), and chased all over Israel by a menacing villan named Decha of Megido. He also crosses paths with Elizabeth and Zechariah, Simeon and Anna before finding his parents in Bethlehem, where his family has returned to register for the census. I think you can guess who Jotham meets in the final chapter.

The chapters take about 10 to 15 minutes to read aloud. Both my husband and I, who took turns reading the nightly installments, modified the language of the book, which I found to be a tad too graphic for little kids in some places and too flowery in most places. The writing is geared toward children 10 and up, but the action-packed plot and closing cliff-hangers kept my son's attention. As historical fiction, the story brings the culture of the time of Christ's birth to life. As a devotional, the book includes brief passages for reflection at the end of each chapter. I didn't always read these segments, but I'm glad they were there and I can see myself including them in future years as my boys' attention spans and comprehension grow. Additionally, Jotham's Journey is the first of three books Ytreeide has written for Advent. The other two focus on other children Jotham met on his journey. We enjoyed Jotham enough that I plan to purchase the other two and rotate through these three books each Christmas season.

Review of "Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design"

I’m going to partially blame myself for misunderstanding what this book was. When I saw the siblings frolicking across stones in a frog pond on the cover of Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design, I assumed it was going to be a devotional exploring how the wonders of nature reveal our Creator’s wisdom. When I read the back cover, which states that from reading these twenty devotions, “your children will learn: The creational principle that ‘God created man in his own image…male and female he created them’ (Genesis 1:27) is extraordinary!” I still did not realize this devotional, written by Susan Hunt and Richie Hunt and published by Moody, focuses specifically on gender roles and the differences between boys and girls. I don’t dispute the biological, hormonal and cultural differences between the sexes, but I’m sensitive about how I approach these differences with my boys, because I don’t want to cultivate potentially harmful stereotypes in their impressionable minds.

What this book is:

Similar to the Hunts’ book My ABC Bible Verses, which my oldest son enjoyed when he was in preschool, Cassie & Caleb teaches biblical principles by following siblings through their quintessential childhood experiences. At 96 pages, Cassie & Caleb is geared toward 5- to 8-year-olds. Unlike My ABC Bible Verses, it is illustrated with dreamy-eyed children in an array of nationalities. Each chapter also contains a two-page story, discussion questions, Catechism questions to memorize and a prayer prompt.

My Two Cents:

The inescapable theme of this book is that God created males to be the adventurous, leaders and breadwinners and females to be the tender, weaker nurturer in a supporting role to men. For example, as the family discusses Genesis 2 around the dinner table in one story, Caleb comments, “It seems to me… that Adam was not acting like a man. He didn’t lead the woman by reminding her of God’s Word” (62). Boys are also portrayed as more naturally rough and tumble than their delicate counterparts.  In another story, Caleb and his buddy sneak up behind Cassie and her friend and pummel them with mud until they scream. Instead of chiding them, the older, wiser adults chuckle at the mud-slingers with a “boys will be boys” attitude until the girls eventually laugh at their mud-soaked situation too. The story is innocent enough, and I agree that none of us should take ourselves too seriously, but something about it didn’t sit right with me. My three boys get muddy and barefoot in the back yard all summer long, but I would not condone them if they ambushed unsuspecting children, be they girls or boys. 

As with any stereotype, I don’t believe the one presented here fits every man or woman, nor do I believe God even intends that it should. However, I appreciated that the Hunts were careful to avoid being heavy-handed in their presentation of a complementarian viewpoint. For example, Dad is seen washing dishes, and Cassie’s friends are presented as having a variety of interests from softball and fishing to frilly clothes and the color pink. The book emphasizes equality between men and women despite their differing roles and promotes godly character for both men and women, touching on topics such as pride, forgiveness, and gratefulness. I liked that the main characters often make decisions against the grain of peer pressure. For example, in one episode, Caleb talks his friend out of sneaking into a scary movie after they’ve purchased tickets for an age-appropriate one. I think the book also emphasizes grace and provides models for healthy conflict resolution. For example, all of the characters, including Mom and Dad, have moments of weakness and sin, and all are able to own up to their mistakes or forgive each other their failings at the end of each story. For these reasons, I thought Cassie & Caleb was a step up from My ABC Bible Verses, in which the parents were perfect, the younger sister was always the little angel and the older brother the family’s Goofus.

Because I’d like to present a more nuanced take on what makes men and women different and how every individual can uniquely serve and express their maker, I probably won’t be reading this book to my "everything is black or white" 6-year-old just yet. However, I would recommend the book to families comfortable with a complementarian view and looking for a devotional that will likely capture young children’s attention with gospel-oriented stories.

A Give-Away... Might make a good Christmas gift!
I've been very blessed to find several sources of free Christian books and am excited to keep giving them away after I've reviewed them. Moody Publishers generously sent me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, so I'd like to also give this book away to one lucky blog reader who answers one of following questions in the comment section below: (If you have trouble using Disqus, as some did during the last drawing, let me know on Facebook, and I'll post your comment for you.)

What kind of devotionals have you done or are you doing with your children?
What conversations have you had with your children about being a boy or girl?
What questions have your children asked you, and how have you answered?

UPDATE: The winner of this drawing is....

Picture books to teach gratitude for kids

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and I don't know about you, but I feel like the big holiday season has tip toed up on me this year. Trying to be proactive, I looked for some books to help instill the idea of thankfulness at our local library. I also asked some of my friends for their favorite children's books that promote gratitude. There are plenty of books about the first thanksgiving, but I know my boys are getting the Pilgrim and Indian history at school. So it's also important to read books that celebrate the essence of our November holiday. Here's my short list (a literal short list, not a best of the best list) of books we've been reading this season to jump start conversations about thankfulness:


The Thanksgiving Door by Debby Atwell
Empty nesters Ed and Ann are set to eat a quiet Thanksgiving supper, until Ann accidentally burns the entire meal. Though Ann feels crushed by her mistake, Ed coaxes his wife out the door to see if they can find a restaurant that's open. When they inadvertently crash a large family's party, their Thanksgiving could become even worse... but I won't spoil the story. My 3-year-old, Rockam, really got a kick out of the conga line. You'll just have to read it to see it. This colorful holiday treat gives young readers an introduction to how Thanksgiving is celebrated by a Bulgarian immigrant family while also showing that the best part of the holiday is not the feast but the people with whom you eat it. The wording is simple enough for preschoolers, but the story is interesting enough for adults to enjoy too. Sadly, the hard copy of this book is out of print. But if you live where I do, you can pick it up at the library (after I return it ;)

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman
We got our little copy of this book in a Chik-fil-A happy meal, and I'd been carrying it around in my purse as emergency distraction for the boys. In this installation of the Bear series, our learns to be genuinely grateful for his friends, even though he frets about not having anything to feed them as they arrive, one after another, at the door to his empty cave. My 1-year-old enjoys the soft illustrations of bear and his host of woodland friends. My 3-year-old also enjoys the story of Bear, who is poor in possessions, but is rich in generous friends who love him for who he is rather than what he has. My 6-year-old was distracted by the details, wanting to know how a mouse-sized pie could be split among so many animals. Either way, this book allowed me to talk about why Bear's friends were thankful for him even though he seemed to have nothing to give them.

Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell 
When I was growing up, Mutts was my favorite cartoon strip in the Chicago Tribune comics section. I'm so glad McDonnell branched out to create several whimsical children's books, such as Hug Time, which tells the story of a little kitten's journey to show his love for all the creatures of the world. Of these three books, this is the least overtly related to thanksgiving, though the idea of appreciation, from which thankfulness can stem, is prominent. I used the book to talk about how we can be thankful to God for his wonderful creation.



What are your favorite picture books for Thanksgiving or gratitude all year round?

"It's OK to be different" books for kids

It's been a little while since I've reviewed any children's books. I like to offer up a few recommendations in batches with a common theme. In this case, all four of these books use animals to teach children it's OK to be different, to go against the grain and express your truest self. And sometimes, the courage of one original helps free others from unnecessary conformity. As an added bonus, all of these books are lovely to look at, provide a good dose of humor and were enjoyable for my boys and for me even after several reads.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger lives in a Victorian-styled town of hushed, buttoned-up, social norm-abiding animals. One day, Mr. Tiger does the unthinkable and sheds his dapper suit to roam free in the wild. Onlookers gape, friends tsk and mothers cover their youngster's eyes with their paws. But the once restrained feline can't resist this taste of freedom and adventure. Will Mr. Tiger be forever banished from civilization for following his inner urging? Will any of the other townsfolk ever experience the bliss of the jungle? I won't give away the conclusion, of course.

As a side note, I really like the clean, bright, geometric style of Brown's illustrations. If you enjoy Mr. Tiger, check out My Teacher is a Monster (No, I'm Not), which promotes acceptance, and The Curious Garden, which celebrates life in the midst of urban adversity.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

The flip-side of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, the protagonist in this zany Willems tale secretly enjoys putting on clothes. As much as other naked mole rats deride Wilbur for his risque fashion statements (such as wearing a suit), he can't resist the feeling of fabric on his furless skin. Plus, he argues, when he gets dressed up he can be fancy, or cool.. or even an astronaut!  The story comes to a head when the mole rats appeal to their venerable leader, who questions poor Wilbur at a public hearing. Wilbur's simple response has a dramatic effect! This book helps open up discussions about doing things because we've always done them that way. It also allows you to discuss with children when it might be OK to buck the social norm.

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Gaston is the oddball in his refined French poodle family: Mrs. Poodle, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo and Ooh La La. Even though Gaston has trouble matching his sisters' abilities to Yip (not Yap) and to sip (Never slurp), he still enjoys the security of a loving home. One day, Gaston's identity is shaken as the Poodle family run into a Bulldog family, also with four puppies: Ricky, Rocky, Bruno and.... Antoinette, who happens to be a poodle. The moment is decidedly awkward, and without any discussion, Antoinette and Gaston trade places and families as they leave the park. Though Gaston and Antoinette look like they belong in their new arrangements, they struggle to truly fit in and miss their real families.

This story is a great opener for talking about how we can't judge others by appearances. All the characters in this canine tale come to the right conclusions at the end, making it a good book for talking about adoption.

Froodle by Antoinette Portis

Everyone knows that little brown birds are supposed to say "peep," but Little Brown Bird "didn't want to sing the same old song." When she busts out a boisterous "Froodle sproodle!" Crow tries to intimidate her back into the appropriate behavior for little brown birds. Little Brown Bird doesn't relent. In fact, she comes up with even more outlandish bird song until the entire neighborhood takes notice.

I think this is the only book of the four that I definitely enjoyed more than my boys. I've had this aspiration to become a bird watcher when I'm old and retired, and I pride myself on having a pretty good ear for bird calls, so the subject of Froodle piqued my interest immediately. But educationally, this book opens up a discussion about experimentation, facing peer pressure and perhaps even observing animal behavior in nature.

Words can hurt or heal with Rosemary Wells

Stephen and I really enjoyed Rosemary Well's newest book, Stella's Starliner, which tucks a deep message into a sweet, sparkling picture book. I grabbed it off the library shelf because I grew up with Wells and I thought from the title this one might include some imaginary space travel. Actually, the story is mostly grounded on earth, with one fantastic sky travel scene in the middle. But I still highly recommend this one!

Stella is not rich in material possessions, but has a life rich with pancake breakfasts, farmer's markets, bookmobile visits and weekend fishing trips. Her compact but practical trailer home is replete with fun hiding places and novelties like a sofa that converts to a bed with the touch of a button. Cherished by her mom and dad, Stella feels secure in knowing she "had everything she needed in her silver home." It seems nothing can shake her idyllic childhood until a band of sneering weasel bullies berates poor Stella and her silver home. Their jokes "stung Stella's heart like the sting of bees." (After just one read through this book, Steve recited that line back to me in a very serious voice.) I always thought that the old rhyme about sticks and stones and words that can never hurt me was unhelpful, especially when it seems that words are what can most damage a tender heart. In Stella's case, the weasel's jibes pricked so deeply she couldn't eat or sleep that night.

I won't give away the ending, which, of course, is a happy one. The message of this story? Just as cruel words can cause people to see their glasses half empty, some encouragement can set things right. Always on the look out for books that promote simplicity, I was happy to find another book can help children see that happiness is not in wealth, having stuff or pleasing everyone. It also promotes loving family relationships, finding joy in the little things and speaking positively. So go out and get Stella's Starliner, and start talking with your pre-K to early elementary students.

Stephen's Pick: Munching Machines

Stephen enjoyed another robot related book from our local library, Junkyard, by Mike Austin. He calls it "Munching Machines" because that's what the author calls the two bots who crush, crunch and munch their way through am unwieldy salvage yard before planting a garden, sculpting mountains and upcycling garbage into cool playground equipment. I recommend this richly illustrated picture book with fun rhyming text for young robot lovers and parents who like a subtle environmental slant. The story celebrates two hardworking, resourceful robots as they create beauty out of garbage.

6 Wordless Wonders

I've been meaning to post some fun wordless picture books for a while, but I keep finding more that I like! They work well for young readers/listeners a number of reasons-- firstly, with the bulk of the storytelling resting on the images, all the illustrations will immediately draw in little ones' attention. You don't have to worry about reading level, as you can add as many or as few words to the story as you like. You can even make your child "read" the story to you. Another option I've enjoyed with my five-year-old is having him tell the story on one page, then I'll tell the story on the next page. Most of these are from our local library.

Journey by Aaron Becker
A recent Caldecott Honor book, Journey is like an elaborate version of Harold and the purple crayon. I this story, the protagonist is a little girl, who after failing to gain the attention of her father, mother and older sister, draws a red door on her bedroom wall, opens it and disappears into an enchanted forest. As interesting as this alternate universe is, it seems the young heroine is still alone in her adventure as she must draw herself out of close encounters with a series of mysterious villains. But eventually, by showing kindness to another creature in distress, she finds a kindred spirit with a magic crayon of his own. After I read this one with Stephen, I decided to page through it again. The illustrations are truly magical.

Flotsam by David Wiesner
Another great library find, Flotsam, chronicles the mysteries of an underwater fantasy world through the snapshots-- presumably taken by sea creatures-- from a camera that washes up on shore into a little child's hands. Many of the scenes appear to depict the "normal" wonders of the ocean floor at first glance. But a closer observation reveals interesting antics and characters. Both my older boys are fond of the beach and sea creatures, so this was a hit with them.

The Secret Box by Barbara Lehman
Another wordless story based on mysterious photographs, The Secret Box transforms a box of old-timey snapshots hidden in an attic into a treasure hunt for the carefree fun of a carnival from another era. The friends that piece together the clues from the photos and memorabilia in the box eventually bring the story full circle, contributing their own images for another group of children to discover in the next generation. I enjoyed this the open-endedness of this cartoon-styled narrative, but the boys didn't get into it as much... perhaps the subtle twist at the end was lost on their five- and three-year-old minds.





The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller
A wordless cartoon told in several chapters, Faller's picture book follows the whimsical dog, Polo, as he climbs strings to outer space, joins a band of monkeys in their tree-top soiree, sails to a deserted volcanic island and roasts his dinner over a lava flow, and slides down rabbit-holes to the middle of the earth where glowing pea-like beings march around luminary mushrooms. Polo makes plenty of silly friends and does many nonsensical things. There's not really a moralistic take-away here, but The Adventures of Polo is just plain fun. Stephen loves to narrate Polo, and this book has been great for long and far less adventurous drives from Kentucky to Illinois and Ohio.

The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez (first installment to trilogy including Fox and Hen Together and Rooster's Revenge) A fox stakes out the home of some woodland friends, then bursts from the bushes and snatches up a chicken, much to Rooster, Bear and Rabbit's dismay. The chase is on, and Rodriguez tells the story through breathtaking panoramas over hills, into mountains and through valleys, owing much to the book's unusual 6 x 10-inch dimensions. **Spoiler Alert** At the end of this wordless tale, the foxy villain turns out to have had a change of heart (or perhaps purer intentions all along?) for taking Miss Hen, as the pair are eventually discovered sipping cocoa by a cottage fire and invite their "guests" in to join them. I'm ambivalent about the story's twist. Perhaps it is a testimony to the happiness many culturally-crossed couples find despite their families' best attempts to thwart the union? As the product of a mixed-race marriage myself, I'm hard-pressed to dislike this message. However, the fact that the chicken didn't seem to be aware of the romance before being whisked away kind of taints that interpretation. There's nothing cute about stalking, kidnapping and imprisoning your crush until she loves you back. I'm probably over-thinking this. Whether or not you take umbrage to the moral of the story, the beautiful illustrations are worth a look at this wordless book. And the fact that there's no words means you can interpret it however innocently as you please.


The Giant Seed by Arthur Geisert

While the premise of this book is really quite odd, Stephen really liked this and another porcine picture book by Geisert. In this tale, smaller-than-life pigs struggle to survive against the imminent danger of a sputtering volcano, which sends down ash and embers on their quaint village and sets their thatched roofs ablaze... what's not to like about that? The pigs escape the inferno by some crafty maneuvering and botanical knowledge. Like The Chicken Thief, The Giant Seed is part of the Stories Without Words series and features the lovely panoramic pages.