Book Review and Giveaway! ~ Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times

We have been very blessed to review this sweet Bible story book called Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times by Kelly Pulley. This hardback book was written for ages 4-8  with 352 pages is in full color. The illustrations are adorable, they were drawn by Kelly Pulley also. He has illustrated several other books including many from the Beginner Bible series.

What makes this book different from other Bible story books? Every story is written in rhyme, so my poetry loving little girls really enjoyed hearing the stories over and over again. It has found a permanent place on my bedside table with their other favorite bedtime books.

Each story can be read in just a few minutes, so if its an especially sleepy night you can get through a story quickly and then send them off to bed. Some nights we enjoyed more than one.


Some of the rhymes are so catchy I have heard the girls singing them. They like to make songs out of everything they hear. I have caught them just looking through the pictures on their own, they love all the cute little details, especially the animals. My 8 year old can read most of the words on her own, but she gets frustrated easily reading aloud and still prefers me to read it to her. She will read to my 5 year old though, she doesnt correct her because she doesnt know the difference yet.

You can purchase Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times at Christianbook.com on sale for $14.99, it is regularly $19.99. I get to give away one of these cute books to one of my readers, scroll down to enter below!

Watch this little preview to get a better look at the book!





Enter to win a copy of Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this post via email you will need to click here to go to the actual blog to enter. Thank you for entering!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ~ Kinder Cottage Publishing

If you ask anyone who has been in my house, they will tell you that we love books. We have bookshelves in just about every room, and some rooms have 3! Every time a new book arrives here I have to delegate who gets to look at it first or a fight can break out. Can you relate?

My littlest girls are both collectors of small books with cute pictures. When we received two books from Kinder Cottage Publishing to review, I knew those two would be handed the books first. There are 10 books in the Peter Rabbit series they offer, and we chose Book 2, Peter Rabbit at the Farm and Book 10, Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper. They are written for ages 3-9, but the Peter Rabbit stories are such a classic I think other ages could enjoy them just as much.

These books are an adaptation of the original books published by the Henry Altemus Company in the early 1900's. The text has been updated with more modern wording that children can understand, and the colorful illustrations have been lovingly preserved.

The other titles include.....

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit at the Farm

Peter Rabbit's Christmas

How Peter Rabbit Went to Sea

Peter Rabbit Goes A-Visiting

Peter Rabbit's Easter

Peter Rabbit's Birthday

When Peter Rabbit Went to School

Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy

Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper

These books are perfectly sized for little hands at 5x7 inches, and are full of adorably drawn illustrations. These are hardback volumes with 64 pages, and are very sturdy even though the pages are paper. My 5 year old, Star, especially loves bunnies. She ooohed and ahhhed over all the cute animals inside. She claimed them both as her own and keeps them in her special bookshelf of little books.







We chose Peter Rabbit at the Farm because we live on a little farm. Star was attracted to the cute chicks on the cover, but this was her favorite page of all because she loves watching Daddy milk our cow. She could understand how curious Peter was. She likes to get up close and see what is going on herself.

Of course Peter is always getting into mischief. The girls just giggled at the pictures of all the funny things that happened to Peter on the farm.

 We hadn't heard of Jack the Jumper before, he sounded like an interesting character! He and Peter get themselves into all kinds of trouble together. We had some discussions about what better choices they could have made instead.

 My 7 year old daughter, Skye, cracked me up when she said very seriously, "If Old Mother Rabbit would just stay home and watch her kids all that might not have happened! She should have got a babysitter." Good point!!!




My 9 year old daughter said she doesn't mind reading these books to her little sisters. She said they are pretty cute and funny. She loves the pictures too.




These sweet little books are just $4.00 each, or you can buy the whole 10 volume set for $30.00. The deal gets even better though, because Kinder Cottage has offered my readers an extra 20% off when you use the code TOS at checkout. 

Read what other families thought of these and the other titles by clicking the banner below...

Book Review and Giveaway ~ The Sparkle Egg

The Sparkle Egg is officially one of my favorite books for Easter now. It was written by Jill Hardie and illustrated by Christine Kornacki, the same ladies who created a book I reviewed at Christmas time titled The Sparkle Box.

This beautiful 32 page hardcover book was written for ages 4-8, but let me tell you, kids of many ages (and adults for that matter) will love hearing the message of hope this book brings to life!

The story starts with a little boy named Sam who is excited about Easter. He is also feeling a lot of guilt and shame over a lie he told. His parents catch him in the lie and do a wonderful thing with Sam to teach him about how God forgives completely. He decorates a special egg for Easter, nice and sparkly and uniquely his own design. His mother tells him to put a piece of paper inside the egg with something drawn on it to remind him of things he is ashamed about.

She also tells him on Easter morning there will be a surprise in his special egg.

Finally Easter morning arrives! Sam cant wait to look inside the sparkle egg! But when he opens it up.....it is empty inside. This is when his parents get to tell him the wonderful message of what Easter is really about, and how Jesus took away all of our guilt and shame for every sin when He died on the cross for us.

I couldn't wait to make a sparkle egg with my own kids!! This is a very meaningful new tradition I plan to continue at our house every year.

We used larger than normal eggs so there would be plenty of room inside for their slips of paper. I found these at Wal-Mart, they came with pop rocks inside for $1.00 each.

 
You can purchase The Sparkle Egg through Ideals Books. It is on sale right now for $13.59.

Would you like to win The Sparkle Egg book to use with your family this Easter? I get to give one away to one of my special readers! Just enter using the form below.....

Entry-Form

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

The Sparkle Box Book Review and Giveaway

The Sparkle Box is a story that has the power to change Christmas. It was written by Jill Hardie and illustrated by Christine Kornacki.

Christmas is supposed to be a season of great joy, but often it can be a season of hardship and depression for those in need. There are many ways that people are needy, it isn't always a financial need. Some are lonely, some people live with constant physical pain. And then some are in the most need of all, they are in need of a Savior, they need to know Jesus.

The Sparkle Box may be a children's book written for ages 4 to 8, but grown ups need to read it too. The book may be short, just 32 pages, but the story inside holds a lot of meaning.

Christmas is going to be different this year in our house because of this book. The kids and I are excited to add things to our sparkle box! We loved reading this sweet story together and I am excited to read it again with my homeschool group and hopefully my Awana group too.

Included in the back of this hardback book is your own special sparkle box so you can start a new tradition in your home right away.

The book begins with.....

Dear Reader, you are the light of the world. Make it sparkle.

Sam is a young boy who is excited about Christmas! A mysterious sparkly box is sitting on their mantle, he thinks it might be for him. His mom tells him its a special gift to open together later, after it is filled.

Sam witnesses his mother and father doing kind things for others, and his heart is touched when he sees a homeless man sleeping on a bench in the park. But what can a small boy do to help? He cant stop thinking about these things, and about what could possibly be in that box.

Finally Christmas morning arrives! The family opens it together, and inside is........oh I cant spoil it for you! But Ill bet you have an idea of what was inside don't you?

Watch a short video about the book here!

Tell me what you think is inside The Sparkle Box and on December 2nd one winner will be chosen to receive a copy of  The Sparkle Box!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ~ If You Were Me and Lived In.....book series by Carole P. Roman

 Carole P. Roman is a children's book author who had a desire for children to learn about other countries and cultures so that they would realize we are all basically the same. We may have different customs, foods, clothing, and climate but deep down we are all human.

We received the first 4 books for this review, the titles included.....
If You Were Me And Lived In.....France
If You Were Me And Lived In.....South Korea
If You Were Me And Lived In.....Mexico
If You Were Me And Lived In.....Norway
(This book was just released and does not yet have a link to share on Carole's website.)

The "If You Were Me And Lived In..." series was written for ages Pre-K to age 8. My two youngest girls fell into this age category, but my 9 and 10 year olds rarely want to miss a book reading so they got involved as well.



I think these books are well written and definitely with the younger crowd in mind. However, the taste of information given was enough to spark interest into my older kids to go and find out more.








Each paperback book has just a few pages with just a few lines of text. The perfect amount to keep a wiggly little one's interest. The illustrations are appealing to little eyes, with bright colors and smiling faces. We found plenty of  interesting things to talk about on each page.

 We learned some new words, and thankfully there is a pronunciation guide in the back!





We used a globe and a map to find each country. We used other map skills to determine what continent and hemisphere it was located in, the longitude and latitude, etc. Of course they had to find out what animals lived there as well.






I even found some free printable coloring pages for each country's flag, landmarks, animals, and traditional dress. It turned into a little unit study.



There are many ways you can stretch these books out and also use them with older kids. We have definitely enjoyed these sweet books!

Each book is available from Amazon.com in paperback version for under $9.00 each, they are also available in ebook format for Kindle.

   

Book Review and Giveaway! ~ Audrey Bunny

Do you have little ones who love curling up in bed with a good story and a stuffed animal? I do, and to tell you the truth so do I! One of my daughters especially loves bunnies. I was originally attracted to this book because of that fact, but it has become a favorite for other reasons.


Audrey Bunny is the story of a young girl who sees a stuffed bunny in a thrift shop and instantly loves it. The bunny thinks she will never be picked out of the animal bin because she has a defect, a spot on her chest that will not come off. She tries to hide her blemish, hoping someone will love her and take her home. When a young girl does choose her, she is afraid to believe that someone could actually love her for who she is so she tries to hide her imperfections to earn the little girls love.


Does that story sound familiar? I can think of many times in my life when I felt like I wasn't good enough to be loved. I felt like I wasn't good enough for God to love me either. I tried to "be good" and "do good things" to earn God's love. I tried to hide the blemish of my own sin. But each and every time my own efforts failed and yet God showed me that he loves me anyway. Even better, He loves me just the way I am right now. I don't have to do anything but trust Jesus as my savior.

God doesn't see our blemishes, He just loves. He made us who we are on purpose.

That is the message given in this sweet story. I really love this book, and I really love the beautiful illustrations too. Its a work of art and a story I don't mind at all reading 1000 times to my kids. We all need reminding of how much we are loved, each and every day, no matter what!

About Audrey Bunny

From best-selling women’s author Angie Smith (I Will Carry You, Mended) comes this sweet children’s book about a stuffed animal named Audrey Bunny who fears her imperfections make her unworthy of a little girl’s love. She'll learn the truth soon enough, and young readers will learn that everyone is special and wonderfully made by God.

[Also included]: The Parent Connection (last page of the book) shares discussion questions and activities reinforcing God's love for us.

Angie Smith is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Dove Award winning group Selah), best-selling author of Mended, I Will Carry You, and What Women Fear, and one of the most popular speakers and blog writers in the country. She holds a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University and lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, TN.

Audrey Bunny is available in hardcover with a dust jacket:  32 pages $14.99

Would you like to win this book for a precious little child you love? Simply enter on the rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this in your email inbox click on over to the blog post here to enter.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway ~ Bash and the Pirate Pig

Bash and the Pirate Pig by Burton Cole was written for boys ages 8-14, but it was my 9 year old daughter who really enjoyed reading it the most. My son loved the story but isn't the type of kid that will read a whole book independently. He would rather have it read to him. Either way this book is a good one! A wholesome story of summertime fun and lessons from the farmin' and fishin' book, also known as the Bible.

Bash, which is short for Sebastian, is a country boy living on a farm with his family. His cousin Raymond "Beamer" Boxby, who is from the city, comes to visit for the summer. He isn't happy about this, and would much rather stay indoors all summer and play his video games and snack.

You can just imagine all the crazy things that can happen in a situation like that right? From an attempt at cow tipping to adventures with a skunk, the crazy situations the boys and their friends get into will keep you laughing and shaking your head.

We live on a mini farm, and we have pet teacup pigs, so the title immediately got the interest of my kids. Its a good thing they aren't big enough to ride like Bash did!

I loved that during the course of the story, Beamer comes to know Jesus as his savior, and in the end the "summer of doom" he was dreading so much turns out to be the best one ever.

Bash and the Pirate Pig is a 224 page hardcover book and can be purchased for $12.99 from B&H Kids Publishers.

A sneak peek at the next book in the series, Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper, is included too. This sounds like another great adventure! It is set to release in Spring 2014.

Would you like to win a copy of Bash and the Pirate Pig? Just fill out the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclaimer ~ This review is my own opinion and was done in exchange for receiving the book for free, no other compensation was given. The book being given away will be sent by Fly By Promotions, I am not responsible for any prizes not received by the winner.

Book Review ~ Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again

It was a pleasure to review this adorable board book from Greene Bark Press titled Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again.  My 4 year old grabbed it away from me the minute I opened the package and started ooohing and ahhhing over the cute illustrations. Her favorite was the pig!

The story inside is about a little duck named Wally Waddlewater. He has made his grandmother a birthday card and wants to mail it himself, but he has to cross the street to do that. He almost gets run over! His mama pulls him back and tells him the right way to cross the street safely, by looking left, then right, then left again. Together they begin practicing and have fun while doing it. Eventually Wally is able to cross all by himself!

We live out in the country and not in a big city, but this a skill that every child should learn! We have had many unsafe drivers whiz past our house way too fast out here as well. Our mailbox is across the street too so we did the same thing the Waddlewater family did and began practicing crossing together while taking the time to look appropriately before we cross. My 4 year old is a little pro now! Even though she can't reach the mailbox she still wants to go.

Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again can be purchased directly from Greene Bark Press for $8.50. It was written for ages 3-8. This board book has thick pages and will stand up to many years of use. The illustrations are adorable and made my little one giggle.

Cant Wait Willow ~ Review and Giveaway

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Can't Wait Willow is part of a new children's book series that focuses on making better choices. Its written by Christy Ziglar (she is Zig Ziglar's niece) and illustrated beautifully by Luanne Marten. The beautiful cover got the attention of my 3 daughters the moment I opened the package! I didn't even get to see it myself till later that evening.

I love the valuable life lesson this story teaches. Willow just can't wait to get to go to the circus, she is so excited! Along the way there are so many temptations, and she just cannot say no. Because of unwise choices she runs out of money and time, and she misses the whole thing. Thankfully she is given some wise advice, and gets a second chance the next day to make better choices.

We all enjoyed this book a lot, I cant wait to see the other books in the series! Or maybe I can, good things come to those who wait! You can print out coloring pages and a star chart and star keeper from the author's website.

You can purchase Can't Wait Willow for $14.99. It is a sturdy hardback book, size 10x10, and written for children ages 4-8. The lesson taught is ageless.



Can't-Wait Willow! from Ideals Children's Books from Ideals Books on Vimeo.



Would you like to win a copy for a special child in your life? I get to give away a copy to one of my readers! Enter through the Rafflecopter form below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up! ~ Review and Giveaway!

Ever wonder what the whale felt like in the Story of Jonah? (Yes, I know the bible says it was a big fish and not a whale, but humor me here!) This delightful hardback childrens book called Hey God, I've got some guy named Jonah in my stomach and I think I'm going to throw up! by Troy Schmidt tells the whale's side of the story.



The book was written for kids age 4 to 8. We read it to my AWANA class which includes kids up to 11 and they were all laughing at the story. The illustrations are so funny!



The whale begs God to get Jonah out of him, but God says "Not yet, you have to trust me." I love this message, how often in real life do we want our way right now? But God has a plan for everything, even when the circumstances aren't ideal for us.

We all know the end of the story, Jonah does go to Ninevah like God told him to. The whale got to be a part of God's great plan! This is just the first in a series!  Other books available include Hey God, Can You Stop the Rain so I Can Get off Noah's Smelly Ark? and Hey God, I'm Having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses!

The end of the book includes a Parent Connection  page with discussion questions, activities, and bible verses to dig a little deeper into this story of obedience.


 About the Author: 
Troy Schmidt has writing and video production credits ranging from assignments with Disney (The Mickey Mouse Club) and Nickelodeon to Max Lucado's Hermie franchise. He is currently the lead writer for The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on the Game Show Network. Troy and his wife have three sons.

You can buy Hey God, I've got some guy named Jonah in my stomach and I think I'm going to throw up! through B&H Publishers for $9.99. 

I get to give away a book to one of my readers! Enter through the Rafflecopter form below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway



"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."