Reading, Writing & Pondering

    How You Got Your Name by Trey Kennedy and Illustrated by Jesus Lopez isn't quite the book I expected when I selected it. I thought this was going to be one of those serious, endearing books. However, this book is a silly book that is meant to be funny. If you are looking for a funny book to read with your child, then this may be just what you are looking for.  How You Got Your Name is a large colorfully illustrated book with a dust jacket. It is large and measures a little over ten inches square. It is aimed at children ages four to eight. It has a place in the book to write about choosing a child's name that could be meaningful, if filled out by the gift giver, parent or guardian of the child. Honestly, How You Got Your Name was too silly for us to enjoy but I am sure there are others that will appreciate the humor and enjoy the lighthearted theme.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

    I love penguins. Do you? Have you been to the Shedd Aquarium to see the penguins there? I went there when I was a young person. Then last year, we planned a trip to go there, but didn't get to go due to some unforeseen circumstances. I still hope to go see Edward and Annie in person some day. Edward and Annie by Caryn Rivadeneira is a beautifully illustrated 32-page children's book aimed at children ages four to eight. This book is 10 1/2 inches square so it is a bit large for young children to hold on their own but it makes a great size for family reading time, I think Edward and Annie starts out with the two penguins in their home. Then their caretaker, Kai, takes them on an adventure as they waddle through the Shedd Aquarium and visit the other animals. This book takes place during the pandemic when the aquarium was closed to visitors. Even though they are open again, this book is still a wonderful read--even if you have never been there. Following along and seeing th...

    Really Woolly My First Easter   by Bonnie Rickner Jensen is an adorable board book for toddlers that would be a cute Easter gift. This board book is about 7 inches square and has the heavy pages that stand up to toddlers turning the pages on their own. It is aimed at children ages four and under.  The illustrations in Really Woolly My First Easter are cute and brightly colored springy designs. Each page has a bit of rhyming verse about spring, Easter, new beginnings and more. Some of them may be a little difficult for children learning to read but would be great reading together initially. There is also a Bible verse with each two-page spread and a brief prayer. It could be a cute bedtime devotional to read one a night with  little ones. There are also hidden Easter eggs to look for in each picture, making it a bit of a game too. All in all, Really Woolly My First Easter is a cute book for families to use at Easter time. I received a copy of this book from ...

  Good Morning, Little One by Amy Kavelaris is just simply a gorgeous children's book. This is a large book at about 10 inches square with a dust jacket and is 32 pages long. The author also illustrated the book and I just love the sweet pictures with the rhyming prose. Good Morning, Little One is written to remind four to eight year olds that God is with them throughout the whole day. For the animal lovers, the illustrations are just lovely. And the book looks perfect for spring and Easter baskets. It is a nice book to have for your own family and a nice book to give as a gift. Based on Bible verses, the book is written to remind young children that God is watching over them and they are safe in His care. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through JustRead Tours. All opinions within this review are my own.

  Just looking at the cover of The Happy Crab by Layla and Kevin Palmer and Illustrated by Guy Wolek makes me happy. The story inside goes well with the fun and uplifting illustrations. The Happy Crab is the story about an adventurous little hermit crab who is picked up when a young boy finds a beautiful, unbroken shell on the beach and plans to take it home. However, on the way home, the boy discovers the crab. He isn't sure what to do with him so he and his family have a talk about what is best for the crab.  My family just enjoyed The Happy Crab so much. The illustrations are truly delightful. The story is beautiful and is such a good reminder about how sometimes we need to do what is best and put someone else's needs ahead of our own. The Happy Crab is 32 pages long and is written for children ages 3 to 8. I think I would say ages 3 to 100 because it is a delightful story for anyone to read of any age. It would be fun to read aloud with the whole family and it is a good bo...

Have you ever grown a plant from seed? If you have, you know that it takes a little time to sprout, grow up tall, and produce either fruit or flowers. In Gracie's Garden by Lara Casey, we join Gracie, Joshua, and Sarah to see what they do while they wait for the garden seeds to grow. Gracie's Garden is a fun book teaching children about growing tomatoes and other things in the garden. The children learn how it takes time for a seed to grow but it is worth it in the end. Actually, it is more than worth it, the children see that miracles abound when seeds grow and the children follow the growth of a seed from planting to harvesting. Both the story and the illustrations are both beautiful and fun in this book. Gracie's Garden is written for children ages four to eight. If readers have the internet, there is an on-line activity book included with this purchase that is free for download. Also, on the backside of the dust jacket is a Garden Giggles poster that is fun for youn...

Sometimes it doesn't feel like we have any special gifts are skills. Yet, God tells us in Psalm 139 that we are all made uniquely special by Him. What's So Wonderful About Webster? by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick is a reminder to children that they all have special skills. What's So Wonderful About Webster? is about Webster's experience with Field Day at his school. Webster's school is getting ready for a Field Day competition among the various grades. He doesn't know what to do for Field Day because he doesn't think he has any skills for the competitions. As a result, Webster doesn't want to go. . .but after some encouragement he does. In in attending the field day competitions, Webster discovers just what his skills are. What's So Wonderful About Webster? is aimed at elementary aged students. This is a large book, measuring about 8 by 11 inches with a dust jacket and nice heavy pages. The words are dark and easy to read and the illu...

Maggie and Morty Raccoon have given up their sneaky ways but they may just have a new struggle. In The Society of Extraordinary Raccoon Society by Randall Goodgame, the raccoons may just feel the need to out-do each other in their giving. However, the young raccoons learn a new lesson on boasting from Matthew 6. Goodgame is experienced with writing children's books and songs. I think it clearly shows in the prose of this book. I like the rhyming tempo and the words that remind children that boasting is not a good way to behave around others. This book not only has rhythm but it has some brightly colored illustrations to go along with it that make the story a stand-out read to young ones. The pages are a heavy slick paper that should be easy for little fingers to get ahold of to turn the pages themselves too. The Society of Extraordinary Raccoon Society on Boasting was a fun read for our family--in fact my husband and I enjoyed it as much as the young ones. I received this ...

It is no secret, children love wagons and getting to ride in a wagon. Who Will Play with Me? by Randall Goodgame illustrates in cute, colorful pictures and rhyming verse how much fun it can be when two get together with a wagon. Doug the slug found a wagon at the playground. . .but he gets in and finds he cannot ride in it without a friend. He then learns how much fun it is to give a friend a ride when he offers to give Sparky the bug a ride. This cute story is based on Philippians 2:3, "In humility, value others better than yourselves." (NIV) Who Will Play with Me? is such a cute story and a fun reminder of how to be a good friend to someone. This cute book is a part of the slugs and bugs series and is aimed at children 4 to 8 years old. The writing in this book is rhythmic and lyrical. I thought the rhyme was especially fun to read out loud. Who Will Play with Me? is not overtly Christian but it is a great a reminder to children to be kind and share, without sounding...

Little children are so fun to be around. They ask so many questions and want to know why this and why that. I love seeing their inquisitive hearts and minds. Why God? by Dan Dewitt is the perfect book for young children and their families who are wondering about God. The story in Why God? features Thomas and his sister, Hope, who have a lot of questions about the world. Some of them are funny and some of them are big and serious like the ones where Thomas wonders about God. All of the questions together make for a fun story with cute illustrations. Why God? addresses the big and small questions kids have. The illustrations are bright, vibrant and fun. Along with the eye-catching illustrations, the story takes the questions children have and helps them see the wonders of God in our world today. I especially like the Parent Connection page in the back of the book. This page helps parents guide their children into some good discussions based on the story and the Bible. I though...

Feelings can be a struggle at any age. But learning how to handle our feelings at an early age would be a great help. What Am I Feeling? by Dr. Josh and Christi Straub is a vibrantly illustrated children's book aimed at children ages four to eight to help them learn to understand their feelings--and the feelings of others around them. Today is show-and-tell day for Sam. His tummy feels "flippy." His friends at school have some other feelings about the day. In What Am I Feeling? the children see how feelings are shown and learn how to handle their own and to help those around them. What Am I Feeling? also has a pull out Feelings chart attached to the back cover to show the faces of what different feelings would look like. Children can then figure out what their own feeling is and what those around them  may be feeling. I wish we had had What am I Feeling? when my son was little. It is great book now to use with young children. It might be good to work into a Sun...

I live in a college community in the Midwest. We have a lot of cultures and background represented in our community--and we have a problem with homelessness. I like finding books that help address issues that I can talk to children about. GraceFull by Dorena Williamson is a great book to help children understand the tough subject of homelessness.  Hope and Anna are friends at church. Anna's family is facing some challenges right now as her father lost his job. GraceFull briefly shares their story and talks about how we can help others facing similar struggles. This book also opens the door for more discussions at home or this book could be used in a group setting like a Sunday School class. The Parent Connection page in the page of the book makes sharing the book and learning through the story even easier as there is a correlating Bible verse and a series of questions to ask and think about together. I enjoyed GraceFull . Williamson's books are so good at helping kids se...

So Much the Better by Megan Means is a fiction book aimed at upper elementary children and middle school children--but I was deeply touched by this moving story even as an adult. So Much the Better is about Ari, a small lion cub who is happily living with his pride when one day everything changes and he is separated into a new and strange land. Ari is lost and feeling hopeless when a golden eagle named Eliezer befriends him and helps him grow into a stronger young lion. Eliezer also helps give him guidance on how to get back to his homeland. In the journey, Ari learns and grows through encounters with other animals. Mostly he learns and grows in confidence, compassion, wisdom, courage, self-control, purpose, determination, patience, self-esteem, joy, forgiveness, love, leadership, and helps bring unity to others. I truly enjoyed reading So Much the Better . This book made me think and reflect on my own life. I am sure it would be great to teach children. My son is an older tee...