Juliet DavidRecensioni

EducatingParents.org rating: Approved

With clear and simple text, this sensitive retelling is given particular warmth and depth through endearing illustrations by artist Steve Whitlow. The story begins with Mary learning she is to have a very special baby, and takes the reader through to the birth of Baby Jesus in Bethlehem and the arrival of the Wise Men, with a closing reminder of why we celebrate this important day.

As the Christmas season approaches, this book is a perfect addition to any family library. This version of the story of Christ's birth is told from the perspective of Miriam the cow. It is a cold night and Miriam has not idea that her cowshed is going to be as busy as it becomes. One by one the visitors arrive and Miriam permits the them to sleep snug and safe in her cowshed as long as they promise to be peaceful with one another. First the rabbit family, then the fox followed by a young couple where the woman is with child. Miriam gives up her warm spot in the hay to the pregnant woman and falls asleep in another part of the barn. When she is awakened by a crying child she is so happy and proud that her cowshed was the birthplace of this baby. As the visitors continue to arrive she is so proud of what has happened in her humble home. This is a beautiful story that children will love especially those that love animals. It's a perfect way to tell the story of Jesus' birth in a new way. The illustrations in this book are amazing. They are clear and rich but have a soft quality to them that children and adults will love.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn’t love a pop-up book? Curmudgeon-y old cranky faces, that’s who. The rest of us know that they are a lot of fun to read, especially if you have young readers to share it with. I got and read my Pop-Up Bible Stories with my five and three-year-old’s and they really enjoyed it. Basically this book has five vignettes of stories in the Bible: Baby Moses floating in the basket,Daniel and the Lions Den, Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter, The parable of the lost sheep and Jesus calming the storm. Each story is told in a short paragraph with an accompanying Bible reference so you can explore the story in more detail.

This is a pop-up book and each scene . . . pops. Like I said, my kids liked it. But as the older curmudgeon-y, cranky face I have a couple of basic criticisms:

I think the best pop-up books are interactive with pull tabs, wheels, doors to open, etc. There is actually only one scene in the whole book with a trap door to open (revealing the king looking down). The rest of them are just fun to look at.
Because this basically gives vignettes of Bible stories, it doesn’t really tell the stories. I think this makes it appropriate for younger kids (or young readers who are practicing their reading on stories they are already familiar with). But I personally prefer a more narrative approach in my pop-ups.
Finally this is a book of Bible stories where the characters are fairly white (i.e. the Egyptians, the Persians, the Mediterranean Jews all look White Anglo Saxon Protestant). I like Bible books for children which do not re-enforce ethno-centricity in my ultra-pasty kids.
But this is putting a book for children under far too much critical scrutiny. My children love it.

Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

very verge of two, it is often difficult to find a book which appeals to all three of them

The Candle Bible for Kids: Toddler's Edition does. The stories in this volume (fourteen from the Old Testament and twenty-two from the new) are told simply enough for my toddler to enjoy, but my preschooler and kindergartner also enjoy it immensely. The stories unfold simply and sometimes leave out details which are difficult to share with children (i.e. in Daniel and the Lion's Den, Daniel is not the victim of an elaborate plot, nor are his enemies thrown into the pit at the end of the story). Nevertheless the main elements of the story remain intact.

The New Testament stories in this book, focus on the gospels and end with Jesus' ascension. Scripture references for each story enable you to follow-up this story with a look at the actual Biblical account.

I think parents with kids from 1-4 would enjoy this book (although my five-year-old still loves it). Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

As many books as I read, most of what I read are kids books. with three kids ranging from 15 months to nearly 5, I am often cornered by a kid with a book and I am on a constant look out as to how to build biblical literacy into their development.

To this end, the God Helps Me Bible is a wonderful book. In this book, author Clare Caddy and illustrator Juliet David present 25 Bible stories geared for young children which illustrate the ways God has helped his people. Each of the stories ends with a “God helped…” statement about the character in each story.

What is nice about this book is that each of these stories are brief and simple, perfect for the attention span of young children and colorfully illustrated. Each story is two pages long. My kids loved it, and the spiral binding does mean that it sits flat open on the floor or table.

There are stories of Jesus here, but there is no story of the cross and resurrection. Generally, because it is a children’s bible it sanitizes some of the stories anyway, but I kind of wish this story was in here as the greatest example of God helping us. Other than that, I found this book a great addition to our kid’s library and a great way to get the truth of God’s word in them. Each of the stories have Bible references listed so you can link the tales here with the actually biblical account.

Thank you to Kregel for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

My full review is here: http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2013/07/20/bible-stories-painting-book-2-a-ki...

This was a fun, relatively mess free activity for kids and I recommend it.

The Day by Day Bible by Juliet David comes in the form of a book and a calendar. Both books are beautiful. Especially nice is the stand up calendar. The calendar covers three hundred sixty-five days. The calendar is lightweight. There is printed material on both sides of the page. The small book covers forty days of the year. The book is about Jesus' time here on earth. The calendar covers the New and Old Testament.

In the book, there are wonderful titles for the story. For example, there is '"Cousin John"' and '"A Boy's Lunch."' In the margins, there are scriptures for the small stories. There is also a paraphrase of what is happening or what is important to remember.

The calendar illustrations are brightly colored and creatively put together. Even a snake looks magical while the flies for the plague are slightly spooky and the Leprosy painting in the calendar might deserve more explanation to the child or at least, a warning about the spots on the man's face. After all, who knows what can spook a child?

I did feel a bit uncomfortable with the packaging. The book and calendar came separately in the mail. I suppose the separation gives the buyer the chance to make a choice whether he/she should buy the book or calendar.

However, the material is beautiful and perfect for a holiday gift or an any day present. Both are presented by Candle. These materials are a fun way to get a child involved with loving Bible stories and learning about the people in the Bible. There are questions in the small book's margins also. I applaud the artist, Jane Heyes, for the illustrations.

What a great design and presentation style for this children's 365-day Bible story book. Bible verses rephrased and explained in short format tell the story just as though you were reading "through the Bible in a year" style. The difference? It is in child-format for easy understanding and in a desk or table top style that can remain standing throughout the year.

The child can pick it up and easily flip through to re-read the stories. This is another example of the fine quality and dependable Bible story books from Candle that are authentic.

The illustrations are vivid with a sense of realism and yet have a slight modern or abstract feel to them. Children will love them. I just love Noah on the cover with the two zebras.

I can easily and heartily recommend this for your child or to gift to another during this special season.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies from Kregel Publishing on behalf of Candle and Lion Hudson to facilitate this review of my own opinions.

Such a treasure of a little book. Comprised of 40 stories about Jesus from His conception to his ascension. Each page is designated for a day - Day 1, Day 2..... Day 40. Each day has a side bar with a verse.. "All who heard Jesus were amazed at his understanding and his answers." Then there is a "thought" question... "What did Jesus' answer to Mary mean?" On the page there is a picture illustrating the simply told story....
Nobody seemed to have seen Jesus since they had left Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph felt worried. "We need to go back," said Joseph. So back they went to Jerusalem..........
This little book will make a great story book for the child to tuck away in his treasured spot or in a backpack to travel (or just ride in the car about town).

While varied versions of the Bible are used for the Scripture text, the meat of the story is present. It is wise to always remember that these are Bible story books prepared to be entry level studies for the young child. I love how this book ends....

Then a cloud took Jesus away,
Suddenly, two angels appeared.
"Why are you staring at the sky?" asked the angels.
"Jesus is with God in heaven. One day he will return. Now do as Jesus told you."

A clear message that Jesus is with God in heaven and He will return to us. Also, a clear admonition to do as Jesus has told us.

I highly recommend the Candle Day by Day Walk with Jesus as it will give the child the opportunity to walk with Jesus throughout his Earthly ministry.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate a review.

A forty-day walk with Jesus, beautifully illustrated and ready to share with your family. A concise and quick way to share his life, as you open the book there are drawing and a few sentences to go with the picture, and on the side is the Day you are on. Next there is a short verse and then a note to let you know the gist of the reading.
We use ours in the evening just before bed, what better way to share our love of the Lord with our family.
I received this book through Kregel Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

The Day by Day Bible is a beautifully illustrated calendar that you will want on you dining table to share a daily bible message with you children. First you are going to find the bright colors drawing their eyes to the pages as you read the few sentences that begin the story and continue with Gods messages for each day.
What a great way to begin you day, and mine sure don’t let me forget to change the page. Makes a great gift for your loved ones.
I received this from Kregel Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

Getting the little ones to sit still while we share God's Word with them can be daunting at times. So we resort to imparting God's truth to them with various tools. These can either be too dense and wordy or either too short and trite.

With the My Toddler Bible I found that the size of the book is just right for toddler's hands. The illustrations clear, bright, and enticing to the young child. Now the meat of the book is really what it says or the truth it imparts, isn't it? Well, Juliet David again does a fabulous job of giving enough, well worded text that the story is told with enough detail to gain the attention of that little listener and yet not bore them.

The clincher is this..... at the end of each little story, the truth of the story is effortlessly stated so that not only is it "story-time" but it is also "truth-in-learning" time. Wonderful!

For example: with the story of the lost sheep, the last lines are...

How pleased the shepherd was that he'd found his lost sheep again. God is happy too, when Jesus finds lost people and they return to Him.

And the parable of Sowing the Seeds....

Jesus explained this story to his friends. "Sowing the seeds is link sowing God's message," Jesus said. "Some falls on the path, or on rocky ground. People get excited by God's message - but soon they give up. But some falls on good soil. People hear God's message, and keep it in their heart.

The stories are separated into Old Testament and New Testament and follow the same sequence in which they would be found in the regular version of the Bible. Each of the 20 stories is several pages long with several lines of text and a picture on each page. The text flows effortlessly in "story-time" style.

An ideal little book for toddlers and one that they will fall in love with and ask repeatedly for "Bible Time." The toddler probably will still love this book when they begin reading on their own. And families with several children will find that this is a great way for the older children to read to the young ones.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Kregel on behalf of the author and Lion Hudson publishing to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated.

This is a really cute book for younger children. Written from Miriam, the cow's, perspective. She is just bedding down for a good night's rest on a cold evening when she hears a Tap Tap Tap at the door. A family of rabbits is looking for a warm place to stay. Finally getting re-settled, she hears a Rat Tat Tat noise. The cutest fox is also looking for a warm place to snuggle up for the night. (This part was kind of funny because he says "Ruff - Ruff" and my daughter was reading it and she gives me this look and starts laughing. "Foxes don't say Ruff Ruff", she said. "Dogs do!" Actually, according to a google search, foxes do sound a bit like dogs with more of a yip.) Eventually, some special visitors show up. Being this is a Christmas season book, I bet you can guess who they were.

The illustrations in this book are colorful and beautiful. The story is short and sweet. It doesn't ever really name the mother and father or the baby, but if you know the Christmas story, you get the gist of who they are. It's a night not just Miriam but the kids will remember forever.

I received this book from Kregel blog tours in exchange for my honest review.

The Midnight Visitors is a beautifully illustrated hard covered book perfect for little hands. They will be drawn to the book by looking at its cover, and pointing to all of the visitors at the manger.
Miriam is the cow in this story and this is her manger, and she doesn’t seem to be getting much sleep this evening, everyone needs a place out of the cold. Thus her home becomes the setting for our Savior’s birth.
A perfect book for this time of the year, and a treasure to keep from year to year, get ready to share with your little ones.
I received this book through Kregel Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.

99 Prayers for Children is a wonderful compilation of prayers for children. It is beautifully illustrated with bright colors and scenes. The prayers are short, direct and simple yet eloquent and engaging. This book will provide a wonderful resource for parents and children as they learn to pray and develop a relationship with God. 99 Prayers for Children would make a fabulous gift this holiday season!

Thank you to Kregel Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book teaches children that there are many reasons to turn to God whether it's to Thank Him for a new day, Pray for a friend or because we have a need to bring to Him. It helps them learn the words of Praise and Petition and gives them a guideline for prayer making this an ideal book for children. I do like that the book ends with - Read the rest of my review @ http://givingnsharing.blogspot.com/2015/10/99-prayers-for-children.html

99 Prayers for Children as soon as you pick it up you see the beautifully illustrated book, and it makes you want to turn the pages. There are Prayers for every day, Prayers for special days, Graces, Blessings, Praises.
The prayers are geared for children, but found myself shaking my head yes, for they touched all.
Example: God made the sun, and God made the trees, God made the mountains, and God made me.
The rainbow high above us so beautiful and free. When we look up it’s God’s love we see.
So very true, and that is exactly how we feel, how I want my children to appreciate what God has given us.
This sweet book has been used every day since it arrived, and will continue to be!
I received this book through Kregel’s Blogger Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.

(ARC was provided to read and review.)

Miriam is tired and happy to be in her cosy cowshed, as outside it's cold and dark. When she tries to drift off to sleep, there's a knock on the door. It's the rabbit family and they ask politely, if they can sleep in the friendly cow's barn. It's fine with Miriam, because she isn't too keen to be all on her own.
Soon they are all settled again and start to doze off, but someone else is at the door. It's Freddy Fox and he wants to sleep in Miriam's barn, too. "Absolutely no hunting in my barn." Miriam is adamant. An agreement is found and Freddy is let in.
Still, the disturbances keep coming. Now, it's the innkeeper with a young couple. The wife is heavily pregnant and they are obviously looking for a place to stay overnight.
Perhaps now they can all get some sleep and Miriam nods off. Suddenly she wakes with a start, as she thinks, she hears a baby crying.
A baby? In her barn? And where does this most beautiful singing come from? And now there are shepherds at the door.
Will this ever turn into a Silent Night for Miriam?

The Midnight Visitors tells us the Holy Night from the cow's POV and it's done perfectly in the most charming and enjoyable way. Jo Parry's adoreable colourful illustrations enhance the story beautifully. My favourite is the cute owl which is often in the background, a real hoot.
I'm also a fan of all the different sounds in the text, Moo and Ruff and to Whit to Whoo and many more. Perfect to engage the young reader and young children will love it.
The whole story creates a warm and peaceful atmosphere, which makes it highly suitable for a bedtime read, not just on Christmas Eve.
Highly recommended.

Your young ones are in for a real treat with these brightly colored dominoes. The play begins with the youngest going first by place one of their tiles face up in the middle of the group. The play then continues around the table with matching either the number or the color, with the first child to lay down all of their tiles, or having the fewest left, becoming the winner.
The pictures on the blocks all depict something to do with the bible that a youngster would understand, such as the ark and animals.
The game is geared for youngsters three and up and two to four players can play. What a great treat for the younger hands and to have a game they can easily understand. The game also helps with their matching and number skills.
I gave this game 5 stars as I’m always looking for a game for my younger ones that they can enjoy and learn from.
I received this game from the Publisher Kregel, and was not required to give a positive review.

I read 99 stories from the bible, in exchange for honest review from Kregel Blog Tours.

I wanted to review the book for my sons and great niece. Every now and then, I choose a book, which would be perfect for them, versus me. Nothing is more perfect than a book of bible stories.

The stories in the book are one to two pages each. The stories are presented in a simple manner. 99 stories starts with The Creation and ends with the future return of Christ. The book also discusses the crucifixion without being too graphic. Jesus was sent to die. Nothing more, nothing less. Two pages later, Jesus died. 1 page later, Jesus was buried. At the end, Jesus will return one day.

Finally, the book is padded,which means my youngest can't rip the cover off.

When I pick up a book designed for a young child, the first thing that I inspect is the size, heft, and art work. A child should be able to hold the book themselves and it should not be too heavy for their young hands and arms to comfortably hold. The art should be engaging and appealing to the young child and this is the way I see the illustrations of Elina Ellis. When I received 99 Stories From the Bible, I saw immediately that the children for which it is written will be able to comfortably hold and carry around this sweet book.

The art work is soft will pastel colors dominating. The illustrations are detailed without being so complex that a young child can not try to "copy" with his/her own crayons. The stories each cover a two-page spread and are short and concise hitting the primary point in the story. The type set is large enough for a young reader to be able to read to younger siblings. This will make a very nice addition to the home library for those night time read-aloud story times. The language used in the stories is appropriate for conveying to the young child the main point of the story. Study, hardcover binding with thick pages will enhance the life of this book.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of 99 Stories From the Bible from Kregel in exchange for an honest review which I have done. Opinions expressed are solely my own. No compensation was received for this review.

I am always on looking for quality children’s Bible Story books. Not only for my grandchildren and to use in church nursery, but also I think they are one of the best baby gifts you can give. There are many qualities I look for in a book and this has all of them and a few extra.
One is well made and sturdy to hold up to little hands touching and handling, not only for the present, but for years to come. Some of my children’s Bible story books were passed down to their children. 99 stories from the Bible is both. It is a well-made book and a good value.
Secondly, for the book to be enjoyed and hold the child’s attention, it has to be very colorful with quality illustrations. This book also checks both of those boxes. The characters are not only cute but entertaining. Their bulbous noses and tiny eyes are different than most illustrations in this type of book and bring a fun factor into the pictures.
Most Bible story books have just a few stories, but I was impressed this one had 99! Even though it contained so many it was not big and cumbersome. The Old and New Testament stories are just one to two pages each, just enough for little minds to grasp. While the stories may be short they do an excellent job to sharing the very basic facts of the biblical accounts.
While this is for preschool age children, as they grow older it would be a wonderful learning to read Bible story book for the beginning reader. How proud they would be at their accomplishment and it would be yet another way to instill God’s Word in their hearts. This would be a great baby gift (one for grandparents too), birthday gift, and to keep in the church nursery.
I received this book free from the publisher Kregel Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

A perfect book of bible stories for young children. First their eyes will take in the beautiful illustrations and bright colors. The stories start with the old testament and follow on through the new testament.
The stories are geared to a young ones attention span, and are short, but to the point. The pictures that go along with each story, compliment really well. I can just picture the little ones pointing to each of them. Noah's Ark is a good example, the picture shows them two by two, and a male and female. Then the next story is the boat afloat, and the cut animals are peeking out the windows.
What a wonderful gift this book will make, or a Grandparent can use to treasure a few minutes with a loved one.

I received this book through Kregel Publications, and was not required to give a positive review.