Children's Book Review-Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf

About the book (provided by ebooks for Review)

Gertrude the goat and Toby the tortoise are going fishing at Trout Lake for their Friday adventure. While at the lake, they see a little boy being dragged off by a hungry wolf! They follow the wolf and rescue the little boy, but the wolf doesn't give up. He goes after them, determined to get his lunch back!

And I thought...

Gertrude and Toby meet the Wolf is the 3rd book in the 

Fairy Tale Adventure Series. 

It's a delightful retelling of  The Three Little Pigs story with a modern twist.

All the characters including Gertrude and Toby are delightfully illustrated by Jim Heath.  

The story begins with Gertrude and Toby making plans to spend the day at the lake fishing. Their plans go awry when the wolf 

stalks a little boy when he can't find the 3 pigs.  Gertrude and 

Toby comes to the rescue and saves the day for everyone.  

This was a cute and fun story.  

Parents of younger children may wish to preview.   

I receive an e version of the book so I can't make comment 

as to the paper back or hard copy version. 

Based on other books I've seen and read as a preschool teacher I would be likely to buy the hard cover copy and read the story to my grandchildren.  

I received a complimentary copy from EBooks for review.

This review will be posted on Amazon and Good Reads.

Available

Amazon

Cold -Case Christianity For Kids-Review-Spotlight

Starting with .  . . This book received  resounding applause and
  huge thumbs up!  I wish I had this book when our 16 year old grandson was younger!  Just the title gets the young reader interested!
Here's what the book is about (provided by Litfuse)...
In Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, detective J. Warner Wallace draws readers into the thrill of high-stakes investigation by showing them how to think rather than telling them what to think. In this children’s companion to the bestselling Cold-Case Christianity, detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity. Includes author illustrations and links to a website where kids can download activities, fill in case notes, and earn a certificate of merit.

Here's a little peek inside . . . 

There are a lot of  illustrations one on every page!   And they are great!  It reads a little like a comic book in that there are so many illustrations.  

I liked the Detective Definitions in the boxes on the margins.  The definitions contained great resources. The CSI Assignments made the book interactive with activities leading the reader to additional scripture and causing him/her to think about they are reading and learning. 

I did feel though that an additional journal or work book might be effective.  Although I think the 

Definitions, CSI Assignments and The Detective Bag are great additions I felt the printing was too 

small.  There are questions and the area where the reader is to write is way too small for a young reader to fill in the blanks. 

There are down loadable questions available but I would be more interested in a printed journal or 

workbook. 

At the end of the book is a certificate of achievement.  I thought this was great.  My 8 year old grandson will love receiving the certificate!  

This was an excellent book that I recommend for everyone! 

Parents, homeschooling parents, and church leaders.  Great gift item!

I received a complimentary copy from Litfuse. 

This review is posted on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBC and Goodreads.

God Made You Just Right--Children's Book Review

                                                              
About the book (from Amazon)...
A bright and cheerful reminder that God made each of us special and unique

Here is a message that every parent will want to share with his or her child: You're brilliantly created and there s no one else like you! With easy-to-understand descriptions and simple, rhyming text, Jill Roman Lord shares the message that God created each of us in just the right way in a manner that even the youngest child will understand. Bright and engaging illustrations from Amy Wummer pair perfectly with the text and enhance the appeal of the book. Ages 2-5.

And I thought ...
What a precious little book filled with God's plan and promises for each child.  It's a small little toddlers board book.  An excellent introduction to God's love and promises for the toddler.   

Parents will love reading this little book to their children. 

The illustrations by Amy Wummer are delightful depicting children baking cookies, building sandcastles, running and jumping and playing.  

I love that the story is based on Jeremiah 29:11 and is printed on the last page.  Giving parents an opportunity to share this verse with their toddler over and over every time they read the book. What a great verse to be the first verse a child learns!

I recommend this book for parents, grandparents and teachers.  Its a great book for a church nursery or toddler classroom.  

5 big 'ole stars are 'Just Right' for God Made You Just Right!  You won't be disappointed.  

A complimentary copy from Worthy Publishing was offered to me in exchange for my honest review. 

This review will be posted at My Journey Back  Good Reads. 
And the following retailers . . . 
Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CBC.  

The Beginning Reader's Bible

 can't wait till my  is  to read to and then to read this on his ow

he darling cover illustration 

The darling cover illustration is the invitation to more wonderful stories from the Old and New Testament.

In addition to the Old and New Testament stories is a special section in the back titled:
Resources to Guide Your Children... a few of the included resources are The 23 Psalm,  The Ten Commandments, The Lord's Prayer, Songs about Jesus and a Prayer of Salvation.    A selection of verses from the Old and New Testament to memorize and a chart for recording.  

The back cover explains a little more of the features:

"Remember God's Word" memory verses for every story, so kids can hide Scripture in their hearts

"Do God's Word" fun activities to help kids learn to live the Word

Pray God's Word short, meaningful prayers that teach boys and girls how to communicate with God

Only one negative that I have to say is I think maybe the title is a little bit confusing. I think a better tittle would have been A Young Reader's Bible. Because, I was thinking Kindergarten, 1st grade age.

 But, I think it is really more geared to 2 or 3rd graders maybe even 4th graders. The font is a little small I think for a beginning reader.

Would this particular negative (in my opinion) keep me from purchasing this book. Absolutely not. I think it is wonderfully put together and recommend it for anyone. It would make a great  gift for your child.

Thank you BookSneeze for allowing us the opportunity to review this Bible.  It has become a favorite in our family and deserves . . . 

       A huge thumbs up! And 5 Stars!

I also think that it is a good value. You can purchase at CBC  (The best value )Amazon, Barnes and Noble

This Bible was originally reviewed and posted in 2011 on my previous book review blog.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.

n to more Resources to Guide Your Children... a few of the included resources are The Ten Commandments, The 23 Psalm, The Lord's Prayer Songs about Jesus and a Prayer of Salvation. 

The back cover explains a little more of the features:

"Remember God's Word" memory verses for every story, so kids can hide Scripture in their hearts

"Do God's Word" fun activities to help kids learn to live the Word

Pray God's Word short, meaningful prayers that teach boys and girls how to communicate with God

Only one negative that I have to say is I think maybe the title is a little bit confusing. I thi

That's Not Hay In My Hair--Juliette Turner-Book Review

        
I was more than surprised.  I was offered this book by BookLook.  I didn't read anything about it before I downloaded the E book to my phone.

I wish I had received the print copy!  It took me a few days to read because I was reading it on my phone.
But I really enjoyed it.

Here's what it's about . . . (Resource provided by BookLook)

New York City life had crammed sidewalks, gasoline-filled puddles, and angry taxi drivers, but Juliette enjoyed the towering sky-scrapers, the half-block walk to school, and the restaurant smells wafting into her bedroom. She had never cared for a horse, let alone a long-horn, when her mother announced their imminent move to a 300 acre ranch in Texas, where they would be caring for three horses, five dogs, twenty-five longhorns, and a cat … all by themselves.

Juliette couldn’t help feeling excited, even though she’d have to climb a hill to get a bar of cell-phone service. Soon she was running from bats and snakes, rescuing a calf from a twenty-foot ditch, medicating ponies, and having adventures so crazy it’s hard to believe they’re for real—but it all happened exactly how it’s written.

Get ready for side-splitting laughs, heart-wrenching tears, and surprising life lessons learned down on the farm and shared by fourteen-year-old Juliette Turner.

And I thought . . .  I didn't know what to expect.  I wasn't totally sure who the intended audience was.  I just read the book and enjoyed it.  

The characters were funny and heartwarming.  The stories Juliette tells about  the things that happen to her are  were funny.  I could tell that the writer knew what she was talking about when she described working with the animals.  There was a lot of detail that would be interesting (in my opinion) for readers that know nothing about ranching and horses.   The detail was 'spot on' and made the story interesting for me.   That attention to detail impressed me.

Jules the main character was young.  Going into the 6th grade moving from New York City and an all girls private school to a Christian school in Texas.   Jules shares her thoughts and feelings about all the changes going on in her life with a humorous enthusiasm.  

I did think that Jules really didn't talk like a 13 year old.  Her character could have easily been 17 or 18.  The things she did and her attitude toward her mother and grandparents was very mature.  The way she worked around the barn and took care of things was very mature.  

This was a fun story and I recommend it to all ages.  I do think that the intended audience of 8-12 is a bit young.  My two 8 year old grand children (a boy and a girl) who are both little horse people themselves would probably not be too interested.  They would probably really enjoy the story so I could see the book would be good for a family to read together for younger children.  

I don't want to give the story away.  The ending might be a little intense for younger readers. Especially those with no ranching experience.

There are a lot of interesting situations that Jules and her mother get into while managing the ranch.   The situations  are real and true things that could happen on a ranch.  A little of how they handled things like being late to school because of something that happened at the ranch was a little bit crazy.  I couldn't help but feel that Jules mom needed to help her daughter learn to be a little more organized.  But I didn't see that Emily her mom was real organized.  She was a little scatter brained. 

I was a little uncertain how I wanted to rate this book.  Because of it's intended audience and because I wasn't really sure that a young child would be able to understand a lot of the story.

I was leaning toward a 3 1/2 to 4 stars for that reason because I felt like a mature writer would have woven the things that happened to Jules into a story that was a bit smoother.

But, I investigated the writer and what I found really impressed me.  The author Julliete Turner is teenager herself.  For more information about the author visit her Facebook  and her website

  I enjoyed this book and give it a rating of 4 1/2 stars.  

I received a complimentary Ecopy of That's Not Hay In My Hair from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.     

This review is posted on Good Reads and the following retail sites.  To read additional reviews or purchase visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Christian Book (dot)Com

My Little Prayers--Children's Book

Please welcome my first guest reviewer . . .
                                       
Isn't that a sweet look of concentration.  He slowly and methodically read this entire little book.
And gave it a thumbs up!

The illustrated cover by Diane LeFeyer is welcoming . . .

The inside is sweet and precious.  A perfect little book to share with children of any age.  Seriously even a teenager would enjoying reading to a younger child. And might just bring back some sweet and pleasant memories.

Inside you'll find 8 sections filled with prayers.  Sweet pictures.  And scripture.
Section Titles include: My Day, My Mealtime, My Bedtime, My Family and Friends, My Feelings,
My Special Days and my favorite My Time With God.

From the back cover . . .
Help your children discover the power of prayer from an early age.  My Little Prayers introduces classic and modern prayers you can share with your little ones.
With it's compact size, this book is the perfect format for the small hands of toddlers and preschoolers.

I received a complimentary copy from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.
BookLook provided additional information . . .

The bestselling My Little® series, with more than 2 million copies sold, is a compact collection of books that will have a big impact on the hearts of your children. My Little Prayers will help you introduce your children to prayer.

My Little Prayers teaches children both classic and modern prayers surrounding subjects such as mealtimes, bedtime, playtime, time with God, and others as well as prayer for times when children are fearful, happy, or sad. New illustrations in the same perfect format for the small hands of your toddlers and preschoolers make My Little Prayers a wonderful gift for a variety of occasions, and it is just the right size to tuck into a birthday gift bag or Easter basket.

Children will learn a big lesson from this little book: that we can talk to God any time we want and that He always listens.

My additional thoughts . . . Although I enjoyed this sweet little book there are a few things that I would consider before purchasing.  

I am a lover of books.  I have lots of books.  I don't turn down pages in my books.   I try hard to keep them in excellent condition so they can be enjoyed. 

With that said the construction of this book is not one that I would buy for a toddler or preschool child as the publisher suggests.   I would definately buy and read to a very young child.  My 8 year old grandson is old enough to understand the importance of taking care of a book.   Although he gave it a thumbs up this book is not written or intended for 8 year olds.

I wish that the publisher had the fore thought to produce a board book type book in addition to the regular copy.  Although the cover is easily cleaned and soft for little hands.  The pages tear very easily.  

The book is small and compact and a very good value.  Which gets my 5 stars for value for sure.  

I would more likely buy as a gift for a new parent if a board book was available.  

Over all I recommend this book  and it does warrant 5 stars and a 'thumbs up'

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.  

This book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Christian Book(d0t)click on the bold type for a direct link to purchase or read additional reviews.  This review is also posted at the above retailers.  

This review will be linked with the following blog parties:                                                                The Art of Homemaking, Book Nook at Create with Joy, Imparting Grace Weekend Party  Blue Monday and Share My Cup

Butterfly by Elvy P. Rolle

                   

Rated by my 8 year old grandson . . .
4 1/2 stars!

He did enjoy this book.   I watched him reading the pages with 
a concentrated look on his face as he looked at the pictures. 

The illustrations were lovely.  

It's a sweet and fun little story.  At the end there is a chart with all the names of the Butterflies.  The child is directed to go back to a certain page and find the butterfly.  

My grandson had a good time searching out each one.  

My thoughts . . . 
As a preschool teacher I enjoy books like this for my class room. 
This was a very class room friendly story.  

The copy I received however was not a book that I would suggest for a 3 year old room which is what is suggested.  3 years and up.

I would however suggest this as a board book for children.  
The pages in the paper back copy would easily be torn by a young child.  

The story is written for a young child.  (Not an 8 year old) 

The illustrations are lovely.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author
in exchange for my honest review.  

This book is available at Amazon and Book Launch.
There is a preview at Amazon.  

Dingle A Children's Book-Review

 Book Review

Doesn't the cover just get you? I have to give a 5+ for the drawings. The illustrations are happy and colorful. I mean just look at Dingle's face. I enjoyed reading this little story about a dog that is aware of his owners needs. Reminds me of Mr. Ed because he can talk too. Dingle's story is about his desire to help his owner who isn't so sure she needs a service dog. This is a great little story book. I received the paperback version but there is a hardback version available. Dingle is such a special dog he has his own website here. 

He does allow his author friend to tell a little about herself....Hello, I'm Audrey Kinsella, author of Dingle: The Helpful Ice Cream Cone Delivery Dog.This is my first children's book, though I'm a long-time writer and medical research librarian, who has written many helpful health care articles and books on telecommunications, the elderly, and the disabled in the last 20 years. I've become progressively disabled with multiple sclerosis (MS) during these years and have learned, with great difficulty, how to accept help from people and from caring animals. It's time to share that experience with others who are just as resistant to accepting any help or support.I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a great book to read as a family and discuss the obstacles that hinder people that have disabilities. Dingle The Ice Cream Cone Delivery Dog is available at Amazon and Borders. This book was provided for review by the author.

Toto's Tale-Children's Book Review

                                                                      
Repost.  My original post is here.

The trailer was just too cute!

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From the back of the book:

Everyone knows how Dorothy and Toto save Oz from the Wicked Witch of West...or do they?
How will Dorothy survive in a land filled with haunted bags of straw, hollow metal menandgiant smelly cats?How will she fight off killer bees, mad wolves and really annoying monkeys?How will she defeat a witch with mind controland an all-seeing eye?And how will Dorothy ever find the way home?
The simple truth is that she won’t, at least not alone. Of course, she’s not alone –she has Toto, her best friend.That is, Toto used to be her best friend. But in Oz, Dorothy spends more time talking to a cat than to her. And Toto finds new friends, too. Maybe, he should just bring his wolf friends back to Kansas instead…

. . . Would any self-respecting dog allow himself to be carried in a basket? 

Absolutely, as long as Dorothy put food in it first!

This is really a cute book. It is a childrens book and probably a few adults would enjoy it. It is on my list to buy for my daughter in law to read to the grand kids. I know they would enjoy it!

It's on sale right now at Amazon.