My Jellybean Prayer Book by Diane Darr

My Jellybean Prayer Book was written by Diane Darr and illustrated by Reinbrook Studio. It was published in 2002 by CTA. It is an easy reader and it 14 pages long.
The illustrations are very colorful drawings with lots of jellybeans on each page. Each illustration contains a hidden jellybean. These colors get the point of the text across, because the jellybeans are brighter than the rest of the picture.
There are six jellybeans that the staff at CTA has chosen: speckled is sin, red is Jesus’ blood, blue is baptism, white is forgiveness, green is growing in faith, and yellow is the promise of heaven. Each jellybean gets its own story, prayer, and biblical text.
My 2-year-old enjoys the story and my 4-year-old enjoys the Biblical story. The 4-year-old especially likes the red jellybean, because Jesus died for our sins. This is an excellent story for encouraging children about Jesus.

Veggie Tales: Dave and the Giant Pickle by Phil Vischer

Big Ideas, Veggie Tales: Dave and the Giant Pickle was written by Phil Vischer and the art direction was by Ron Eddy. It was produced in 1998 by Big Idea Productions Inc. and is 30 pages. This book is a lesson in self-esteem and is an easy reader.
This book is a fun version of David and Goliath taken from the animated show. Children will enjoy this version, because of the child friendly sentence structure and word usage. The funniest part of the story is when Dave and his brother’s speak of Dave having to pick up the sheep that tip over all the time.
The important part of this story is that Dave knows that God is on the Israelites side and that he has nothing to fear. Dave shows us that everybody can fight for God and we just need to believe in God and ourselves.
The illustrations are still drawings from the movie of many of the regular Veggie Tales characters. The colors are very vivid.
My 4-year-old enjoys this story very much. His favorite is Goliath, the giant pickle.

Coleslaw

Coleslaw

3 cups shredded cabbage (packed tightly)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together and chill for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

The Double Dabble Surprise by Beverly Lewis

The Double Dabble Surprise, was written by Beverly Lewis and copyrighted in 1993. This 65 page book of the Cul-de-sac Kids series was published by Bethany House and is for girls and boys ages 7-10. The point-of-view for this Christian fiction book is a girl’s.

Abby and Carly Hunter were all set to get two Korean sisters and instead two boys arrived. The Hunter family then had to decide if they wanted to adopt Sung Jin and Choon Koo or to file adoption papers again to get the girls. Abby and Carly were both very disappointed when Sung Jin and Choon Koo arrived. Abby knew she had to pray to God to help her decide what to do about the boys. She decided to introduce the boys to her friends, teach them about God and Thanksgiving. In the week the boys are there Abby learns to enjoy their company. Her last great idea is to get a dog for Sung Jin, similar to the one he used to have, when the family tells the boys they are going to be adopted. For Abby to agree to adopt the boys she needed to learn about boys being just as good as girls and that God was providing them with who they needed.

Beverly Lewis lives in Colorado with her family and has written many books and short stories. The Cul-de-sac Kids remind her of her friends when she was younger. Barbara Birch illustrated the book realistically, which goes well with the clear plot line and characters.

The issue that readers deal with in The Double Dabble Surprise is acceptance. The experience may not be what we want it to be, but it might be what God wants to help us become stronger.

I liked how Abby prays when she needs to decide what she thinks about the boys living there. She is depending on God to help her. I also liked it when she got the dog for Sung Jin.

This paperback book is a nice size for holding and was printed in a large dark font. I would recommend this book if someone would like to learn about acceptance and a fun book to read.

Jess and the Fireplug Caper by Elaine Shulte

Jess and the Fireplug Caper was copyrighted in 1992 by author Elaine Shulte. This Christian fiction book was published by Bethany House Publishers and is 128 pages long. It is part of the Twelve Candles Club series and is for girls 8-12.

Somebody is robbing houses in Santa Rosita Estates and calling Jess on the phone making growling noises. A teen was robbing the houses and Jess’s brother Jordan was the one making the phone calls. Whenever there is a robbery in the neighborhood there is an old blue van. Jess’s mom begins a neighborhood watch. The girls of the Twelve Candles Club; Jess, Becky, Cara and Tricia are always watching as they go out on their different jobs. It is not until the very end when the burglar comes into Jess’s bedroom, when all the girls are there, that they are able to stop him. They are able to stop the burglar from stealing and as the burglar runs downs the street the entire neighborhood runs after him. He stops and gives up and the police arrest him. Throughout this book, Jess, her dad, and Jordan learn more about God and the strength he can give us. Jess needed that strength when she knocks over the burglar. Jess and Jordan learned about how we need to forgive and ask for forgiveness whether it is from our friends and family or our enemies.

Elaine Shulte, who has written over 25 novels, did an excellent job with her characters and the description. I could see the girls dressed in their clown costumes. The flow was so good I just wanted to keep reading.

There are two themes that arise in this book. The first one is forgiveness and the other is that in Christ we get strength and all things are possible. This book can help us realize that when we have Christ on our side and in our hearts we can do anything.

I liked how Becky and Tricia are always talking about God without being forcing Cara and Jess. I did not like how Jess’s mom was so negative against her father when he decided that it was time to start saying grace before eating.

This paperback book has dark print, which always encourages me to continue reading. I would recommend this book, because we need to be reminded about forgiveness and the strength we can find in Christ.

My Little Golden Book about God

My Little Golden Book about God by Jane Werner Watson and illustrated by Eloise Wilkin is a very good book to begin to teach young children about God. It was copyrighted in 1984, has 22 pages and was published by Random House, Inc.
There are three main themes that are discussed in this book, God is good, God is great and God is love. It also talks about how God gives us what we need, helps us know what is right from wrong, he is in our hearts and keeps us safe.
The illustrations are very wholesome and I believe that they can make parents and grandparents remember the book from when they were younger. The children listening to the story can relate because the pictures are drawn from a child’s point of view. I thought the animals were drawn the best.
This book is a favorite of both my two-year-old and my four-year-old who love any chance to learn about God.

All time favorite sugar cookie

All Time Favorite Sugar Cookie

3 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Cut 1 cup shortening into the dry ingredients
In another bowl beat 2 eggs
Add:
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add to the dry ingredients and mix. Chill. Roll out and cut out. Bake for 375° for about 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully so they are just nicely browned.

The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens

The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens was published in 1995 by Wordsworth Editions Ltd. This edition has 120 pages and is a middle school reading level.
This story was written by Charles Dickens in 1849 for his children. It was first published in 1935 in serial form.
This book is the story of the life of Jesus from about 6/5 B.C. to 30 A.D. This story takes place in many places including Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and River Jordan. Charles Dickens shows us that through Jesus’ miracles and teachings that he was God and we can be more like him so we can go to heaven.
I liked this edition because the paper used was made mostly by using hydroelectricity and there was no chlorine added. There are a couple of pages included in the book that shows Charles Dickens’ handwriting. There is not much text on each page, so it makes it easier to read.
I thought the parables were well written and I gained a new understanding of many of them. It was interesting reading Charles Dickens own view points, it helped me learn what it was that was important for Charles Dickens’ children. I did not think it was proper to have the Jewish Sabbath on Sunday, because it is Friday night to Saturday night.
This book was an easy read that made me want to read and learn more about Jesus.

Tomorrow is the day!!!!

Tomorrow will be the day when the new site for reviews of Christian children's books begin. I hope you join me for the excitement. Thank you.