Book Review :: Really Woolly Easter Blessings by Bonnie Rickner Jensen, illustrated by Donna Chapman

Really Woolly Easter Blessings is a cute, padded hardcover board book for little ones.

Each of the 19 entries in Really Woolly Easter Blessings is  featured on an illustrated two-page spread. A Bible verse accompanies the poem/prayer on the left-hand page, and there is a little follow-up message to God on the right-hand page (along with the "bulk" of the illustration). Each of the poems about the various blessings are written in rhyme. 

I love the simple reminder that Really Woolly Easter Blessings gives - to remember that springtime comes with many blessings, all because of our risen King, Jesus. This is a sweet book to share with little ones.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: The Shepherd and the Sheep

The Shepherd and the Sheep is a book that has its basis in the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18), but with a unique twist on where the sheep might be hiding. 

The Shepherd and the Sheep is a hardcover book with lift-the-flap pages. (The flaps are not portions of the page that are cut to reveal something below, but more like extra long pages that have been folded over to fit within the cover dimensions.) The pages are thick and sturdy, a must for lift-the-flap books.

The book offers 5 flaps, with each flap referencing a Bible passage. On two of the pages (where the shepherd is still looking for the sheep), there are references to other parables from Luke 5 (a boat full of fish and a house full of people). I like this unique spin on the lost sheep story as it gives you more to talk about with your little ones.

The Shepherd and the Sheep is a very short, simple book (only 5 page openings), but is one we have enjoyed reading over and over.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through a book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: NIrV Kids' Quest Study Bible

The NIrV Kids' Quest Study Bible is a hardcover study Bible for kids. 

At the front of the NIrV Kids' Quest Study Bible is a presentation page, "Table of Contents", "Books of the Bible Alphabetically", "Introduction to This Bible", and "A Word About the NIrV". The text of the NIrV Kids' Devotional Bible is laid out in two columns per page, with blue text (including the words of Christ) and orange headings. This is the NIrV version of the Bible (© 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014). 

Each book of the Bible is preceded by an introduction (telling basics like: who wrote it, why, what happens, what can be learned about God, important figures, when did it happen, etc.). At the end of many books of the Bible is a "Quest Challenge" (a real life challenge to live as God desires) and/or a "Quest Clue" (a clue of where to look in the Bible for more information about a given topic). At the back of the NIrV Kids' Devotional Bible is a 10-page Dictionary and a 4-page Topical Index (referencing the topics discussed in the "Kids' Questions" sections).

Throughout the Bible (at the bottom of the pages) are questions from kids and answers (from the Questions Children Ask About God series), featuring little cartoon illustrations. There are references to a main verse to check out (found on the page where the question is) as well as related verses (from elsewhere in the Bible). The answers to the questions are short, to-the-point, and informative. Not all questions are directly from the text (ex: "Why Are Nuclear Weapons Even Around?"is asked and answered in Daniel 9), but those are the exception, not the rule.

I found the NIrV Kids' Devotional Bible to be informative and a great start in how to study the Bible for kids.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Adventures in Bible art & journaling :: Everywhere that man can be...God is present there

The idea for the art on this Bible page was prompted by the song, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God". 

Too often I just go about my day with my mind on my tasks and getting distracted by situations that arise, but I want to intentionally focus on this idea that God is always with us...everywhere...in every situation...all the time.

{Journaling says: "Everywhere that man can be, You, God, are present there."}

I thought this idea went well with David's words in Psalm 27, so that is where I chose to put it in my Bible.

I'm going to try to keep this idea at the front of my mind today.

Have a great day!

Find all my posts pertaining to Bible art or journaling here.

Bible: Zondervan (NIV Holy Bible, Journal Edition);
Stamps: Ink Blot Shop, LLC (This & That, Chunky Alphabet (Solid), Trinity Names, Grace Shines Words);

Book Review :: Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made The Animals by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illustrated by David Walker

Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made The Animals is a board book by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illustrated by David Walker. 

Baa! Oink! Moo! follows a mother and her child as they come upon a variety of farm animals. The story is written in rhyme, and includes animal sounds (some in the story text, some just on the page).

Baa! Oink! Moo! is a great companion to Only God Can Make a Kitten (by the same author). Where Only God Can Make a Kitten mainly addresses items in nature that God has made (seed, rain, ocean, stone, tree, etc.), Baa! Oink! Moo! is about various animals that God has created. The animals in Baa! Oink! Moo! are a variety of animals you might find on a farm (sheep, dove, pig, cow, chick, puppy, horse, hens, ducks, goat, bunny).

The illustrations in Baa! Oink! Moo! are cuddly and adorable - definitely a great feature of this book.

I love books that remind us to look around at all the amazing things that God has created, and this is definitely a cute one.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner, illustrated by David Catrow

When God Made You is an incredible book!

When God Made You is a positive, uplifting book that celebrates uniqueness and diversity, all in the context of being created by God. 

The rhyming text in this book feels so unique - it is Dr. Seuss-ish with a poetic flair. It is a literary step above other children's books on the market, in my opinion. I can't think of another way to describe it, but it just feels different from the typical rhyming books for children...and I love that!

The illustrations just add to the incredible text in When God Made You. Our family loves the illustrator's quirky, unique style. (We have another book illustrated by David Catrow: I Like Myself! - also a great one!)

When God Made You is such a wonderful, confidence-building book and I just can't say enough positive about it. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: The Story Travelers Bible by Tracey Madder, illustrated by Tim Crecelius

The Story Travelers Bible is a unique approach to a Bible storybook. It is a hardcover book with full-color glossy pages. The illustrations are colorful and fun.

In The Story Travelers Bible, three kids (Griffin, Lana, and Munch) travel into the Bible stories via a minibus. (The idea reminds me of the Adventures in Odyssey Bible Eyewitness series.) Because the kids are traveling into the stories, they are written as if they are presently happening, instead of something from the past, which gives a minor perspective change from many other Bible storybooks. 

There are a total of 85 stories in The Story Travelers Bible (43 Old Testament stories and 42 New Testament stories). In between some of the stories (but not all), the text goes back to focus on Griffin, Lana, and Munch. The font makes it easy to distinguish when the story shifts focus, so you can easily skip over the parts that focus on the travels of the three kids, if you wish. 

Although I enjoyed The Story Travelers Bible just for the unique storytelling approach, I was really impressed by the extra notes and side items. There are some highlighted verses to memorize, ideas to think about, and thought questions. One of my favorite extra features, however, is the information given about the specific locations of the stories. These extra features make The Story Travelers Bible feel like a mixture between a storybook and a study Bible.

The Story Travelers Bible instantly captured my kids' interest and mine as well. It is a unique Bible storybook and a great option for any child. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Tyndale Blog Network program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: The Jesus Storybook Bible - Keepsake Gift Edition by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago

The Jesus Storybook Bible (Keepsake Gift Edition) is The Jesus Storybook Bible wrapped up in a beautiful new cover.

With the new The Jesus Storybook Bible (Keepsake Gift Edition), there are just a few changes. The cover is a beautiful blue cloth-like textured hardcover with gold foil accents. The book is also bigger and offers larger page sizes (about 1 inch both in height and in width). The illustrations and text are all just scaled up (which means it offers larger illustrations and a larger font size), which is great for reading to a family and/or group. This edition remains the same thickness/page count as the previous editions.  

Our family started out with The Jesus Storybook Bible in the Deluxe Edition (with CDs) - and we have loved it! We keep the CDs in the car at all times and have loved reading the book together.

If you have not yet experienced The Jesus Storybook Bible - it is fabulous! It is a storybook Bible, so you need to keep in mind that this is written as a "story" and the author may take some liberties in descriptions of events, etc. What I love is that every story finishes with a tie back to Jesus. Even as an adult, I have learned from The Jesus Storybook Bible, and I love that my kids have it as part of their foundation. 

I would love to see the larger book size of The Jesus Storybook Bible (Keepsake Gift Edition) paired with the audio CDs as a set - that would be the best combination, in my opinion.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Found (Psalm 23) by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago

Found is a new board book from the winning duo who wrote and illustrated The Jesus Storybook Bible: Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago. Found is a padded cover board book, and has been a big hit with our littlest one. 

The wording in Found is taken directly from the story "The Good Shepherd" in The Jesus Storybook Bible when it is paraphrasing Psalm 23. (The whole story of The Good Shepherd is not in here, just the Psalm 23 portion.)

The illustrations in Found, however, are new - and I love them! They are beautifully done in calm colors and just create a very peaceful feeling.

Our littlest one loves to read "Shepherd Found" (as he calls this book) - and he likes to read it often. It's definitely a keeper!

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Adventures in Bible art & journaling :: The Lord Will Provide

The idea for this page was sparked by a conversation a couple weeks ago - during a time when our church family gets together and shares some of the highs and lows of the week as well as where we saw God show up. There were a couple of people that night that talked about how they had experiences or come to a clearer understanding of God always being there for us, even when we might not see it. 

{Journaling says: "Even when we don't understand how...the Lord will provide."}

The story in Genesis 22 is one that talks about God's provision (and even ends up with a place named "The Lord Will Provide") - so that is where I went for my art. I did a little painting, stamping, and drawing/lettering. Nothing fancy, but I love that the focus stays on the ram - the visual representation of the Lord's provision.   

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Find all my posts pertaining to Bible art or journaling here.

Bible: Zondervan (NIV Holy Bible, Journal Edition);
Stamps: Ink Blot Shop, LLC (Floral Frenzy, This & That);

NEW RELEASES from Ink Blot Shop, LLC!

Hello!

I'm so excited to say that I've got two new stamp sets available now over at Ink Blot Shop, LLC!

As a crafter, I love to be able to create unique sentiments for the occasion at hand, so I created some stamp sets that will allow me (and you, too!) to do just that.

Here is a look at Kindness & Thanks (Mixed Greetings):

With this one you can stamp sentiments like:

- Thanks for everything

- You are simply the best

- Congratulations on your big day

- Your kindness is appreciated

- Wishing you joy

- I am so thankful for you

...and a whole lot more!

And here is Comfort & Hugs (Mixed Greetings):

With this set you can stamp sentiments such as:

- Get better soon

- Sending sunshine your way

- You are in our thoughts & prayers

- With deepest sympathy

- Hugs & kisses

- May peace surround you in this time of sorrow

- Never forget that I love you

...and many more!

Both of these stamp sets are large (6x8) clear stamp sets and are packed with words...and have some cute florals, too. Everything is designed so that you can mix and match not only within each stamp set, but between the two sets as well.

I'm so excited about these new sets and I hope you are, too!

Have a great day!

PS - If you'd like to see one of the new stamp sets in action, be sure to check out Jennifer McGuire's newest video on YouTube: