The Jesus Storybook Bible

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Deluxe Edition. Sally Lloyd-Jones. 2009. Zonderkidz. 352 pages.

God wrote, "I love you" -- he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror -- to show us what he is like, to help us to know him, to make our hearts sing.

The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way a dolphin swims.

And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called "the Bible."

Now some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what he has done.

It had me at hello from the very first story or chapter--appropriately titled The Story and The Song--in which readers get introduced to God, to the Bible, to the Gospel.

The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne -- everything -- to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is -- it's true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle -- the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the Child who would one day -- but wait. Our story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning...

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. I've seen other Bible story books. I've read other Bible story books. Some I remember from my childhood. Others I've come across as an adult. So what makes this one special? I think what makes this one work--really work--is how Sally Lloyd-Jones has every story whisper His name. Her ability to connect each story with the Big Story, keeps everything in perspective, keeps everything connected and relevant. It also helps that she's a good storyteller! She has a definite way with words! She keeps the stories on a child's level, but yet, the stories are beautifully and compellingly told.

From "God to the Rescue!"

So Moses went to Pharaoh.

"Pharaoh," Moses began, "God says -- "

"God?" said Pharaoh. "Never heard of him."

Moses kept going. "God says, let his people go free."

"Why should I?" Pharaoh said. "Don't want to. WON'T!" So he didn't.

But God gave Pharaoh ten warnings called plagues. (86)

and

God's people would always remember this great rescue and call it "Passover." But an even Greater Rescue was coming.

Many years later, God was going to do it again. He was going to come down once more to rescue his people. But this time God was going to set them free forever and ever. (91)

From "God's Messenger"

God had a job for Jonah. But Jonah didn't want it.

"Go to Nineveh," God said, "And tell your worst enemies that I love them."
"No!" said Jonah. "Those are bad people doing bad things!"
"Exactly," said God. "They have run far away from me. But I can't stop loving them. I will give them a new start. I will forgive them."
"NO!" said Jonah. "They don't deserve it!" (160)

Many years later, God was going to send another Messenger with the same wonderful message. Like Jonah, he would spend three days in utter darkness.

But this messenger would be God's Own Son. He would be called "The Word" because he himself would be God's Message. God's Message translated into our own language. Everything God wanted to say to the whole world -- in a Person. (169)

I could almost pick out a passage to highlight from each and every story because the book is really just that good.

One of my favorite, favorite stories is "Operation 'No More Tears!'" which draws from Isaiah 9, 11, 40, 50, 53, 55, and 60.

Isaiah has always, always been a favorite book of mine. And to see it so wonderfully, so artistically translated into a story that little ones can understand, well, it does my heart good! The story may be concise, but it's faithful to the spirit of the message.

There are twenty-one stories from the Old Testament. And twenty-three stories from the New Testament.

The illustrations are by Jago. I really liked the illustrations. I wasn't sure about them at first. But as I read the book, I began to like them more and more.

This one is available in two editions. One is the deluxe edition. And the other is the regular (no-bells-or-whistles) edition. What does the deluxe edition offer that makes it worth the price difference? It offers the book as an audio book. Three CDs narrated by David Suchet. You'll have to decide for yourself if the audio book would be a great asset to your family's library. (Personally, I like the audio book. And I would recommend it.) But either book would be a good choice.

(Both the illustrator and the narrator are from England.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Story of Christmas

Story of Christmas. Vivian French. Illustrated by Jane Chapman. 2010. Candlewick. 22 pages.

A long time ago God called for the angel Gabriel. God told Gabriel to go to the city of Nazareth and find a young woman called Mary. At first Mary was frightened, but Gabriel told her not to be afraid. "God sent me," he said. "God has chosen you to be the mother of His baby. His name will be Jesus." Mary smiled. "I'm happy to do whatever God wants," she said.

I really liked this one. It's a simple retelling of the Christmas story for little ones. But just because it's 'simple' doesn't mean it's not rich in detail! You get the whole story--most of it at any rate. Readers don't meet Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, the mother of John the Baptist. Also readers are not introduced to King Herod. Vivian French does a nice job of weaving together the narratives from Matthew and Luke.

I would definitely recommend this one!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

God Gave Us Christmas

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Illustrated by David Hohn. 2006. Waterbrook Press.

Mama and Little Cub are back for another adventure in God Gave Us Christmas. (They also star in God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Two, God Gave Us Heaven, and God Gave Us Love.) In this holiday picture book, Little Cub, inquisitive as ever, asks who invented Christmas. At first, Little Cub is convinced that Santa had to be the one who invented Christmas. After all, he is the one who brings all the toys. But Mama Bear lets Little Bear know that Christmas is all about God. The two, in fact, set off on a journey to see how God gave us Christmas. By looking at His creation, Little Bear soon accepts that God's gift is amazing. This is enthusiastic Christmas tale starring a lovable bear family.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Susan K. Leigh. 2006. Concordia Publishing House. (Board Book)

This little board book is just right for your little ones at Christmas. It tells the real story of Christmas in simple sentences. It is very Jesus-focused. (Something that I just love, love, love!) Here's how it starts off:

Christmas is here.
Christmas is Jesus' birthday.

Jesus is the Son of God.
The Bible tells us about Jesus.

I love the simplicity of it. Yet at the same time I love how much substance there is. Each sentence says something important, something significant. If you're looking to share a non-Santa message with your little ones to prepare for Christmas, then this one might work for you.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

My Story Bible: 66 Favorite Stories

Godfrey, Jan. 2009. My Story Bible: 66 Favorite Stories. Illustrated by Paola Bertolini Grudina. Tyndale. (You can read the first four stories online.)

My Story Bible: 66 Favorite Stories is a good introduction to Bible stories and characters for young readers. It's simple, but not too simple. I think it is written at a level that preschoolers and early-school age children can enjoy and appreciate. As a read aloud that is. I think the text tries to engage young listeners. And I think it succeeds for the most part. It's rhythmic and repetitive where it needs to be. Yet this wordplay isn't too distracting from the story itself.

The selection. I liked that it was a nice blend of Old Testament and New Testament. I think it is easy for books to drift one way or another. To focus all on the early stories--for example. Genesis is such a rich book for stories. And to neglect the later stories of prophets. And when it comes to the New Testament, sometimes it becomes all about the gospels and nothing else. It was nice to see a fuller range with this collection. True, the book doesn't offer every story I'd like to see retold for children. But no children's story bible ever could. It would be impossible to tell them all. To simplify them all. Some stories just don't translate down into the simplest, most basic forms. Some concepts are just too big for little minds to grasp. So you have to prioritize. And you have to always, always keep your audience in mind. Parents familiar with their bibles may see that not all the details are there for each story. Some things have been simplified and shortened. (For example, with Moses and Pharaoh, we don't get the full picture. We don't see the plagues coming one by one by one with rejections and drama in between. We get an abbreviated account of the king's stubbornness.) But again, I think it was a choice to make this one work for the youngest listeners.

Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite stories "The Sound of Music."

Three friends were taken as prisoners to a place called Babylon, far away from home. They worshiped the one true God, but the king worshiped pretend gods.
One day the king told everyone to bow down and worship a golden statue.
"I won't," said Shadrach.
"I won't," said his friend Meshach.
"I won't," said his friend Abednego.
"There will be trouble if you don't!" said a messenger of the king.
"As soon as you hear music and instruments, you'll bow down to that golden statue, or they'll be trouble--you wait and see! If you don't bow down and worship it, you'll be thrown into a fiery furnace!" (54)

A little later on we read, "So they were thrown into the blazing, fiery furnace. It was very, very, very hot. But they did not die. They did not get burned. They didn't even smell smoky!" (54)

And here's how the collection handles the Ten Commandments (in part) and the Lord's Prayer (in full) respectively.

"The seventh day of the week is special," said God. "It's a rest day, a family day, a happy day, a holy day. It's a day when everyone can worship me together. Even the animals can have a rest!"
"Treat your moms and dads well," said God. "Be polite and loving and respectful and kind and obedient to them."...
"And don't tell lies or say mean things about other people."
"Don't look at the things other people have and want them so much that you can't think about anything else." (29)

"Our father in heaven, your name is great and holy.
We want to do what is right so that your love will spread all over the world.
Please give everyone enough to eat each day, and help us to be kind to each other always.
Keep us safe from harm and from doing wrong things.
For you are true and wonderful and glorious and your Kingdom will last forever and ever. Amen." (72-73)

So for the most part, I loved the way these stories were told. As I mentioned earlier, I thought they were engaging and kid-friendly.

The illustrations. As I've said dozens of times, I'm not *good* at judging illustrations. I only know what I like, what I love, and what I hate. I liked these illustrations. I found them refreshing compared to say the illustrations in the Read and Share Bible. (I haven't *read* that one cover to cover. So I'm not saying anything about the text. Just the illustrations.)


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

What is the Bible?

Bostrom, Kathleen Long. 2009. What is the Bible? (Part of the Little Blessings series by Tyndale). Illustrated by Elena Kuchank. Tyndale.

This August, Tyndale is releasing two more stories in the Little Blessings series by Kathleen Long Bostrom. (I reviewed a four-in-one collection back in January.) These two new titles are What is the Bible? and Who Made the World?

I've heard people talk
of the Bible in church.
It seems extra special,
so I'm on a search.

Who wrote the Bible?
One person? A few?
What does it say?
Can you give me a clue?

Is it a book
I will need as I grow?
Does it tell stories
of people I know?

This one is about the Bible. Or perhaps I should say the B-I-B-L-E. (I don't know why that song popped into my head just now, but it seems a little fitting, doesn't it?)

This book is divided into three parts. The first part is a question-poem written from a child's perspective. These are simple questions, questions that may be a bit familiar to parents with curious kids with a heart for God. The second part is an answer-poem written from an adult's perspective. The third part is for Bible references. What I love about this last section is that it goes through line-by-line of the answer-poem, and it provides a verse or two to back up the rhyme.

The illustrations by Elena Kuchank are traditional and cutesy. The types of illustrations that you might find on greeting cards. One plus to the illustrations is that her illustrations are multicultural.

Are you a Christian parent? Have you read any books in this series? What do you think?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Who Made the World

Bostrom, Kathleen Long. 2009. Who Made The World. (Part of the Little Blessings series by Tyndale). Illustrated by Elena Kuchank.

Earlier in the year--way, way back in January--I reviewed Questions from Little Hearts, a four-in-one collection of stories by Kathleen Long Bostrom. (The book contains: What is God Like? What is Prayer? What About Heaven? and Are Angels Real?) This latest book is in a similar format.

1) a question-poem written from a child's perspective.
2) a small transition-type poem written from an adult perspective--something that points the child towards God
3) An answer-poem written from God's perspective
4) Bible references for parents and older children.

As you could easily guess, this one is all about creation. Here's how it starts off...

The world is so pretty!
There's so much to see.
A rainbow! A river!
A flower! A tree!

So who made the world?
God, I think it was you.
Did you have a helper?
If so, tell me who!

What was the first thing
you made, and the last?
Did you snap your fingers
to make it go fast?

Of course, that's only the beginning...

I really enjoy this series. And this one is no exception. While I don't love, love, love the illustrations--they're not bad by any means but they're not incredibly amazing either--I do love the text. I'm so happy to have discovered these books because I think they are great for Christian families.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Old MacNoah Had An Ark

Lloyd-Jones, Sally. 2008. Old MacNoah Had An Ark. Illustrated by Jill Newton. Harper Blessings.

Old MacNoah Had An Ark is an interesting twist on the classic song, Old MacDonald Had A Farm. It is always intriguing--to me--to see how various artists--both authors and illustrators--choose to tackle the Bible Story of Noah and the Flood. This is an important story in the Bible--a foundational one. But it is often--if not always--cutesified for children, sometimes in verse. And there's nothing wrong with that particularly--focusing on the "oh, look, here are all the animals. See how cute they are!" rather than the doom and gloom of destruction. I liked the premise of this one. It begins simply (and predictably) with

Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o.
And for that ark he got some wood, Ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a bang! bang! here
And a bang! bang! there,
Here a bang! There a bang!
Everywhere a bang! bang!

Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o.

Readers meet a few of the traditional MacDonald characters: cows, ducks, pigs. Then the rain starts and Noah and the animals are ready for the adventure. Lest you think that those three animals are all that made it aboard, the illustrations show other animals as well throughout the books.

Some of the verses include the Splish Splash of the rain, the Burp! Slurp! of the eating, the Poo Poo of the you know what. (Yes, it goes "with a poo poo here, and a poo poo there...here a poo...there a poo...everywhere a poo poo.) I didn't care for all the verses of the book. But most of them were fine with me. (I didn't care for the Oopsie-Daisy and Yahoo verses.)

One small thing irked me about this one. It's all well and good for Noah to become MacNoah. And the song itself wouldn't have needed to include mentioning Noah's family--his wife, his three sons, his three daughters-in-law--but the illustrations could have shown that Noah wasn't all on his ownsie. I mean, maybe a three year old or a six year old wouldn't have wondered about how Noah all on his own could have repopulated the earth...but one man can't "go forth and multiply the earth." And for Noah's redemption to have meant anything--anything other than a delay of the inevitable, his own death--he'd have needed other humans with him--men and women.

As I said, I don't think this one little thing would keep me from recommending this one. And it doesn't make it a bad retelling by any means. It just isn't quite as complete as it perhaps should be.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Everyday Prayers

Everyday Prayers (2008) is an early reader published by Harper Blessings. The book is edited by Jennifer Frantz and illustrated by Renee Graef. The book contains songs, prayers, and finger plays just right for Christian families--"This Little Light of Mine," "All Things Bright and Beautiful," "Jesus Loves Me," and "Here Is The Church" just to name a few. One other thing I should mention is that it uses rebus pictures--small pictures standing in place of a word or two. (Picture of flower instead of the word "flower.") I enjoyed this one. I thought the selection was great. The illustrations really worked for me.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thank You, God

Thank You, God (various authors), illustrated by Sophie Allsopp. 2009. (January of 2009) Simon & Schuster.

The full title of this one is Thank You God!: A Year of Blessings and Prayers for Little Ones. The art is by Sophie Allsopp. The quiet and subdued colors are so soft and inviting, in my humble opinion. The text, such as it is, consists of short quotes--some from poems, some from songs, some from longer works--taken from a variety of authors and sources.

Each two-page spread has a handful of quotes celebrating or recognizing the four seasons of the year--spring, summer, fall, winter--and various holidays, special attention being given to Easter and Christmas. Sprinkled throughout the book are ten envelopes that open to reveal little prayer cards. There is an eleventh card that is blank so your child can write a prayer of their own.

Sample quote: Now let the skies be joyful and earth sing back her praise; let all the nations worship the God of endless days.
Sample prayer: Thank you, God, for Easter time. Thank you for reminding us of Jesus' love for us and help us to appreciate everything we have, which we take for granted. Amen.

I thought it was nice to see people wanting to teach little ones gratitude and joy. I'm not sure how user-friendly the envelopes are. I don't know how little hands could work the envelopes and if they would hold up to repeated use. I suppose this depends on the child. Some being more careful and precise than others.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Baby Bible: Stories About Jesus

Currie, Robin. 2004. Baby Bible: Stories About Jesus. Illustrated by Cindy Brownsberger Adams. FaithKidz.

and

Currie, Robin. 2008. Baby Bible: Stories About Jesus. Illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo.

This board book story-bible is great for young readers--babies, toddlers, preschoolers. The book presents a nice variety of stories centered on Jesus--from his birth to his ascension.

Each story is two pages. One of text. One of illustration. The text consists of title, scripture reference, narrative (with interaction prompts), and a concluding prayer.

For example,

Jesus At the Temple
Taken from Luke 2:41-50

Jesus and His family went on a long trip to the temple in Jerusalem. They walked and walked.

Tap your hands on your knees.

They liked to be with all their friends and pray and learn about God.

Fold your hands to pray.

In the temple lived teachers who read lots of books. Jesus asked them many questions. They were surprised that He knew so much.

Show me a surprised face.

You can learn about Jesus by reading the Bible--God's Word.

Thank you, God, for books to learn about Jesus. Amen.

I won't mention the illustrations because with one edition being out-of-print now and the newer edition being a different illustrator--one I haven't even seen--it wouldn't be all that helpful unless you happen to want to seek out this older edition and buy it used.

I will say this--I loved this book.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Questions from Little Hearts

Bostrom, Kathleen Long. 2009. (Pub. February) Questions from Little Hearts. Illustrated by Elena Kucharik. (288 pages)

This wonderful book gathers together FOUR books into one collection: What is God Like? What is Prayer? What About Heaven? and Are Angels Real?

It uses rhyme. But the rhyme stays on the good side of dinky. In other words, it doesn't cross the line into dinky. It actually works. Now, the rhyme isn't 100% perfect, there are a few places in all four books as a whole, where the rhythm or the rhyme doesn't quite flow perfectly. But if I were to give it a grade--it'd definitely be an A.

The format is question and answer. They'll be a poem asking a series of questions. And then they'll be a follow-up poem answering those questions (and so much more!).

The book uses Scripture. After both set of poems, you'll find a "Bible References" section that repeats the second poem--in bold--but this time you'll find scripture verses and references. For each line of that poem, you've got scripture proofs that it really is so.

The book is multicultural in that the illustrations are diverse--God isn't just for white folks after all. Granted, this isn't a big deal. But I like to see all sorts of children represented. And perhaps just perhaps it could have been done better. But it works.

The illustrations. I didn't love the illustrations. I did like them however. They have a Precious Moments-ish feel about them. Bordering between cutesie and dinky. I think they work relatively well. Personally, I like a different type of illustration style better. (More realistic, less greeting card) But they're nice enough, good enough.

To give you a taste of the poems...

I can't see you, God,
so please give me a clue:
Do you look like me,
and do I look like you?

Are you big or little?
Are you short or tall?
Can you really see me
when I am so small?

Do you like to whisper?
Do you like to shout?
Can you sing or whistle?
I'd like to find out.

Are you strong or gentle?
Are you ever sad?
Do you have a temper
like me when I'm mad?

Where do you live?
In a house in the sky?
How do I know
you are somewhere nearby?

Do you love me always,
or just when I'm good?
I don't always do things
the way that I should.

I have lots of questions
to ask you like these.
I wonder if maybe
you'll answer them, please?

I just love it. I do. There's an easiness to it. A naturalness that just makes this book work well. If you've read my blog long, you know that I can be harsh when it comes to picture books and rhyming. But in my opinion, this one is truly great in its field.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

What Is God Like?

Lewis, Beverly. 2008. What is God Like? Illustrated by Pamela Querin. Published by Bethany House.

I just love this one. Mainly for two reasons--the incredibly beautiful illustrations by Pamela Querin that I just love, and the scriptures sprinkled throughout the book. The framework of this story is simple. A father is going away on a trip--presumably a business trip--leaving his two children--a boy and a girl, a brother and sister, to wonder big things about a big God.

"But don't forget--even when I'm not here, God is always with you."

Each two-page spread reveals just a little bit more about God. Each spread highlights a particular scripture. (Scriptures used include: 1 Corinthians 8:6, 1 John 3:1, Matthew 10: 29-31, Psalm 139:1-2, 4, Exodus 34:7, Psalm 33:6, 9, Exodus 15:26, Nehemiah 9:6, Isaiah 54:10, Psalm 4:8, Psalm 145:16, Genesis 1:25, Psalm 139: 13-14, Psalm 145:18, Psalm 107:1.) The story shows a brother and sister being kids--acting like kids--but also thinking and caring about big things.

I enjoyed this one. It reminds me of "Kid Talk"

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is My Shepherd: The Twenty-Third Psalm. Illustrated by Gennady Spirin.

The text should be familiar to most Christians. Perhaps even outside the Christian realm is this one known. The 23rd Psalm has such a poetical flow about it that is very evocative. This is probably *horrible* to admit, but when I read these words, it brings to mind the scene in Gone With The Wind (where Scarlett is nursing the soldiers in the army hospital) right before the seige of Atlanta begins. I believe the shot is of a stained glass window. You can hear the sounds of cannons in the background. Anyway, my confession time is over!

The text is the King James Version of the Bible.

So let's say you know the text, what would make you want this book in your collection? The artwork perhaps. Each two page spread has an incredibly detailed and most often exquisite artistic rendering. These spreads will appeal to some more than others. (There is something very old-fashioned and traditional about the art. Not that it isn't beautiful. But I fail to find it breath-takingly beautiful. The art didn't wow me.) Or perhaps this might make an ideal way to aid memorization of the 23rd Psalm. (That I could understand completely. I attended a Christian school that was big on memorization.)

Rereading my review, it might seem I'm a harsh critic. That isn't at all the case. It's not that I disliked this one at all. I think the Scripture speaks for itself. And in many ways the art does as well. You'll either be drawn to it, or you won't. Nothing that I say--one way or the other--will persuade you.

The LORD Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1	The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2	He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Rev. 7.17
3	He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4	Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5	Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6	Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

God Gave Us Heaven

Bergren, Lisa Tawn. 2008. God Gave Us Heaven.

God Gave Us Heaven is the newest in the "God Gave Us..." series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. I haven't read the previous titles, God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Two, and God Gave Us Christmas. But I'd be curious to read them now after reading this one. The books feature a polar bear family, a Christian polar bear family of course. And I would imagine that they all share one thing in common--though again it's pure speculation on my part--a curious cub that just happens to ask important questions. I'm not complaining. I tend to ask a lot of questions myself. Some deep, some not so much.

Here's how it starts:

"Papa, what's heav'n?"
"Why, heaven is God's home...
the most amazing place we'll ever get to see."
"More amazing than Glacier Bay?" Little Cub asked.
"Glacier Baby is the best place ever."
"Yes, Little Cub. Even better than Glacier Bay."

I liked this one. I did. Yes, it was cutesy. But it worked. It was informative, descriptive, and sound--theologically sound that is. Not that it goes into every single detail that is in the Bible. Not that it goes into theological matters on an adult level. We're talking basics, the essentials, and this one does get those right. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to Christian parents.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

God Loves Me More Than That

Mackall, Dandi Daley. 2008. God Loves Me More Than That. Illustrated by David Holm.

God Loves Me More Than That is much much better than When God Created My Toes. (In case you're wondering.) What is it about? It's about illustrating how infinite God's love is towards us, his children. "Infinite" is not an easy concept for young children "to get." (Adults can sometimes have a difficult time with it as well.) Yet in God Loves Me More Than That, God's love becomes tangible or easier to grasp. Here is how it begins:

How much love does God have for me?
More than the letters between A and Z.
More than the bumbles in a bumble bee.
God loves me more than that!

It continues,

Tell me, please, is the Lord's love high?
Higher than the moon
in a starless sky!
Higher than a space shuttle flying by.
God loves me more than that!

High, deep, wide, loud, soft, etc.

I didn't love this one. I liked it though. It still seems to fall into the Christian-and-dinky category. Meaning that while the message and intent are good, there are just a few things about the illustrations or the text that limits it from being great. So for the Christian audience, obviously, this one might be well received. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to Christian parents. But as someone who has read hundreds of picture books, this one falls a bit short of being great on its own merits. Again, I'm not saying it's bad.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

When God Created My Toes

Mackall, Dandi Daley. 2008. When God Created My Toes. Illustrated by David Hohn. Waterbrook Press.

When God Created My Toes is a sad attempt at a picture book. The problem? It suffers from forced rhyming. First of all, because it follows the rule that everything must rhyme no matter what, the rhymes lack both sense and naturalness. Second, the text lacks rhythm. There is no natural beauty, no natural flow; nothing poetic about it. Lest you think I'm picking on it because it is a Christian book, let me say this. The mistake of When God Created My Toes can happen in Christian publishing or mainstream publishing. I've picked on quite a few other picture books that suffer from this malady that were published by traditional, mainstream publishers. If I could, I would release this book from the shackles of its rhymes and set it free. It's not that the concept is a bad one. It's just a somewhat stunted concept.

Here are a few examples,

When God
created
my toes
Did he make them wiggle?
Did he know I'd giggle?
Did he have to hold his nose
when God created my toes?

Not a bad start really. Toes wiggle. Tickles cause giggles. Toes can sometimes stink. Nothing "zah?" yet.

When God
created
my knees
Did he put bones in'em?
Did he know I'd skin'em?
Did we sing our ABCs
when God created my knees?

It's beginning to lose me at this point. I'm not completely checked out yet. But what do ABC's have to do with knees? And there's just something off about the whole thing.

When God created my hip,
Did I hear him say,
"Hip, hip, horray!"?
Did we do a double flip
when God created my hip?

See here is when I knew that this one just wasn't going to work for me. There are some better verses up ahead. But nothing that personally redeems it (for me) from its mediocrity.

The illustrations. I would say that I thought the illustrations were better than the text. I actually preferred the "kid-drawn" sketches that appear on the left side of some of the spreads to the other more polished illustrations. The kid-drawn art has a certain charm that I enjoyed. The other illustrations weren't bad, but they had a cartoon-feel to them. Not bad. Very adequate. My least favorite part of the illustrations were the white cat. There was just something that bugged me about how that cat was drawn. I don't know why. And I'm sure it's just me.