Deus Misereatur

  All five books in the photo are from The Good Book Company . The various illustrations and drawings are pleasant to the eyes and fitting. If a reader feels that purported pictures of Jesus violate the Second Commandment, know that there are some in each book. Below are my very short, grandfatherly reviews. " The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross " is a very simple, short presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It begins with the goodness of creation, then the fall, fallen human history, the redemption and finally, glory! Ideal for reading with kids and grandkids. The illustrations are appropriate - even the inscription on the High Priest's turban is accurate. All in all, a nice book for snuggle time with the kids. " It's Good to be a Boy "  happily celebrates the God-made gift of being a boy and a man. It wraps it in the Creation/Redemption story at its heart. But the author also draws in a history of godly men who used their abilities...

  “My First 123 Book of Bible Numbers: Big Sums for Little Thumbs” is a simple, colorful, readable, fun little book of numbers. It is authored by Jonathan Gibson and illustrated by Michael Mullan. Each installment in the book has the main number, and then a related Bible detail, with multicolored graphic. Then there are questions to help the kids to go to the picture, hunt down that number and count. For example, the number 1, “There is only 1 God who made the universe and everything in it.” Then it asks, “Can you find: 1 moon? 1 star? 1 mountain?” and they go back to the creation picture and find the “1” items.   When our kids were little, we found such books where the kids had to hunt and search really kept them engaged. And it opened up all kinds of little Dad and kid talks about some aspect of our faith. That’s the style of “My First 123 Book of Bible Numbers: Big Sums for Little Thumbs.”   The whole book opens with a theme from Psalm 139:17–18, “How precious ...

  Fond memories swirl through my head about reading loads of books to my kids when they were little. We found plenty of material, but when it came to Bible stories and little books that focused on one Bible story or another, the field was antiquated and narrow. Old 1950s and 1960s art work, script that could be a bit corny, crayon marks, and all. Though our children have long been grown, I'm still always looking for good material for parents to read with their youngsters. Sarah Walton, author, wife and mother, has pulled together a pleasant retelling of our Lord's story of the prodigal son and his stuffy brother in the 56-page hardback, "The Long Road Home: A Tale of Two Sons and a Father's Never-Ending Love". The delightful illustrations are provided by Christina Yang, a seasoned illustrator and designer. Between the two, "The Long Road Home" is just the kind of book I look for when thinking about reading to kids and grandkids. The story encompasses two...

  I am a grandpa, and the classic grandpa type, even down to the white beard and thinning hair. So, one of the things this means is that I'm usually on the lookout for kids books that I would like to read to my grandkids. "Arlo and the Keep-Out Club" is one. Betsy Childs Howard, author of several kids books, has given young children, parents, grandparents, church nursery teams, and others a delightful little story in this 40-page hardback. And Samara Hardy, freelance illustrator and designer, has given readers - younger and older - visually pleasant, colorful, attention-keeping pictures. The storyline runs through Arlo's desires - to be part of the "Keep-Out Club," and the hard decisions he has to make during initiation. That's the tale in a nutshell. It's easy to follow. But also to put yourself in his place is effortless. Most of us will remember walking through similar feelings and challenges on the playground when we were Arlo's age.  And in ...

  Long ago I stumbled on the New England Primer of 1690. As it goes through the alphabet for young minds, it has a specific letter and then a short ditty. For example, under “A” it has, “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.” Very catchy for both teaching letters and Protestant theology. In a similar way, Jonathan Gibson, minister in the International Presbyterian Church (UK), Associate Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, and author, has compiled a snazzy kid’s book, “My First ABC Book of Bible Verses: Big Truths for Little Minds”. It is brightly illustrated by Mike Mullan. As the title indicates, the book follows the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, one letter per page. But instead of using cute ditties the letters are attended by a Bible verse at the top of the page. It’s all very simple. For example, the radiantly displayed letter “A” has Isaiah 53:6 attending it, “ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way ...

  "God, right here. God, right there. God's handiwork is everywhere" so begins a new kids book written by Kara Lawler, author, wife, mom and dog lover. "God, Right Here" is 32-page 9x9 hardback contemplating Psalm 139:7-10, and written for kids to remind them that "God is always with you." The work is beautifully illustrated by Jennie Poh in a watercolor and pen style that's bright and attractive. "The earth is so full of God's glory" worms its way through every page, walking through the cycle of seasons several times. Winter, spring, summer, and fall, and back through again and again. It dances around the different aspects of each time of year, sometimes rambunctious, at other times quietly, "The sun rises and sets, the moon takes over the sky...And in these quiet moments, we know God is still at work. God ever near." The scenes, and script, work together taking little and older readers through country settings, mountains, ...

  "Cute as a bug's ear," is what my grandma would say about something that was charming, and delightful, and fun, all rolled into one. Well "Cute as a bug's ear" is what I'm calling this glossy 112-page hardback, "Finding Jesus on Upside Down Days: Family Devotions from the Barnyard" by Jill A. Miller. All 52 of these devotions are perfect for moms, dads, and grandparents to sit down with the young ones, snuggled up on the couch, and to read out loud. And the pictures will add to the attention-keeping and discussion. Miller draws her short tales from a cast of furry and feathery characters in her barnyard, while she draws her points from the Bible. Each reading revolves around the Bible passage without being "preachy," and is illustrated mostly by her animals, herself, or a few of her neighbors and their animals. A majority of the stories will make you laugh or chuckle, though some will also bring you to meet the sadness of death. But...

 To take a fun and thoughtful approach to passing on Scripture and what we believe to our children and grandchildren is a great way to go. That’s what the new, brightly illustrated 64-page hardcover book, “The Acrostic of Scripture: A Rhyming Biblical Theology for Kids” works at doing. The authors, Jonathan Gibson who is ordained in the International Presbyterian Church (UK) and serves as Associate Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, and Timothy Brindle who is a Pastor at Olive Street Presbyterian Church (PCA), have pulled together an artful and creative way to present our kids with the story of God, full of Scripture and doctrine. This is the fourth installment in New Growth Press’s Acrostic Theology for Kids Series .   After a brief prologue from the authors, the book jumps in, moving from A to Z. Each alphabetic section is brightly illustrated by C.S. Fritz, has a cadenced summary of the subject for that letter, and then is backed...

Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury: 4 Complete Stories in 1 Volume! by Arnold Lobel My rating: 5 of 5 stars Who would have thought? Here we are in the middle of a pandemic and quarantine, with all of the "shelter-in-place" directives, and I decide to read children's stories via live video on Facebook for the kids in my church, and my grandchildren in another state. I land on "Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury," written in 1976, to launch this endeavor. Lo-and-behold, it's a hit! Kids are watching me read the stories before bedtime, parents are grateful for the relief after an exhausting day working from home, etc., and even adults are tuning in. The stories are readable, and quite fun, and the illustrations (drawn by the author) are just right. These are tales of two friends who enjoy sharing various aspects of life together as friends. Each story stands alone on its own. They relate the friendship of two amphibians with personalities that complement each...

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oklahoma by Tammi Sauer My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a fun book, and a beautiful way to introduce young Oklahomans and non-Oklahomans to the State's history and hot-spots! Tammi Sauer, author of some 27 children's picture books, has put together a brilliantly illustrated kid's hardback that spins off of an old Christmas song, with a distinctive Oklahoma twang! "The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oklahoma" is 40 big, glossy, colorful pages of sheer fun, facts and features, colorfully illustrated by Victoria Hutto. Sauer takes the old Christmas song and tailors it to Oklahoma around a visit by young Addison to her Oklahoma cousin, Ethan. They spend twelve, face-paced, whirlwind days touring Oklahoma sites, sounds and smells from the Southeast corner to the Northwest panhandle. The unique aspects of Oklahoma, from history to happenings, are chronicled in letters sent by Addison to her parents each day, mentioning activities and spec...