A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey.
A cheery child gives thanks to God.
“When I see a rainbow / High up in the sky / I say a little prayer of thanks, / And here’s the reason why: // Because God loves me!” This board book’s focus is the comforting notion that God loves all his children, and no matter what, he will always look out for them. The text follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, breaking after every stanza to repeat the phrase “Because God loves me!” The small, light-skinned child has spiky brown hair and wears a dress; both the child and a chubby accompanying dog are appealingly illustrated with a bright, simple color palette and scratchy lines that appear to have been made with colored pencil. God is the only name given for the deity, implying a primarily Christian audience. The book’s message is clear, and its construction is sturdy, suiting this well to parents who are beginning to have conversations with their little readers regarding their beliefs.
A sweet, colorful start for a Christian spiritual journey. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-58925-237-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Undemanding and upbeat, this is an adequate offering to share with toddlers in households that want to keep the Christ in...
Rhyming, four-line stanzas celebrate Christmas in both secular and religious aspects.
A bevy of animals, presumably polar and mostly white with the occasional red scarf or cap, romp in the snow and generally exude Christmas cheer. Snowshoe hares watch a white mouse hang red baubles from an exposed fir bough; a husky family drags a sled out to fetch a tree; harp seals play on the floes. A family of polar bears quaffs hot cocoa inside an igloo; Arctic foxes decorate cookies; penguins (presumably visiting from Antarctica) decorate a snowy tree. Whitlow’s illustrations employ a palette of icy blues, with red and green accents; his soft-focus animals all smile benignly. The frolicking mice that appear in every spread add visual interest. Hall’s quatrains, written with an abab rhyme scheme, are generously punctuated with exclamation marks and are sugar-cookie sweet. The rhyme and meter are occasionally forced and relentlessly singsong, in keeping with the overall tone. God is explicitly part of this celebration, sending snow and cheer as well as the gift of the baby Jesus. Given the religious underpinnings of the book, it’s a pity there is not just a touch more gravitas to balance out the sweetness.
Undemanding and upbeat, this is an adequate offering to share with toddlers in households that want to keep the Christ in Christmas . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4003-2399-9
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This upbeat explication should prove both entertaining and instructive.
Kayla sets the table for Shabbat while she manages to avert numerous mishaps caused by her overeager assistant, the mischievous puppy Kugel.
Kayla patiently allows Kugel to “help” by pulling on the tablecloth, grabbing the Kiddush cup, and balancing the salt shaker on his nose while she succinctly narrates all the steps to setting a proper Shabbat table. The easy interplay of pictures and text allows children to read the illustrations for some of the unsaid details that telegraph Kugel’s next possible calamity. They will be amused by the proximity of disaster for each of his little upsets, such as dirtying the table with his paw prints or trying to eat the flowers. When finished, Kugel’s sadness helps Kayla realize that they are not ready for a “Shabbat Shalom” until the whole family gathers around the table. Cheerfully amusing, brightly colored illustrations depict the rambunctiousness of an adorable and endearing young puppy. Beyond the plot, the larger message of the importance of family to the weekly celebration is effectively presented to the toddler set.
This upbeat explication should prove both entertaining and instructive. (Picture book/religion. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-68115-502-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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