For VeggieTales fans; others may be mystified by the reverent rhubarb and pious peas
A collection of 30 Christian devotions re-enacted by the anthropomorphic vegetables and fruits from the animated VeggieTales films.
Each page includes one line of a Bible verse, a short exegesis, and a prompt to “Pray Today” with a one- or two-sentence prayer relating to the devotion’s theme. The verses stretch from Genesis to the letters of Paul, and they focus on doing good deeds, God’s love for us, praising God and “his” creation, obeying parents, etc. While most of these are developmentally appropriate, this is a lot of text for young children, and it tends to sound repetitive from the explanation to the prayer. Those unfamiliar with the VeggieTales characters may be confused as to why fruits and vegetables are acting out each devotion and how they negotiate the world without arms and legs. The brightly colored, friendly cartoon art, which resembles stills pulled from the VeggieTales videos, illustrates the scenes lightheartedly, but a smattering may produce some head-scratching; why does a baby carrot gaze at a bee to depict the verse from Mark in which Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me”?
For VeggieTales fans; others may be mystified by the reverent rhubarb and pious peas . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8249-1997-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The inferior book design and dense text do not serve this Bible verse well.
An exegesis of John 10:14-16 for toddlers.
The biblical text, which begins “I am the good shepherd,” is meted out in short lines on the right-hand side of each double-page spread, written in type meant to look like a child’s handwriting. Below the Scripture on each spread there is a paragraph explaining what a shepherd does, how Jesus is a shepherd and that his followers are his “sheep.” On each facing page is a large photo illustrating the ideas in the text with images of sheep, shepherds and ethnically diverse children at play. The cover, as well as the first two and last two pages of the book, features amateurish cartoons of young children, likely composed on a computer, which jar startlingly against the photos. A note for grown-ups appears at the end describing how to share the book with children of different ages and encouraging parents to let the book grow “with your child.” This suggestion is helpful, since much of the text will likely go over the heads of typical board-book readers. Literal-minded toddlers may be confused by such assertions as, “You—and other people who believe in Jesus are His sheep!”
The inferior book design and dense text do not serve this Bible verse well. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9854090-2-9
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Graham Blanchard
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
A nice, basic introduction to language, Israel, and some of its vibrant highlights.
Bold, bright photography illustrates this color-concept picture book set in Israel.
With a design reminiscent of Tana Hoban’s classic books, numerous scenes both rural and urban showcase some distinctly Israeli features represented through the color palette. The red of an Israeli mail van or double-decker train, the yellow of a bus-stop sign or tree blossoms, and the brown of freshly baked challah at market or a cow in the Golan Heights are some examples. The shades of gray are seen at the beach with pigeons on the sand or the public benches in Jerusalem, while black flags at the beach serve as warning signs. White is the color of the Shrine of the Book, and pink is clearly the color of postage stamps. The name of each color is printed in English, Hebrew, and transliteration, and there is an abundance of Hebrew captured in many of the crisp photographs. With sites including Akko, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Giv’atayim, among others, Raz offers a pleasing survey of the country’s geography.
A nice, basic introduction to language, Israel, and some of its vibrant highlights. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5539-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
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