Max Lucado’s classic text for every child (and parents too) got an endearing visual update last year, and may have opened up a whole new group of readers—parents of adult kids (like me) who love those kids as fiercely as we did when they were little. Now the narrator is a big lovable bear (it…
Posts Categorized: Book Reviews
Book Review—You See Me, God
Christian publishing for children needs more books written by people of color, illustrated by people of color, and depicting people of color. This new picture book is all three. I could be happy to see this new picture book for that reason alone. But I have other reasons as well!
About My Book Reviews and Recommendations
My career as a children’s book editor, acquisitions editor, and editorial director greatly influences my response to books. I have high standards for text, illustration, book design, and the purpose of a book. I understand too that parents, grandparents, and others who buy books want and need good value in the books you choose. Your…
Book Review—Different Like Me
We’re ALL different. That’s the message of this new picture book. We’re ALL alike. That’s the message of this new picture book too. Different Like Me written by Xochitl Dixon, illustrated by Bonnie Lui published by Our Daily Bread for Kids (August 2020) hardcover picture book, 32 pages, 9 x 9 inches Cultural diversity, check….
Book Review—The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song
Bob Hartman has a storytelling gift, and he puts it to great use to beckon children into the Bible’s account of Paul and Silas and the Philippian jailer (found in Acts 16:16-40) in this book. And like the subtitle says, the story is about more than simply God’s power or the dedication of Paul and…
Book Review—I Love Me!
The text is simple and never mentions God, but this new picture book has lots to say about our appreciation of God’s gift of our bodies and the diversity within the human race. I Love Me! written by LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss, illustrated by Beth Hughes published by Beaming Books (2020) hardcover picture book, 32 pages,…
Book Review—My Breakfast With Jesus
Meals on the go aren’t unusual in our busy world, but in the world of the Bible, eating together often has great significance. This new picture book captures that for kids while it also communicates lots of fun information about foods and cultures around the world. Deuteronomy 12:7, part of God’s instructions to the Israelites…
Book Review—Far from Home
Good children’s books lead to empathy, something our nation and our world surely needs right now. Stories about diverse cultures show children of all ethnicities and backgrounds that we are all human, all equally valuable, all very much alike. In Far from Home, children will empathize with the emotions of a young refugee who journeys…
Book Review—The Big Book of Bible Questions
Kids are curious about their world, right? Discovering new facts about interesting subjects can be a lot of fun, and it usually leads to new questions and wanting to learn more. That’s how it is with Bible knowledge too. Kids have questions as they grow and learn—why questions and how questions and what-does-it-mean questions.
Book Review—Jesus and the Lions’ Den
Wait, what? JESUS and the Lions’ Den? Yes, that’s right. Jesus and the Lions’ Den written by Alison Mitchell, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri published by The Good Book Company (2019) hardcover picture book, 32 pages, 9 x 0.2 x 10.8 inches I began to love this book as soon as I opened it and saw…
