Book Review - A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue

A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue by J.A. Myhre

Set in Africa, this fictional chapter book gives children a glimpse into the culture of another part of the world including topics such as poverty, gender treatment, education, and conflict.

While the book does not give an outright Christian message, it does weave in some biblical themes such as bravery.

One thing that would have been helpful to add is a pronunciation guide for all of the names. Some of the names may be hard to pronounce consistently if reading aloud, such as "Mbega" or "Njili."

This book will lead readers on an intriguing adventure that will have both children and adults eager to know what happens next.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Cross Focused Reviews.

Book Review – The Priest with Dirty Clothes

The Priest with Dirty Clothes was written by R.C. Sproul and illustrated by Justin Gerard. This book presents the truth of Christ's redeeming and atoning work through an interesting story.

Before coming across this book, I myself was not familiar with the account in Zechariah 3 on which this story is based. However, it is a great picture of our status before and after we are in Christ.

This picture book begins with the tale of two young children whose clothes become dirty while playing in the mud. Their grandfather begins to tell them the story of a new priest who is to preach a sermon before the king. As he is making his way to the castle, the priest's clothes become dirty, muddy and stained. He is not able to stand before the king wearing these filthy garments. Later, the prince presents the priest with his own clean clothes in exchange for the priest's filthy clothes.

In the story, the king represents God the Father, the prince represents Jesus, and the priest represents a Christian. The allegory presents weighty truths such as salvation by grace, justification through faith, and the believer's righteous standing before God. The priest in the story learns that there is nothing he could do to earn new clothes, and he is told that he must continue trusting in the prince's goodness as he continues to wear his clean garments.

The book includes a section for parents that helps to explain the meaning of the story and who or what each character represents. This is an important section to review as it helps readers to better understand the concepts presented through the story. Children may not fully understand the concepts; however, reading through the story more than once may be a good idea.

Disclosure: I am to receive a free copy of this book from Reformation Trust Publishing as compensation for my review.

Read the biblical story of Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3:1-5.

Book Review: How to Be a Bible Princess

How to Be a Bible Princess was written by Catherine Mackenzie. The book's pink cover featuring flowers and glitter is sure to appeal to young girls. The book helps girls understand how they can be part of God's royal family, clearly presenting the gospel message of salvation through Jesus. Each chapter begins with a quiz that introduces that chapter's focus. The book features stories of women in the Bible, both good and evil, including lesser known figures such as Jehosheba and Michal. Each chapter points to a passage in the Bible that girls can look up and read to discover more about these women. Each chapter also contains a section of princess tips to help girls learn what it means to really be a princess who lives according to biblical standards. Each chapter ends with a section relating to that chapter's theme that points to Jesus and gives additional relevant biblical passages to read. The book is written in a conversational style and has some illustrations throughout. One thing that I did not like was the use of the word "idiot" in one chapter; I do not consider that an appropriate term to use in a book for young girls in the intended age range of 8 – 12. As a note for American readers, the book was published by a company in the United Kingdom and contains some English phrases and spellings that may be unfamiliar to girls in the United States. 

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book as part of the Christian Focus 4 Kids blog tour.

Book Review – The Donkey Who Carried a King

The Donkey Who Carried a King was written by R.C. Sproul and illustrated by Chuck Groenink. This picture book presents young readers with an interesting look at the events surrounding Jesus' death. 

The book begins with the story of Reilly, a young boy who feels dejected because he is continually the last one picked when playing games with the other boys. His grandpa tells him the story of Davey, a donkey who lived long ago. Davey was never given any jobs to do, until one day some men came looking for him. Davey ends up carrying Jesus into Jerusalem as people put their coats down, wave palm branches, and shout praises to the King. 

Davey feels special that he was given such an important job; however, after this experience, he feels too important to do menial tasks. However, after their elders help them realize that Jesus was willing to carry the cross, Davey and Reilly decide that they should do whatever task God gives them to do, whether big and glorious or small and seemingly insignificant. This is an important truth for all Christians to grasp. 

Children will connect with the feelings and experiences of eight-year-old Reilly, and they will also enjoy hearing the biblical story from an animal's viewpoint.

I liked the subtle historical details that were woven into the story such as the reference to famous donkeys in history, including Balaam’s donkey. I believe that the illustrations were culturally accurate, from the appearance and clothing of the people, to the wall around the city and writing inscribed above the doors of the houses. The illustrations throughout the story and on the cover and end pages used earth-tone colors, which seemed appropriate for the story. The font size of the words on some pages varied, larger at the top of the page and smaller at the bottom, which I did not feel was necessary, but it did not take away from the overall story.

At the end of the book, there is a section for parents featuring questions and answers for discussion, along with Bible passages and application points. This section helps to further explain the meaning of the events in the story. This would be a good book to read on Palm Sunday as Holy Week begins to help children learn what happened during these events. The book goes beyond the Triumphal Entry to talk about Jesus' journey to the cross, helping children to better understand the reason Jesus had to die.

Disclosure: I am to receive a free copy of this book from Reformation Trust Publishing as compensation for my review.

What is God calling you to do? Mark 8:34; John 13:14-15; Colossians 3:17, 23

Book Review - Sammy and His Shepherd: Seeing Jesus in Psalm 23

Sammy and His Shepherd: Seeing Jesus in Psalm 23 was written by Susan Hunt and illustrated by Cory Godbey. This outstanding book takes young readers on a fun and faith-filled journey through the twenty-third Psalm.

This book walks through Psalm 23 phrase by phrase in an enjoyable story, helping children to better understand this familiar psalm. The title of each chapter of the book includes one phrase taken from Psalm 23 and goes on to expound on that phrase through the story of Sammy the sheep and his experiences. 

Sammy is a joyful sheep who is happy to be under the care of a good shepherd. He encounters a sad and dejected sheep living on the other side of the fence. This sheep, which does not even have a name, belongs to a bad shepherd, and her needs are not being met. Sammy befriends this sheep, and Sammy’s good shepherd later purchases her. She is given a new name, Precious, and becomes part of the flock. As they journey together, Sammy patiently helps Precious understand what it means to live as part of this flock.

The story is a wonderful parable of the Christian life, living as part of the flock under Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Although this book is intended for children, even adults can learn valuable lessons from the simple truths of the faith that are presented. At the end of each chapter, readers are pointed to a "Talk About It" section located at the end of the book. These questions and thoughts are important to help young readers connect the story of Sammy and Precious with the real-life idea of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. One thing I might change about this book is the consistency of these sections in regards to the type and number of questions and activities. The "Talk About It" section for some chapters contained several questions, Bible verses, and thoughts, while others contained only a few. Some sections featured questions requiring higher levels of thinking, while others included mostly simpler comprehension and review questions.

The illustrations in this book were very well done. The excellent use of light and color in the illustrations helps to capture the mood throughout the story. Dark hues are used to show the depression, misery or hardship experienced in the story, while lighter colors are used to illustrate the hope radiating on the better side of the fence. The newfound joy and peace of Precious are evident throughout the pictures, as her ears appear to perk up little by little throughout the book.

Many children are encouraged to memorize Psalm 23, and this book would be a good resource in helping children to comprehend the meaning of the words they are learning. This book will help readers to understand some of the background information relating to sheep and shepherds that formed the basis for such biblical passages. Many children love animals, so this book will connect with children and help to illuminate biblical truths.

Disclosure: I am to receive a free copy of this book from Reformation Trust Publishing as compensation for my review.

"The Lord is my Shepherd...."
Click here to read the rest of Psalm 23.

Book Review – Eric Liddell: Finish the Race

Eric Liddell: Finish the Race, written by John Keddie, is a biographical account of Eric Liddell. The book relates the story of Eric’s life including his family background, childhood, education, athletic accomplishments, missionary work, death, and legacy that continues.

Eric Liddell was a humble man committed to following the Lord and leading others to do the same. An outstanding runner, Eric became an Olympic gold medalist and world record holder. He is well known for holding to his conviction regarding the Lord’s Day (Sunday). When an Olympic event he was supposed to run in was held on Sunday, he gave up the opportunity to participate. He participated in an alternate Olympic event and won a gold medal anyway. Eric remained true to His beliefs and did not allow his Olympic fame to deter him from carrying out the work God called him to do. Although Eric was not an outgoing or eloquent speaker, the Lord used him and his experiences to influence many for Christ. Throughout his life, Eric was involved in speaking in evangelistic meetings, teaching young boys, preaching, and doing missionary work in China.

Through the story of Eric’s life, children will learn truths about Christian beliefs and who God is. They will also be inspired in their own Christian journey. As children are growing, it is beneficial for them to have good Christian role models and heroes to learn from as they are learning more about themselves and what it means to live as a Christian in the real world. This book is part of the Trailblazers series, which presents the stories of other Christian heroes including Gladys Aylward, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, and Adoniram Judson, among others.

The book’s chapters were short, and each chapter left the reader wanting to know what would happen next. Chapter discussion questions are given near the end of the book to help readers dig deeper into the truths presented. I think that this book would be ideal for home-schoolers as part of a unit study. Published in Great Britain, the book contains some expressions that may seem a little awkward to American readers, such as dates printed in a different form (e.g., 21 January instead of January 21). Nevertheless, the focus on sports and athletic competitions is something that would appeal to young readers of different backgrounds. The intended age groups printed on the back cover of the book are ages 7-9 (someone reading to them) and ages 9-14 (reading by themselves). I personally feel that this book would be better suited for the upper end of this range.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book as part of the Christian Focus 4 Kids Blog Tour.

Check out these Bible verses for inspiration in your own Christian journey: Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:14.