4 comments about The Parable of the Lily: Special 10th Anniversary Edition.

1. Like the other parable books by Liz Curtis Higgs, this is a wonderful story for children that has a lesson to it. Maggie learns the lesson of forgiveness and the true story of Easter. It is a book that will surely bring a tear to the eye of a mother reading it to her child. I recommend it highly.



2. I would highly recommend this book . It was a joy to read it to my 4 year old. The bible verses are wonderful. My Husband and I were both impressed with it's creativity in explaining what Christ did for us at Easter. The little girl in the story represents us, lost and unsaved, her father is our Holy Father, the forgotton bulb she throws away is Christ, which comes back to life. Refering to the store of the Lily, my little girl said, "Mommy thats' just like Jesus"! It made me feel so good that she understands. Get it for you little one and God Bless.



3. This book tells a story of a girl (who represents humanity) who is given a gift of a lily bulb (who represents Jesus) by a "secret" friend, who turns out to be her father (representing God the Father). The girl is disappointed in the gift, and eventually tosses it outside, never thinking of it again. But she wakes up one morning to find that it has bloomed despite her neglect. She also learns her father is the one who secretly gave her the gift, and she apologizes for ignoring his gift. "Will you forgive me" she askes. He replies, "Oh, my child, That's what Easter is all about." Bible verses in small print at the bottom of the pages tie the story to the Bible (when the girl receives the gift she is disappointed, as it appears to be just dirt -- the corresponding verse is "There was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him; when the girl tosses the bulb out, the verse is Isaiah 53:3: He was hated and rejected by people...People would not even look at him.") The Bible verses are in a child-friendly translation, which is wonderful. This is very creative, simple, yet incredibly meaningful, as are all of Liz Curtis Higgs' books. The artwork is colorful, simple, and comforting.



4. This is a good book, however I was a little disappointed as I just LOVE Liz Curtis Higgs book, 'The Pumpkin Patch Parable', and was hoping this would be as good.

2 comments about Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart.

1. I am very pleased with this book and CD combination. A selection of hymns and devotionals that focus on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.
   
   For each hymn the author is presented, a devotional beautifully relating the spiritual truths the hymn's contain in a way that is understandable for children. Be prepared to cry.
   
   Also included is music, complete lyrics, a bible verse to contemplate/memorize, and a prayer. There is also a beautiful illustration accompanying each hymn - truly lovely, realistic paintings, full of light (and often children).
   
   The music on the CD is wonderful, a combination of children singing and a female vocalist. Some of the songs sound a bit keyboardy or synthetic, I can't quite put my finger on it, but they are very lovely. Be prepared to cry. My daughter is always more encouraged to sing when there are children singing on a recording.
   
   The only things I could have wished for are the historical background of the hymn (I suppose that would have made the book too long, and I do have some other resources I can use to hunt this information down), and the scripture presented in KJV (our family uses the KJV exclusively - and particularly for memorization).
   
   We have been able to introduce some of these hymns in our church fellowship (I can't read music, so I learn by ear), as we sing hymns (seems to be a fading practice in many churches), and many are in our hymnal - as these are true classics. Our favourite is At the Cross.
   
   Recommended for both adults and children, any Christian family, and particularly homeschoolers! I'm now slowly purchasing the rest of the series.



2. This series of hymns is outstanding. They include recordings of some of the most classic hymns, with good recordings, the basic sheet music, all the lyrics, as well as stories related to the topic of each hymn and a suggested prayer for use during devotional or family worship time. The recordings are of kids singing the hymns alongside the music -- and they don't mess with the melody or introduce cheesy instruments typical of much contemporary Christian music or other CDs of hymns (sorry, had to be said). They are sung pretty much the way you'd sing them in Sunday worship. They are good for me (the dad) as well, because I didn't grow up in the church and have always wanted to learn these hymns.
   
   We try to set aside 15 minutes a day as a family - to pray, practice the kids' catechism, read Scripture and then we use these books: perhaps read (or paraphrase) one of the stories related to a hymn, sing the hymn to God and talk about what we sang. The kids also love to listen to these CDs during their play time, and we frequently hear them singing the hymns to themselves at random times. Most of the classic hymns have good theology, which they can understand more over time. All in all, these are a great tool for facilitating either personal or family devotional time. I highly recommend them.

5 comments about The Night Before Easter.

1. A charming Easter tale sure to delight young and old alike. Children will love looking for the eggs hidden in the pictures and listening to the rhythmic language; adults will smile at the new and original twists on this Easter time take-off of the well-loved Twas the Night Before Christmas. The perfect Easter basket gift!



2. My son received this as an Easter Gift for his first Easter, and we are still reading it three Easters later. He loves to hear it, and I love to read it to him. This makes a great addition to your Easter Basket!



3. I ordered this book for my grandson for Easter. I also have "The Night Before Thanksgiving". Since my 5-year old grandson liked that one so much, I decided to order the Easter version. The "story" is similar to "The Night Before Christmas".



4. A bright happy book! Fun to find other objects in the story after reading the whole book. Would definitly recommend this book. Looking forward to purchasing other The Night Before books!



5. I haven't given this to my granddaughters yet, will at Easter time. But the book is cute, something they will enjoy the night before Easter.

3 comments about Easter.

1. If you are prepared to tell your kids that the Easter Bunny is not real, this would be the book for you, if not DON'T buy this one!
   
   I purchased this book and read to my 6 year old daughter tonight. All was going well, it told the story of Jesus and the resurrection and how eggs were given as a sign of new life. Then it moved on to tell about Easter celebrations now with the colorful eggs and baskets. Then it goes on and tells how the "legend" of the Easter Bunny came about. I was floored! Reading the story tonight I was not prepared to tell my daughter that the Easter Bunny is not real. I know it would happen some day in the future but not from a childs Easter story at age 6. I'm lucky my 4 year old wasn't in the room while I read this to her!



2. I don't agree with the last review. As far as the explanation of the legend of the Easter bunny goes, it's easily explained to a child as just that, "legend," what some people believe. The poster could have easily gone on to say, "hmm, I wonder if the author has ever met the Easter Bunny?" I believe in showing my kids all the aspects of the holiday but most importantly, of course, the story of the Resurrection, which is the focus of this story. I wondered how she'd get through the Crucifixion as I was reading, but it is shown far off, not glazing over it, but softening the cruelty of it so as not to frighten the very young. To get really philosophical here, believing in the Easter Bunny is faith-based, just believing in the improbable, like a child does, my son's belief was not swayed.



3. I bought this book to read to my 3 children for Easter. Luckily, my oldest, who is 8 got hold of the book before I could read it to his younger siblings. He took me aside and told me: "Mum, you don't want to show this book to my brother and sister. It will tell them that there is no Easter Bunny." He just about prevented disaster!!!!! What was the author thinking?! You write a picture book aimed at the preschool/elementary school age group and then you put a whopper like that in there?! Without any warning to the parents? I mean - hello?! What was that author thinking?!!!

2 comments about The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs (First Time Books(R)).

1. If you enjoy celebrating Easter as a pagan rite of spring, this is a great book for you and your family.
   
   If you celebrate Easter as the annual commemoration of Christ's resurrection, however, you are likely to be disappointed.
   
   My 7-year-old had a different "take" on the situation, though. He said, "Mom, can you imagine Jesus as a bear? I don't think it would be right to do that." Good point. Jesus Bear on a Cross? Or rising from the dead? I don't think so!
   
   My question is simply this: Why tackle a religious holiday like Easter if you have to remove any religious significance? Christmas is handled the same way in these books--Santa Bear, good will and peace on Earth, but no Nativity. Are the Jewish holidays treated the same way by the Berenstains? I have no idea.



2. This is a wonderful treatment of the meaning of Easter. Though it deals only with the secular side of Easter--bunnies, eggs etc.--it does get across the message that these are only symbols of Easter's religious meaning--the new life of the resurrection. As a Christian, I found this books very touching and meaningful. All too often Easter is viewed as just a holiday about eating candy. This story very effectively conveys the idea that there is much much more to it.

5 comments about The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children.

1. As a kindergarten teacher in a Catholic School, I was looking for a book on this level to use with my class when we went to church to follow the Station of the Cross. I was extremely pleased with this one! The story of Jesus is explained in appropriate language for young children and the heartfelt prayers to be said at each station reflect the needs of children in this age group. The illustrations are beautiful,drawing on our emotions without being too graphic. The story includes the joy of Easter. I will use this book for many years, even with my own young children.



2. I used this book to present the stations of the cross for an art project during a palm saturday event for grades K - 5 (Episcopal). We read the book, discussed the prayer and either a child or a couple kids picked a station. They made cement stepping stones inlaid with colored glass for a lenten meditation garden with the prayers.
   
   It's a simple, beautiful book with a powerful message for all ages. Worth its wieght in gold.



3. As a (trying to be) faithful Catholic, I have to say I have rarely been so disappointed in a religious text for which I had high expectations. I have sent a detailed two-page letter to the publisher and the catalog in which I saw it advertised describing my MANY, MANY theological and artistic complaints with this text. Wishy-washy, whitewashed, banal, toning down important events and people, ignoring other important events and people, and generally making the grand epic of our salvation into piece of beautifully (if incorrectly) drawn "eye candy" - all flash, lacking substance. I have a four and a two year old and I know what small children can understand. The message of salvation does not need to be, and should not be, "dummed down" to accommodate any age. I will agree that it is difficult to find quality materials presenting our faith well (especially Lenten materials) for little ones, but that doesn't mean we should settle for something inaccurate.



4. Our 5 1/2 yr olds love this book. The pictures are colorful and interesting as well as moving. The text brings the stations of the cross to them in a way they can really understand but doesn't dumb it down. It makes Easter more meaningful to them and generates discussion about Jesus. It is a great book for the whole family, really.



5. This book was integral to a Stations of the Cross service for the children. The prayers and readings are perfect for children to read to a group and pray together. I would add a walking prayer between stations--we used Holy God, Holy & Mighty, Holy Immortal One. St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Kennewick, WA has a traditional solemn Stations service on Good Friday. When we've tried to involve the children the service has proven too long and boring. Our goal this Lenten season was to create a Stations of the Cross service that lasts around 15 minutes and has simple prayers and readings. We wanted the material to be accessible and meaningful to the children while being faithful to the traditional service for the adults. The pictures also helped as the bas relief images on the wall can be cryptic for the little ones. This book compresses and simplifies the service. It held the children's attention from start to finish. We plan to re-use next year.

5 comments about Bunny's Noisy Book.

1. The book and pictures are nice, but it is the puzzle of finding the 13 hidden "McCue" words painted into the pictures that is great. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to read this book to my kid because I spend so long straining my eyes to find the hidden words. Perhaps I need to upgrade from the board book version I have that has such small illustrations!



2. I love reading this book to my boys! We love the beautiful illustrations but I have no idea how to find the hidden McCues. At first I thought, is it that mouse? But he only makes a couple of appearances...it can't be the ladybugs and grasshoppers because those are obvious, so I guess they are actual words...but I have yet to find one!



3. My 23 month old daughter LOVES this book - the first time I read it, she wanted to hear it again. I act out all the noises and actions in the book, and she thinks it's a charm. Highly recommended - I love Lisa McCue's illustrations.



4. This is just the most precious book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story invites interaction with the child by having them make the sounds in the story, such as a bee buzzing or a sneeze. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book. But don't get all sentimental about bunnies and run out and get one for your young child- they require a lot of space and adult attention to be happy, so stick to the pictures in the book, unless you do your research on caring for bunnies and have lots of extra time on your hands (and who does, with young children?)



5. I picked this book up for me because of the beautiful artwork. The detail, color and composition make you wish you could take a seat in the woods and experience the forest first hand. But then, I realized this book also caught the attention of my son. At 12 months old, he began to bring books to my husband and I to read, and this was one of his selections often. To my delight, a few months later, he started imitating the actions of stretching, yawning, sneezing and scratching as I read. At 18-months old, he still gets excited to read this book, and I still love studying the artwork (to find the well-hidden McCue (the artist) signatures)...I've only found a few when there's a bouncing boy on your lap.

2 comments about Sawdust Carpets.

1. The girl's family is visiting her aunt's family in Antigua for Holy Week because her baby cousin is going to be baptized on Easter. The tradition of glorious sawdust carpets, temporary art (like Navajo sand paintings) meant to be destroyed by the processions, is seen though her eyes. She is sad at her carpet's destruction, but able by Easter to plan next year's design. The rugs, a neighbor tells her, are "offerings to life."
   
   There are very few good picture books about Easter, outside of retellings of the Easter story itself, that give a hint at the feast's religious depths (Eric Kimmel's The Birds' Gift, Patricia Polacco's Chicken Sunday). This belongs on that select list. It's not for the sort of conservative Christian who looks negatively at other religious traditions. (On a shelf in the cousins' house, there "stood the Virgin of Guadalupe next to the Kuan Yin, our Chinese goddess. I thought they looked like friends. Incense swirled around them, bringing them together.") Liturgical Christians will appreciate it as the only picture book that connects Easter with baptism!



2. Our family has enjoyed this book.
   We spent 8 months living in beautiful Antigua last year and this book brought back memories for us!
   As a mother of 5 Guatemalan children - I found this book a delightful way to introduce our children to the tradition of Semana Santa ( holy week).
   We have enjoyed Ms. Carling's book and would recommend it to anyone hoping to introduce young children to the traditions found in Guatemala.

5 comments about Hurry! Hurry!.

1. Our son loves this book so much! He is 21 months old and each beautifully illustrated page only has a couple words on it so he can memorize them and read along. We got it from the library but when it was time to return it, we had to have our own copy so we bought it from Amazon!



2. Hurry! Hurry! provides a great story line with vibrant art work and limited text. The book holds the attention of my 6 month old grandchild and it is expected it will be a favorite when she is a toddler.



3. My one year old loves this book. The illustrations are very good, very colorful, and the text is brief. It makes a very good new baby gift as well, since the story is about the excited clamoring of all the farm animals over the arrival of the newest member of the barnyard crew - a baby chick!



4. I wish I'd seen this book when my son was younger... at 2 and half he really likes it and memorized it after a couple of readings. Bright illustrations with just one word (repeated twice) per spread - with a couple exceptions at the end. Very cute, simple and very engaging - especially considering the lack of text... would recommend.



5. my son is 28 months old...loves farm animals (trains more, but...) he can easily sit through longer books, but this is a favorite and gets the 'again, again' rating every night - which amazes me as it is so simple!!!! This is one of Eve Bunting's best although there are many...one of my favorites! Actually my 5 year old doesn't mind sitting through this either! and super easy for my 7 year old to read to either the 2 or 5 year old (who could probably read it to the 2 year old if he wanted to!)

No comments about The Berenstain Bears' Baby Easter Bunny (Berenstain Bears).