The Quiet (Crazy) Easter Day

I love these padded books. They are sturdy like board books yet have good story like a picture book.

And this is one that we enjoyed so much!

So as you can see its bright and colorful, which will hold any toddler or preschooler’s attention.

I like the story because it incorporates animal sounds which encourages my little audience to join in the story. They often get a good laugh from me making the animal noises as I read the book. And there’s almost a request for an encore performance. It’s a fun book to read to little ones who may not yet understand the full impact of the resurrection, but this book is a gentle introduction to our savior’s story. (They also have one about Jesus’ birth which is just as fun and colorful and full of animal noises to act out). 

I really like that this book takes the perspective that perhaps the animals were excited or maybe they somehow understood what was going on. And even if they did not, perhaps they were excited for God. As the Bible says that everything that has breathe worships Him, all creation worships Him. And animals are just as much God’s creation as I am. And they aren’t biased like humans are. So surely they worship God as a default. Their very existence is worship. And during those days, those who were sacrificed worshipped God in their death as well.

As always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion. And I am not required to write a positive opinion.

Good News for Little Hearts: Gus Loses His Grip

Our third book in the series! Such a good series so far. Each one is just as good as the last. 

Each book takes place in Mulberry Meadow and introduces another animal family. We've met Henry and Tori, now we meet Gus. 

Now Gus is a going through a sneaky phase. It starts with disobedience, eating candy in his room, which is a no-no. Then it delves into stealing candy at the market. All of this falls around Easter.

When Gus confesses to his dad he says he just had to have it (candy). So when he was offered a piece without any supervision he did what the kids next to him did, took more than he was told he could. Gus also confesses to eating candy in bed and hiding the wrappers knowing it was against the rules.

But the best part? His dad's response. His dad acknowledged what Gus did was wrong then self-reflected that even he as an adult needs to practice restraint and self-control. Then his dad tells him to return the candy, confess to the shopkeeper and apologize. 

Parents, a book that deals with disobedience, lying, and theft in a godly manner? Win!

Again add it to your home library for when the situation arises.

{I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.}

Easter is Coming

Board books are some of my favorite books to have in my library since we have 3 girls under 5 years of age. And they are ROUGH on books.

The colors are vibrant and inviting. So this book is of course about Easter and it visits different stories in the Bible (Adam & Eve, The Old Testament in General, then the last supper and other events in Jesus' life) and states that while people acted in ways that did not please God, they were unaware that Easter, the Resurrection, was coming. This book generally exchanges the Resurrection with Easter. 

My personal opinion: It's bright and colorful. It's vibrant and inviting. It's a board book, meaning sturdy enough to withstand the hands of a 4 yr old, 3 yr old, and 11 month old. However, on a theology level, people could easily have an issue with the world Easter being interjected for Resurrection. While we have come to easily exchange the two, they are actually two different events. However, I do understand what the author is trying to do, which is get our children to look beyond the bunny, eggs, and baskets to see Jesus & the cross.

{FYI I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

The Berenstein Bears are Christians?!

How many of us remember the Berenstein Bears?

They were are apart of my childhood and now they are apart of my children's childhood as well.

And the best part? They're Christians!

My children absolutely loved this book. It's one day in their life as they celebrate Easter Sunday or as many of us call it Resurrection Sunday. The best part is that it isn't not all about "Easter" that most tend to focus on but Jesus. They learn about what they are really celebrating and what it means for them. Salvation. And that's why I am glad my children have it because they can read about it too. 

Also if you notice the author is a little different from the original authors. Mike Berenstein is the son of Stan and Jan Berenstein. And I must say he does a phenomenal job continuing the series and adding Christianity to the series, which is something that was not quite in place before. 

They've definitely just gained loyal readers out of us!

{FYI: I received this book through the BookLookBloggers program in exchange for my honest review. Yes, for legal purposes, I must tell you this. lol}