For Mother’s Day

21 Days of Joy, compiled by Kathy Ide and published by Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC (2016), is the fourth book in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. This one is all about mothers. The most wonderful aspect of this book is that you don’t have to be a birth mother to find great joy in its pages. It is a wonderful read for those wishing they were mothers, those who have fostered or adopted children, or those who have lost children. It gives women hope that they can be used as a mother in a child’s life.

I loved reading the book and seeing how each one of the twenty-one stories was so varied and touching. The main thread that winds through this incredible little book is that God loves and honors mothers of all kinds. He loves our children and hears our prayers for them.

There were two stories in particular that stood out, and I would like to share about them. “Here With Us” by Nancy Ellen Hird is about an adoptive mother. I love the idea of adoption because my daughter has a desire to adopt someday. Kristie, an adoptive mother, has rushed home from a business trip after learning that she and her husband have been given a baby. She is overjoyed, but more than a little nervous as she reaches for the newborn in her husband’s arms.

She and Matt love their new little bundle of joy, a sweet baby girl. In a private moment with her sister Lisa, Kristie expresses fear that the birth mother might change her mind and want her baby back. Lisa reassures her, but also offers that all children go away someday, and that we are just borrowing them from the Lord. Kristie relaxes and rejoices at the amazing gift she and her husband have received. As our children grow, we need to learn to let go, and place them into God’s loving care.

Another story I particularly enjoyed is “Haiti’s Song,” by Deborah Raney. It is about a young woman, Valerie Austin, whose fiancé, Will, has just called off their wedding after most of the arrangements have been made. He comes to realize he never wants children, and yet Valerie does.

From a young age, Valerie had dreamed of having children. She had sewn many children’s clothes as a young teen, placing them in her hope chest for the future. Heartbroken when her wedding is called off, Valerie donates the clothes to charity.

In Haiti and working at an orphanage, she begins to love the children around her, and finds herself at peace with God’s calling. All of a sudden, she starts to recognize the clothes she had made years ago, worn by the children she works with. She knows that God is giving her a message. She believes He is pleased with her sacrifice and will use her in a mighty way, even if she never has children of her own. I found this story to be particularly heartwarming.

This little book is filled with all kinds of stories about mothers. It is sure to inspire you to do your best wherever God has called you.

Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They lost their oldest son Craig when he was 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have five grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, Molly, and Hudson. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.

For A Day of Remembrance–Book Reviews by Donna Fujimoto

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, published by Clarion Books (Reissue edition 2011) is a Newbery Award-winning classic. This book is a good choice if your ten to twelve-year-old needs to read about issues surrounding World War II.  It is set in Denmark and told from the perspective of ten-year-old Annemarie.  German soldiers occupy her country. Bad things are beginning to happen to her Jewish neighbors. Her best friend, Ellen, and her family are threatened. Annemarie’s parents decide to hide Ellen in their home by pretending the girls are sisters.

After a close call, Annemarie’s mother takes the girls to visit Uncle Henrik, a fisherman. He has been very busy since the German occupation started.  Annemarie slowly comprehends that her family has many ties to Denmark’s Resistance. She wants to help.

Uncle Henrik makes a daring attempt, along with other Danish fishermen, to smuggle Ellen’s family and other Jewish countrymen across the sea to Sweden.  When Annemarie’s mother twists her ankle, Annemarie undertakes a vital part of this mission.  Will she make it past the German patrols with their guard dogs?

Number the Stars describes the heroism of ordinary people doing what is right in the face of powerful wrong. It gives young readers a sense of another time and place in an important period of history.  Though it captures the tension of war, the story ends on a note of hope. There is a five-page afterword that gives details of the history surrounding the story.

If you know a high school student who wants to read about the Holocaust, I recommend The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. While honestly presenting the harsh realities of that time, it leaves the reader uplifted.

Corrie Ten Boom is the daughter of a watchmaker in Holland. Her father is a man of deep faith and compassion. When the Nazis occupy their country during World War II, the entire family participates in the resistance. Part of their work involves housing displaced Jews. Most of the time the family treat the Jews as houseguests, but when soldiers make raids looking for Jews to cart off to prison camps, their guests hide in a secret room built into the back wall of Corrie’s bedroom.

After one such raid, Corrie’s entire family is arrested. Some family members are released and returned home, but Corrie and her sister Betsie are imprisoned in a concentration camp.

Betsie finds reasons to rejoice in every circumstance, but Corrie struggles with hatred for their cruel prison guards and the filthy conditions in which they live. Corrie is sustained by the Scriptures and the vitamins she has managed to smuggle into the camp. She and Betsie share their faith with other women in their barracks. Despite suffering and loss, Corrie learns that the more she loses, the closer she feels to God. Her faith grows stronger as she grows weaker.

Corrie is released shortly before the war ends. She goes on to carry a message of love and forgiveness to refugees and broken societies across Europe, including Germany.

This true story was remarkable for me to read as an adult. Both of my children read it in place of another book in the high school Holocaust curriculum. It gave my teens perspective on how the light of faith can carry a person through the deepest darkness.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom with Elizabeth and John Sherill and first published in 1971 is available both through Amazon and Christian Book Distributors.

Donna Fujimoto’s children love to read. She is a graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary. Her collection of short stories, 9 Slightly Strange Stories with an Uplifting Edge  is available as an e-book at Amazon. 

Written on the Wind–A Review by Patsy Ledbetter

Written on the Wind by Judith Pella and published by Bethany House (2002), will definitely inform you about World War II. This is the first book in the Daughters of Fortune series. There are four books in the series. Many things I read in Written on the Wind, especially regarding Soviet Union and World War II, I had not known before. It will also make you think of what is most important in life, relationships with the Lord and loved ones. 

The story is mainly about Cameron Hays, a journalist for the newspaper her father owns, The Los Angeles Journal. He inherited it from his father-in-law many years ago. Keagan Hays is fifty years old and extremely pig-headed. He is selfish, self-centered, and seemingly unconcerned about his three daughters: Cameron, Blair, and Jackie, as well as his wife Cecelia.

When Keagan informs his daughter Cameron that he will not send her to Russia to cover stories about the war, she goes to work for his competitor. Max Arnett, the editor of The Globe, considers sending her to cover news stories in the Soviet Union. 

When Cameron was a young girl, her family moved to Russia for six years as her father was working over there. She really loved it and always wanted to return. Her father sends Johnny Shenahan to Russia, telling Cameron it is way too dangerous for a woman to go. Johnny is one of Cameron’s best friends, but she feels betrayed by her father. She wants his approval and is determined to prove herself to him, despite his indifference to her.

Jackie, the nineteen-year-old youngest daughter in the family is the only one of the siblings following the Lord. The others have been turned off, hurt by their father’s rejection. They are all looking for love, but the oldest two want to present themselves as strong and in need of nothing. Throughout the books, they all draw closer to the Lord and realize their need for him. 

Cameron and Johnny both end up in Russia and their eyes are opened in many ways. They realize they can’t just send articles back due to intense censorship. They endure many air raids as the Germans bomb the area. They also meet others who have struggled and endured much. 

Different events take place in the story, and when it concludes, you are ready to start on the next book. I learned a lot from this story and enjoyed it very much. I know you will as well. It is best enjoyed by readers eighteen and above.

Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They lost their oldest son Craig when he was 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have five grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, Molly, and Hudson. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.

Passover, 2024

Passover begins tonight, Monday, April 22, 2024 at sundown and ends at sundown, Tuesday, April 30. Knowing about Passover blesses Christian kids. You might say it’s an essential.

Passover is a remembrance and sacred celebration of the freedom that God brought to the Israelites when he brought them out of slavery in Egypt. In the gospels we read about Jesus and his disciples celebrating the Passover on the night before the morning of Good Friday. Jesus helped his disciples know that he was now going to free them from a greater bondage–a bondage to sin. The Passover of Egypt so many years before was a foreshadowing of the bigger plan of God. Jesus would soon become their and our Passover lamb, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 (NIV). Knowing about Passover will nourish your child’s soul, pointing him to the greatness and goodness of God. Our God cares for and delivers his beloved ones.

We can recommend two books that we have previously reviewed, the beautifully illustrated Exodus and Walk with Y’shua Through the Jewish Year which has a chapter on the Passover.

Patsy has also found a fun, interactive book for children (you’ll have fun too) that tells about the origin of Passover and how Jews celebrate it.

ABC Passover Hunt, written by Tilda Balsley, illustrated by Helen Poole, and published by Kar-Ben Publishing (2016), isn’t your everyday picture book. The first page says, “An alphabet Passover scene. Find all the letters in between!” The last page reads, ” Z’man cheruteinu……We celebrate that we are free! Happy Passover to every family!”

On each page of this book and for each letter of the alphabet, there is a word pertaining to Jewish history, the Bible or the Passover holiday. The book uses questions and colorful, cartoon-like drawings to explain aspects of Passover and its celebration. For example, the question on the “B” page asks what was baby Moses’ boat on the Nile. The drawing on the page shows a box, an inner tube, a leaf, a rowboat, a rubber ducky, and a basket. The child guesses which was Moses’ boat. The answers to all of the questions are at the end of the book.

I found ABC Passover Hunt interesting and fun, with poems that rhyme and that describe what is being conveyed. Pictures depict Bible characters, food used in the Passover meal, maps, families celebrating together, etc. There are some Hebrew letters and words. One of the questions for the letter N is “Nisan…..This is the month that Passover’s in. On which day does it begin?” As I mentioned before, all the answers are on the last page of the book, in addition to a paragraph entitled “About Passover.”

This book describes and illustrates Passover in a very clear way that young children can understand. The best age of readers would be from four to twelve years. I learned a lot from this 32-page book and I hope you will as well.

Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They lost their oldest son Craig when he was 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have five grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, Molly, and Hudson. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.

Two Books on WWII, Wounded Tiger and Ghosts of Honolulu–Reviews by Tom Hird

Here are two books that guys of high school and college age might appreciate for their honest coverage of WW II on the Pacific Front, one with an unusual perspective and another filling in ignored pages from the historical record. Wounded Tiger by T. Martin Bennett, published by Dynamic Books (2014,2016,2023) follows the life of Mitsuo Fuchida, the pilot who commanded the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Ghosts Of Honolulu by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll, Jr., published by Harper Select (2023) chronicles two intriguing aspects of Hawaiian history. The authors portray the development of the counterintelligence community that led to the contemporary institution we know as NCIS—yes, the service dramatized on TV for eighteen seasons. They also depict the difficult story of the patriotic Hawaiian population of Japanese ancestry before, during and after WW II.

The reader will appreciate that Wounded Tiger, for the most part, reads like a novel. As a young officer, Fuchida is caught up in the patriotism that motivates his military actions. The reader sees the quality of character that makes him an effective leader. Against the unfolding backdrop of history you also gain an interesting perspective on his beliefs, questions, misgivings, and eventual Christian conversion.

As a young, effective officer, Fuchida finds himself called to meet privately with the famous naval strategist Admiral Yamamoto. Nervous and intimidated by their difference in rank, Fuchida manages to state his views honestly. To Fuchida’s relief, Yamamoto agrees with his insight. This brief meeting serves to endorse the young officer’s constant assessments of Japan’s strategic successes and failures. Further, he is in a position that will later help him recognize the propaganda campaign that proved the real evil behind Japan’s social and governmental malfunction.

The reader might wonder about the subplot dealing with an American missionary family who must flee Japan to the Philippines as pre-war tensions mount. Their grown children are sent to safety in the US before the war reaches the islands. Yet as the war progresses, the parents escape with American friends into a remote area of tropical beauty which temporarily offsets the dangers of the war around them. The small group will eventually suffer their own horrible end, but they die knowing their eternal destiny. And, God’s plan on earth follows before the book ends—you’ll have to read it yourself to believe this better-than-Hollywood ending.

Fuchida experienced the aftermath of Hiroshima and even the surrender on the USS Missouri in very personal ways that makes this man all the more approachable. He slowly unravels the propaganda campaign that fed lies to the Japanese people, even to the Emperor, as the war approached and then collapsed. In the midst of his self-realizations, Fuchida encounters a miracle that brings him to surprise himself—he speaks out for Jesus.

Ghosts of Honolulu doesn’t read like a novel, though it falls into narrative upon occasion. This book might prove useful to a student because it is well researched and footnoted. The historical figures are numerous, but the story consistently returns to the life and career of Douglas Wada, an unlikely but key figure in the early Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).

Wada was born in Hawaii of Japanese immigrant parents. The book explains the difficult history of how the US dealt with Japanese immigrants and their American-born children—actually both those on the mainland and in Hawaii. As an intelligence officer, Wada and his supportive colleagues must walk a tightrope between fears, assumptions, and realities that those of Japanese extraction face. The book makes one point clear: few investigations led to even a hint of disloyalty.

Post-surrender, Wada helps to organize and lead the document translation unit of the war crimes tribunal in Tokyo. Yearning for home, Wada returns to witness a return to normalcy in Honolulu. Yet one satisfaction eludes the counterintelligence team. The one real spy they identified following the Pearl Harbor attack actually manages to evade capture. The spy also avoids any penalty when the Treaty of San Francisco offers amnesty for unsettled war crimes.

Wada’s later career brings him back to Japan, again translating for high echelon offices and officials. As a new type of subversive becomes a focus of the ONI, it’s likely he evaluated Japanese POWs, those returning from Russian and Chinese camps, for hints of communist indoctrination. The authors briefly track the separation of the NIS, Naval Investigative Service, which will pursue criminals, from the ONI, which continues to deal with intelligence and counterintelligence. Then they credit the service of Wada and his colleagues for the eventual creation of the NCIS portrayed in the TV series.

These books deal with leadership, but not necessarily the ‘command’ kind. Both accounts deal with those qualities of character that flow from taking personal responsibility, getting your own job done, working effectively with a range of colleagues, and accepting the strengths and weaknesses of the surrounding community. Wada worked diligently to keep the US safe from tyranny. Fuchida heard God all along and eventually figured out where the voice was coming from. These men focused on using and developing the talents provided them.

Tom Hird is a university professor, retired. For more than ten years he has been a member of a men’s book club, reading and discussing both great fiction and an eclectic range of non-fiction. He believes that regular readers prove to be better students, because reading widely helps one soak up usage, style and knowledge for a variety of situations in life. He is the copy editor for Books 4 Christian Kids.

The Knight’s Map–a Review by Donna Fujimoto

The Knight’s Map by R.C. Sproul with illustrations by Richard Lawnes, and published by Ligonier Ministries (2016) is a beautifully illustrated children’s storybook. It opens with a letter to parents explaining the purpose and inspiration for the story. The author suggests ways parents can enrich the reading experience. He quotes Matthew 13:45-46, which compares the kingdom of God to a pearl of great price. The story is an allegory based on the parables of Jesus.

A boy tells his father how kids at school are teasing him for reading the Bible, calling it an old book full of made-up stories. His father says that Grandpa may have an answer to that.

That evening, Grandpa gathers the grandchildren around him. He tells them about a knight named Sir Charles who wonders if the Great King that people talk about is real or just a story. One day, the knight receives a letter signed by the Great King, with a map inside. The map promises a wonderful treasure. Sir Charles is not sure if this is true, but finally decides to take a journey to find out.

The map is hard for him to read. He meets Mr. Skeptic, Mr. Idol Maker, and others, who confuse him. He gets lost. He almost gives up his quest. Then Mr. Pilgrim points him to the Lamp Maker, who says he made Sir Charles’ map. He explains the history of the Great King and his Son. After this, the knight understands the map better and is able to follow it more carefully.

On a mountainside, Sir Charles meets the Prince, the Son of the Great King. The Prince takes the knight to stay forever in the Great King’s kingdom. Sir Charles is full of joy.

Grandpa explains to the children that the knight’s map is a picture of the Bible. He says that they must learn to trust it as Sir Charles learned to trust his map as a guide for his life’s journey.

In the back of the book, the author explores the meaning of the story through questions and answers. He lists Bible verses to support each point.

This book would be good to read aloud to children or to give as a gift. It is 37 pages long. On opening it, the reader usually finds a picture on one side and text on the facing page. The story font size is large enough to be easily read. (The note to parents and the questions and answers are in a smaller font.) It is designed for children, ages 8-12. You can find it on Amazon.

Donna Fujimoto’s children love to read. She is a graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary. Her collection of short stories, 9 Slightly Strange Stories with an Uplifting Edge  is available as an e-book at Amazon. 

Happy Easter!

The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulcher on the Morning of the Resurrection by Eugene Burnand, 1898, A. D.

He is Risen!

Spring Break

Spring break is happening next week in my city, and I thought it might just be in yours as well. Even if it’s not, isn’t it time for the kids to get “lost and found” in a good read? We think we can recommend more than a few 😊. Check out Book Lists.

To whet your appetite and theirs, I’m putting up some book covers from books that can be found on the Elementary School and Middle Schoolers list. Enjoy!

Remember reading is good for a kid’s brain. (Better than video games, I’ve been told.) But what they read may either feed their souls or deplete them. I’m for feeding.

Easter books about Jesus–Sweet Gifts for the Soul

Who doesn’t want a little candy at Easter? Just a chocolate egg? Or two? OK, maybe three. So, we’re doing the candy thing, right? Because Easter is a sweet time.

But there’s a sweeter gift—God gave us the gift of forgiveness and new life–enabling us to be members of His Kingdom and daughters and sons of His Heart. Children need books that help them know about this sweet gift for their souls. We can recommend some.

God Gave Us Easter is another book in the series written by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura Bryant. It is published by Waterbrook Press (2013).

Papa Bear surprises Little Cub when he says that Easter is better than Christmas. “Why?” asks Little Cub. Papa Bear explains that because of Easter we can go to heaven and be with Jesus forever.

On a walk, Papa Bear and Little Cub discover all around them ways to better understand Easter. Papa Bear points out ordinary objects like a tree root or a pine cone, but then likens them to extraordinary things. When they come across an egg, Papa Bear explains that the chick cracking out of the egg is much like Jesus coming out of the grave and later rising again.

I really enjoyed these comparisons. Some of them, such as a tree root to the root of Jesse, deal with more advanced truths not usually mentioned in a children’s Easter book. Bergren tackles these difficult concepts but uses simple language in doing so. Older children can be led into some interesting discussions of Papa Bear’s teachings. Younger children will be satisfied to merely soak in the story. A possible drawback of the book is that the cross is not mentioned. Parents of older children will want to bring it up and discuss the importance of the cross.

Bryant’s watercolor and pencil illustrations display spring on each page.

Bergren shows that Easter is more than candy and Easter eggs. Easter is God’s forever love gift of His Son given to all who believe.

Carol Green, a graduate of Northwestern, is the mother of three adult children. Her five grandchildren affectionately call her “Grams cracker.” She is the published author of many poems for both adults and children; three coloring books: God Gave Me Five, ABC Fun Book, and Color God’s World Bright; and the picture book: My Mom Loves Me.

The Best Thing About Easter was written by Christine Harder Tangvald, illustrated by Kathy Couri and published by Standard Publishing, (first paperback printing, 1997). It will let your pre-schooler delight in the fun customs of Easter, but your child will also discover that there is more to Easter than dyeing eggs and eating candy. This little book is short and its words few, but the truth that it conveys is rich and deep and wide. Jesus and His love for us is the best thing about Easter. 

Speaking to the child at eye level, Christine romps through all the customs that many of us keep, helping the child to see the joy in them. With each custom, the author involves the child, asking the child questions about what they like. The story builds—she doesn’t give away the ending before it’s time—and we are in suspense as she tells us that there is something better than dyeing eggs, eating candy, enjoying Spring, and even being together in church. Jesus, she says finally, is the very best thing about Easter.

She tells the story of Easter, acknowledging that it started sad, but she moves quickly and emphatically (“Jesus Did Not Stay Dead! No, He Did Not!”) to the joy that his friends had and that we can have too. With gentleness and yet abundant enthusiasm, she lets the child know that Jesus’ death and resurrection was part of God’s amazing plan. God loves us. A child will hear that God loves them personally and that “Jesus died and lives again . . . for me.” 

I don’t think this book will impress adults. It’s not visually sophisticated and the questions the author asks will not intrigue adults. But I think small children will love this book. It is written at their level. And I think it does something else. It helps a child begin to see what is most important in life, what is best to seek after.

The Bright Light and the Super Scary Darkness written by Dan Dewitt, illustrated by Rea Zhai and published by B&H Kids (2020) uses a poetic approach, looking at darkness and light and echoing the words of John, Chapter 1. This picture book begins by talking to the child about the fear of darkness. Almost all children will relate. Then, as the Bible does, the author likens sin to a kind of darkness. The story says that this kind of darkness entered the world with Adam and Eve. In the next pages it explains that it grew. “It seemed like the darkness was definitely winning.”

The reader then turns the page and receives hope. “But God had not forgotten His people. When the time was right . . .” And then turning the next page . . . “God sent the child of light! . . .His name was Jesus.”

It seems again that darkness wins when Jesus is killed, but then we are told that the darkness is really a scaredy-cat. More than that the darkness has lost–Jesus is alive.

I think you and the kids are going to love this book. The illustrations are evocative, but kid-friendly. There is enough detail to ground the story in the actual events, but it moves beyond and gives us an overall picture of the battle between light and darkness. The book is comforting and reassuring– the light of Jesus wins for those of us who trust in Him. The book is appropriate for children, ages 4-8.

Nancy Ellen Hird is a mom, a writer and a credentialed teacher. (She taught seventh grade and preschool.)  Her latest works for children are I Get a Clue and We All Get a Clue, mystery novels for girls 10-13. For several years she was a freelance reviewer of children’s and teen’s literature for the Focus on the Family website.

Help in This Change of Season

Spring forward/fall back can throw us for a loop. My pastor jokingly told the 11 o’clock service that he was surprised to see that anyone had showed up that morning for the 9 o’clock. At my house I’m not sure when I should start cooking dinner. It’s too light out; it’s still afternoon I tell myself. For little ones and school age children, bedtime can seem way too early. They might even be giving you more of a hard time when they are told its time for bed. Perhaps there’s a way to smooth that out–sweeten the deal. Maybe extending story time a little–or creating a story time if you don’t already have one. Patsy has some great books to recommend. (And you can access more Books 4 Christian Kids suggestions on Book Lists.)

From Patsy Ledbetter –Two Bible storybooks for young children have really impressed my own grandchildren, and I think your little ones will appreciate them as well.

The first, The Jesus Story Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago, is published by Zonderkidz (2007). It is full of bright and beautiful illustrations, and it presents each Bible story in a way that children can understand.

Uniquely, it focuses on the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. “At the center of the story, there is a baby, the Child upon whom everything would depend. From Noah to Moses to King David, every story whispers his name. Jesus is like the missing piece in a puzzle–the puzzle that makes all the other pieces fit together.” (from the back cover)

This storybook is definitely one that your children will enjoy. It is well-written and exciting. Recommended for children preschool age through sixth grade, I think children as young as two years old will like it.

The second Bible storybook, God Gave us the Bible: Forty-five Favorite Stories for Little Ones is written by Lisa Tawn Bergen and illustrated by David Hohn. It is published by Waterbrook (2019).

As in Bergren’s other picture books, (see God Gave Us the World, God Gave Us Easter, God Gave Us Christmas) the characters in this Bible storybook are animals. “Mama Bear gathers Little Cub and all her forest friends to tell them the story of God’s love–through the Bible.” (from the back cover) This storybook has lots of animals and they are adorable. Children love animals and they will love these.

God Gave Us the Bible is a book young children can easily relate to and understand. It includes questions that children might ask. Bergren has the young animals ask the questions and Mama Bear answer them. For example, Little Moose asks this question, “What’s a parable?” Mama Bear replies, “It’s a kind of story that Jesus used to help his followers understand the truth. And it helps us understand God better too.”

One of the pictures in this book I really enjoy is a big table with all the animals gathered around listening to Mama Bear read Bible stories. I know that children enjoy seeing pictures of animals communicating with each other.

This book is recommended for children preschool through second grade, but I think younger children and even some older children will enjoy it.

I believe the children in your life will find these storybooks very interesting, fun as well.

Patsy Ledbetter says she has many titles, but her favorite is being mom to her six children. Her two daughters, two sons and one son-in-law and one-daughter-in-law are her joy. A teacher with forty years experience Patsy has taught children of all ages and also special needs children and adults. She writes occasionally for a local newspaper and performs in church theater productions on a regular basis. She and her husband have been married for more than 35 years. She says, “It is my desire to bring honor and glory to my Lord Jesus in every area where He has allowed me to minister.”