Read and Share 5 Minute Bible Stories {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Around here, we never say no to a good book, I have to admit, though, that when I'm feeling especially tired, I am not a fan of the storybooks that have more words than they have pictures. Don't get me wrong - I love reading with my kids and I'll read them any book they bring me from our collection - but if I'm already in danger of falling asleep on the couch, I need a book with an upbeat pace to keep me engaged! Read and Share: 5 Minute Bible Stories is one of our newest titles, and it is perfect for bedtimes when we're all feeling sleepy.

This is a collection of stories retold by Gwen Ellis and illustrated by Steve Smallman, from the publisher Tommy Nelson. The book is split by Old Testament stories and New Testament stories. Each story is just two pages long, making it perfect for bedtime (each kiddo can pick one or two stories) or for a reading marathon (the stories are short enough that I don't mind reading half the book in one sitting)! The highlights of the Old Testament stories include Creation, Noah's ark, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, and Jonah. The New Testament features stories of Jesus' birth, John the Baptist, Jesus' parables and miracles, His death and resurrection, the early church, and a picture of Heaven, via Revelation.

Each story includes the Bible reference for the text the tales are from, as well as a comprehension question to engage kids in the story. The illustrations are engaging and often prompt my kids to ask further questions about what is going on in the story.

This one is already well-loved in our collection and I'm sure we will read it cover to cover many, many times!

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.

Words to Dream On by Diane Stortz {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bedtime in my house seems to consist of a lot of chaos and shenanigans, regardless of how hard I try to instill a good, solid routine. There's always someone running away from getting teeth brushed, or asking for a drink of water after the lights are out, or realizing that their most treasured stuffed puppy is absent without leave.

In the spirit of keeping some consistency in the routine, we always make sure to take the time to stop and read some books before bed, even if the kids are (literally) bouncing off the walls. My favorites are the Bible story collection books - there's no better way for my kids to drift to sleep than with the promises of Jesus at the front of their minds.

This book - Words to Dream On by Diana Stortz - has been one of our favorites in recent weeks. It contains beautifully illustrated renditions of 52 Bible stories. Each story is told in just a few pages, which makes them perfect for bedtime reading. The illustrations by Diane Le Feyer are warm and feature characters full of emotion, which helps bring the stories to life for little listeners.

Each story features a story from the Bible (most of them are fairly well-known), written in terms easy for kids to understand. At the end of the story, we find both a Bedtime Blessing and a Sleepy-Time Prayer, which help to tie it all together for the kids. I love watching my children become familiar with the stories of Joseph, Moses, David, and Jesus. I get to live vicariously through their childhood faith and see the Bible come to life right before my own eyes, too! The book features a place on the cover page to inscribe who the book is to and from, which makes it a perfect gift.

We're so glad to have this title in our collection and I know it will be loved greatly throughout the years!

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.

Tiny Bear's Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

We love reading, and were so excited to receive Tiny Bear's Bible to review. This little book is a story Bible designed for kids who are 6 and under, which means it's just perfect for 4-year-old Lincoln and 2-year-old Addie.

This Bible story collection, written by bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones, has been really popular with my kids. They love the fuzzy bear on the cover and I love that each page contains a reminder that God is watching out for us and cares about even the smallest worries in our lives.

The book features stories of Creation, Noah, David, Daniel, Zacchaeus, and more. There are also pages retelling the truths of Jesus' birth, Jesus calming the storm, and the Lord's Prayer. Each page contains only a paragraph or two, which is perfect for the attention span of my toddler and preschool readers.

The illustrations by Igor Oleynikov are warm and comforting, and my kids love to point out the little bear on each page! The book is very durable and has survived being tossed around our house on more than one occasion.

Teaching kids about the love of Jesus is not something that can happen with the reading of one book or the telling of one tale, so I'm grateful to have books like this in our collection to help us keep the Bible in our everyday consciousness. It can be hard to find consistency in teaching when you're keeping up with little ones and I'll be the first to admit that I fail at this often. I love having this book to help me show my kids how much God loves them - even when they are afraid, alone, or fearful!

We're big fans of Tiny Bear's Bible and I think it will be a well-loved title in our family library. What's the favorite storybook in your house right now?

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.

Look Inside The Time of Jesus {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own. 

My children are definitely visual learners, though I think most toddler and preschool kids probably tend to be that way. When you're little and you don't understand everything in your day-to-day life, how could someone expect you to take foreign concepts like science or history at face value? There would be no grounds for understanding what you're being told! In some regards, I've found this applies when I am telling Lincoln and Addie stories from the Bible, too. Whether they're learning about Joseph or Daniel or Jesus, it's hard for them to really get it without some sort of visual. So, I was really excited when I was given the chance to check out Look Inside The Time of Jesus: A Lift-the-Flap Discovery Book. 

After several years working in a library where I had the chance to present storytimes, I learned quickly that kids love interactive books. And once I had kids of my own, it became clear that any title with a flap or peek-a-boo hole or pop up is going to be an oft-repeated edition in our home library. This book features multiple flaps on each page, and Lincoln and Addie love to take turns lifting them to find out what's hiding under the first illustration.

Being able to read to my kids about Jesus' birth, his growing up years, his ministry, and even his trial, death, and resurrection and have them be mesmerized by the story is so wonderful! Lincoln is always asking questions about the things we read, and this book has opened up a lot of discussions with him about the life of Jesus. The most popular pages of the book are the ones with the most flaps!

Some children's books make parents groan when the child presents it for storytime yet again - but this is not one of them! I genuinely enjoy reading this book to my kids, even multiple times in the same day!

The book is beautifully sized with 8 1/2x11" pages that hold up to multiple sessions of little hands tugging and pulling at the flaps. It is perhaps targeted to a slightly older age group than my 3- and 2-year-olds, but we've had great success with it here regardless. We're so pleased to have this book in our collection - and I know we will be reading it for many years to come! This book retails for $14.99 and can be found on Amazon.

Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing my review sample!  I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own.  For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.  

Guess Who Noah's Boat by Matt Mitter {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own. 

My kids are obsessed with interactive books. Like, way obsessed. If it has flaps, makes noise, or anything along those lines, they're guaranteed to like it. Of course, when we check said books out from the library, we tend to end up with a hefty library bill courtesy of toddler hands...but I digress.

The latest addition to our interactive book collection has been a huge hit, so I'm really excited to share it with all of you. Guess Who Noah's Boat, written by Matt Mitter and illustrated by Ela Jarzabek, is the sweetest book that is perfect for the toddler and preschool ages of my kids.

This book provides a good introduction to the story of Noah's Ark. Filled with rhyming text and adorable pictures, the book gives us a very quick peek at what life may have looked like aboard the ark. Each page includes a lift-the-flap feature that holds the answer to the "Guess who, Noah!" question in the story text.

While all of the creatures of the animal kingdom are not included in this book, there is a good variety - lions, tigers, sheep, rabbits, giraffes, ostriches, butterflies, frogs, mice, hippos, monkeys, chickens, horses, bears, turtles and many more. Each page occupies my almost two-year-old daughter for several minutes because she is determined to name each and every animal species.

Ela Jarzabek's vibrant illustrations are friendly and inviting, while the text is easy to read and is printed largely enough for a beginning reader's ease. Overall, we have really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading it many more times!

Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing my review sample!  I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own.  For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.

99 Stories from the Bible {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review from Kregel Publications. All opinions expressed below are my own. 

My kids are both in a wonderful stage where they want to read all the time. I am hoping that this never ends, because I'm enjoying it so much! We have a ridiculous number of books in our collection (what else would you expect from two librarian parents?), so we don't often get stuck on the same title.

99 Stories from the Bible by Juliet David is an exception. This very bright and colorful storybook is a new favorite in our house. Lincoln has just within the last few weeks expressed an interest in picture books instead of small, short board books. This was one of the first books I showed him, and he loves it. It is a large storybook, with 196 pages filled with beautiful illustrations by Elina Ellis.

The book covers a plethora of important Biblical stories - from Creation to Noah's Ark, baby Moses in the basket, Samson, Samuel in the temple, and many many more. Also included are some of the more unexpected stories - wise King Solomon, the Tower of Babel, King Ahab and others. 

One-year-old Adelaide loves this book, too, although we have to keep it out of her reach to avoid the pages being destroyed! This beautiful book is hardbound and is an excellent addition to a child's library. I know that it will be well-loved in our house - for many years to come!

Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing my review sample!  I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own.  For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.