Say & Pray Bible: First Words, Stories, and Prayers by Diane Stortz; Illustrated by Sarah Ward

About the book: Say and pray the Bible with your little Ones!  Curl up together and experience the Bible in a fresh, new way.  Young children will enjoy pointing to and naming objects on each page for early learning.  Most important, they’ll discover favorite, age-appropriate Bible stories, with Scripture verses and short prayers that also hide God’s Word in young hearts.

Review:   “Say & Pray”  is a very cute beginner’s Bible for toddlers.  It has a total of 20 stories in the book:  10 from the Old Testament and 10 from the New Testament.  All of the stories should be familiar to anyone who has spent much time in Sunday School or youth group – Creation, Noah & the Ark, Joseph & his coat of many colors are just a few from the Old Testament.  Some from the New Testament are the Birth of Jesus, the Good Samaritan, and Jesus’ Resurrection.

The illustrations are nice and child-like.  I like the “word balloons” with single words describing animals, objects, & people.  This point-and-say method is very easy for a toddler to grasp.  The actual construction of the book is quite nice as well.  The pages are thick cardboard and easy to turn.

“Say & Pray Bible” would make a nice gift for new parents and great introduction to Bible for toddlers. (rev. P.Howard)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by the BookLook Blogger Review Program on behalf of the publisher, Thomas Nelson. Opinions are those of the reviewer and no compensation was received for this review.

Bedtime Devotions with Jesus My Daily Devotional for Kids By Johnny Hunt Published by Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 978-0718036454

About the book: Bedtime is a precious time to spend with your child.  After the busyness of the day is done before your child nods off to sleep, snuggle up to read God’s Word and daily reminders about how much He loves and takes care of us.

Bedtime Devotions with Jesus is a collection of prayers and devotions written by pastors and other church leaders.  In this book are lessons on such topics as thankfulness, obedience, trusting God, being kind, loving others, and many more. God’s Word comes alive using simple language and delightful illustrations.  This book will teach your child the value and joy of spending time with God each day.

Review: Bedtime Devotions with Jesus is a very nice children’s devotional book. It has 52 weeks of devotions – one for Monday-Saturday.  Each devotion is definitely short enough for quick Bible time, but yet allows the parent to go deeper in discussion of a particular devotional topic.  It is definitely age appropriate for 2-5 year olds.  I believe it is vital to begin devotions at infancy and this book can easily help parents with that goal.

The graphics are really quite beautiful.  They have a water-color effect and who doesn’t love teddy bears.  The size of the book is great even for children’s small hands.

Although the title says “bedtime,” this really can be an anytime book.  Bedtime Devotions with Jesus would make a wonderful gift for new parents or grandparents.  (rev. P.Howard)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided to facilitate this review by the BookLook Blogger Review Program on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing. Opinions are those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review. See it here.

A Warrior's Faith: Navy SEAL Ryan Job, A Life-Changing Firefight and The Belief That Transformed His Life, By Robert Vera

ISBN: 9781400206780

A Warrior’s Faith is a well written and thoughtful portrayal of Ryan Job’s service to the United States as a Navy Seal. Vera does a masterful job of detailing the personal consequences of Job’s service to his country and fellow Seals.  As a history teacher and a Christian, I found the storyline to be compelling and arresting.

We are introduced to Ryan Job and the author while they are on a hike sponsored by Camp Patriot for wounded veterans. The difficulty of that hike for a blind veteran is indicative of the grit of Job and his story. Throughout the book; Vera makes reference to the contrast between the biblical story of Job and the contemporary account of Ryan Job’s trials and triumphs. This comparison is done with compassion, humor, and in a very matter of fact way. Seemingly like the way Ryan Job came face to face with a radically transformed life due to the nature of his injuries.

Each of us will go through life at our own pace, but no one is totally independent. Vera explains throughout the narrative how he came along side Job, that it was a God thing, leaving a successful and apparently secure financial career. Like the disciple Peter who steps out of a boat by faith to walk with Jesus on the water, Vera stepped out by faith and walked along side Ryan Job. Vera humbly recounts the struggles of assisting a blind man and with humor sheds light on the transformation that took place in Job’s life as a result of a sniper’s bullet that found its target on a roof top in Ramadi, Iraq.

“A Warrior’s Faith” is a story of the transforming power of faith. The author of the biblical book, Hebrews, tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Our lives are faith journeys; and Vera powerfully and personally shares his faith journey with us on the pages of his book.

Vera gives the reader  a look behind the headlines that captivate for only a moment, thus providing us with a simple, no nonsense look into the brief but important life of an American hero: Ryan Job. (reviewed by Ken Delorge, Principal, ACS)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by BookLook on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing to facilitate this review. Opinions are those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.