Thank You,Lord,for Everything by P.J. Lyons – illustrated by Tim Warnes

Love surrounds you beauty, too.

Notice how God blesses you!

Clap your hands, shout and sing:

“Thank you, Lord, for everything!”

Thank You, Lord, For Everything is a sweet and gentle rhyme – perfect for bedtime, quiet time, and anytime in between

Review:  What a wonderful little book!!  With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, this short story is a pleasant reminder that we should be grateful, thankful, for the very simple things of life.  The sing-song, rhyming tempo of the book is one of my favorite styles for children.  I love the way each page ends with the title of the book and encourages you to be dramatic and have fun while reading to your children.

The illustrations are charming and  with a very soft water-color effect.  The characters are drawn with such sweetness and are entirely appropriate for children of all ages.  The construction of the book is thick cardboard and should hold up to many readings.

At this time of year, the holiday Thanksgiving seems to disappear in the onslaught of Christmas commercialism.   This sweet little book is a gentle reminder that we absolutely do have much to be thankful for and it is our responsibility to teach and show our children that it’s more of who you have in your life than what.  “Thank You, Lord, For Everything” would make a great addition to your children’s library! (rev. P.Howard)

DISCLOSURE: We received this book from BookLook book review program to facilitate this review. Opinions are those of the reviewer only. We received no compensation to review this book.

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli; Illustrated by Archie Preston

About the book:  “Thankful” – Like the gardener, thankful for every green sprout, and the fireman for putting the fire out.  There are everyday blessings , you don’t need to look far, to know at a glance how special you are.  Beloved children’s author Eileen Spinelli and illustrator Archie Preston inspire children of all ages with “Thankful” a whimsical picture book that celebrates the everyday blessings we find in our lives.
 
Review:  I really like this book.  It is described as whimsical and that is exactly right. The whole book is written like a rhyme, which I find very enjoyable when reading to children.  As I was reading it, my granddaughter immediately came to mind and how she “pretends play.”  Just as a child’s imagination jumps from here to there, this book encourages that same imagination – From a waitress being thankful “for comfortable shoes” to a “local reporter for interesting news;”  then to “the chef is thankful for plates licked clean; the tailor, for her sewing machine.”   Even though this book can and does encourage imagination, it does an even better job of helping us teach our children to be thankful!  Being thankful is absolutely something that has to be taught and must begin at the earliest age possible. 

The illustrations of this book are beautiful.  I like the simplicity and the water color effect on all the pages.  The illustrator has chosen to center the author’s wonderful words around a family – father, mother, brother, and sister.   This is great because, again, teaching someone to be thankful begins at home!

“Thankful” is a wonderful book to have in your children’s library and one that you easily can read daily to your children!  I will be adding this to my collection!! (rev. P.Howard)


DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by the BookLook Blogger Review Program on behalf of Zondervan to facilitate this review. Opinions as those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Country By Mike Berenstain

About the book: The Bear family and their Bear Country neighbors celebrate the Fourth of July with a big parade. But not before the Bear cubs get a lesson about the blessings of freedom for their country. Features 12 full-color stickers.

Review: For the small price of $4.99, you can acquire this republished Berenstain Bears book that has been beloved for years. God Bless Our Country is illustrated in the endearing Berenstain tradition that will charm the current youngsters just as it did many years ago.

The Fourth of July (Independence Day) celebration is approaching and the Berenstain Bears are making preparation to participate in their town's parade and other activities. They are learning about the history of the United States and how faith was a cornerstone in the building of this country.

I just love Berenstain Bears and this reprinting gives wonderful opportunities for children and parents to enjoy the adventures of these lovable bears.

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

Two Renegade Realms by Donita K. Paul

Review: This book is a fantasy and is about several Realm Walkers. A Realm Walker has the ability to travel through portals to other realms. It is discovered that there is going to be an attack by two renegade relams. Cantor and his constant, a dragon names Bridger, along with Bixby and Dukemee, two other Realm Walkers, set out to look for Chomountain, who will be able to help them stop the attack.  When they find Chomountain, he doesn't know who he is, due to a spell that has been placed on him.  The others are amazed at his powers once he realizes that he is Chomountain.  The group splits up to find more dragons to help in their quest.  They find the dragons have been captured and drugged to keep them from escaping.  Once they free the dragons, they travel on to find more Realm Walkers.   They discover that there are many other realm walkers who have been captured, as well.  Once they are all freed, they set out to figure out how to stop the invasion. Chomountain is able to look ahead in time and see how they are invaded and is able to figure out the best way to stop the invasion.  The Realm Walkers and dragons prepare to attack the invaders before they land and are able to prevent an attack from ever taking place.

There was some back story at the beginning and it was not always easy to make sense of it.  There were some enjoyable parts to the story and seeing how the Realm Walkers cared for each other was nice.  I would recommend this book to older teens/young adults who are interested in fantasy. (reviewed by T.Lyles)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of this book was received from the publisher.