Sammy Experiences God

Sammy Experiences God
Written by Rom Blackaby and Rick Osborne
Published at B&H Publishing Group

About the book

Sammy Experiences God is a classically illustrated children's book inspired by the Experiencing God teachings of Henry Blackaby. It will help kids begin to understand that God is not far off or hiding from them, and that they can experience his love and involvement in their lives as they follow him.

One evening when little Sammy announces after his bedtime prayers that he is going to look for God, his parents soon enough understand that the boy literally means what he said. When events like a night of camping under the stars and a hike up a small mountain don't bring Sammy what he's looking for, mom and dad try to explain that God is everywhere. But discouragement and a lack of understanding follow.

One day Grandpa Henry figures out what everyone else is missing. Sammy wants to have an encounter with God like the ones he has read about in the Bible -- like Abraham under the stars and Moses at the burning bush after climbing a mountain. Like Jacob, like Elijah, like the disciples.

Grandpa tells Sammy of another Sammy from the Bible (Samuel at age 12), reaching the child with a simple explanation of how we can all experience God's love, wisdom, and help right in the middle of everyday life.

My Thoughts

I received this book in a package deal with two other titles linked to the Experiencing God at Home.   If you are familiar with the book Experiencing God, you will immediately recognized the name Blackaby and know a bit of what the book is about.   After many  years of transforming believers throughout the world, the Experiencing God book has been adapted in order to help you transform your household.  Today, I am presenting the book that is specifically geared to children.  The idea is to help kids to grasp the principles of Experiencing God at their own level.

You can read the book with your kids and then have other fun activities to do with it – Bible stories to explore, conversation starters, find the frogs that are hiding through the pages, decode secret messages and discover the Looking for God feature.   This book will allow the kids to experience God not only in their head but in their heart and lives as well.    This book will permit them to understand His ways and His will for our lives.  

The illustrations accompanying the text are simply fabulous and colorful which will definitively grab the attention of your child.  The story itself is simple to read and fun to go through with your kids.   I strongly recommend that parents sit down with their kid for the first reading and take the initiative to daily go through the Bible stories in order to explore together the Word of God.

This book would make a perfect gift for a dedication or a child baptism.    I think it would be a perfect book for the personal library in your home.

Sammy Experiences God is available at your favourite bookstore, even at amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   

The book is also available on Kindle.

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to B&H Books for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Year Comes Round

The Year Comes Round – Haiku Through the Seasons
Written by: Sid Farrar
Published at Albert Whitman & Company

About the book

Brown bear politely
offers to surrender his
den to nosy skunk

Twelve nature-themed haiku accompanied by lush illustrations take the reader from January to December. A great way to introduce children to the traditional Japanese poetry form.

My Thoughts

I was mainly interested in this book because of the Haiku style of the writing.   I was introduced to Haiku when my oldest son was testing a new writing curriculum last year.   And we loved it.   So when I saw that this book was written in an Haiku style I thought it would be a nice addition to our personal library.

Haiku is a poem written in a very particular way.   It is made of only three lines with a certain number of syllable for each of the lines (five for the first line, seven for the second and five for the third).  The book itself goes through the months of the year and illustrate the seasons as they go by.  

The book is mostly geared for grades preschool to second grade but can be used for teaching all levels I think.   As an homeschool mom, I find it interesting when I find a book that illustrate and give example of various form of writings.  This book is simply done but is a marvelous example of what an Haiku is and how it can be adapted to many things.

For fun I wrote my own Haiku about the book

Easy way to learn

Of haiku and the seasons

For kids and parents

The Haikus found in this book is accompanied with beautiful images illustrating the time of the year presented in the poem.  At the end of the book, you will also get a page on what is an Haiku and some information about the seasons.

I would like to recommend this book to anyone wanting to introduce their kids to a fun way of writing poems.   

The Year Comes Round is available at your favourite bookstore, even at amazon.ca or amazon.com.

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Noah Webster and His Words

Noah Webster & His Words
Written by Jeri Chase Ferris
Published at Houghton Mifflin

About the book

Webster’s American Dictionary is the second most popular book ever printed in English. But who was that Webster? Noah Webster (1758–1843) was a bookish Connecticut farm boy who became obsessed with uniting America through language. He spent twenty years writing two thousand pages to accomplish that, and the first 100 percent American dictionary was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old. This clever, hilariously illustrated account shines a light on early American history and the life of a man who could not rest until he’d achieved his dream. An illustrated chronology of Webster’s life makes this a picture perfect bi-og-ra-phy [noun: a written history of a person's life].

Who is Jeri Chase Ferris?

Jeri Chase Ferris is the award-winning author of eleven biographies for children and young adults. She specializes in biographies of women and minorities - people who have done great and important deeds, but have been overlooked in history. "We all like to be treated fairly," Jeri says. "Many of the people I write about were not treated fairly. My books set the record straight." She lives in California. This is her first book with Houghton Mifflin. Visit her website at www.jerichaseferris.com!

My Thoughts

Yesterday it would have been the birthday of Noah Webster – he would have turned 254 years old.   But who is this man who decided that words were so important that the American people needed their own dictionary?

In this little book geared for children you will discover the life of the man behind the tool that helps us when we are writing – the dictionary. Thanks to his teacher who convinced his dad of the possibilities in sending Noah’s to Yale, this young man has become the author of the second most popular book ever printed in English, after the Bible. But the journey in publishing the famous dictionary has taken quite some time.    He first published a speller, then a grammar and finally a reader book before thinking of putting a dictionary together.  You would think that by then he would have been more comfortable financially but that wasn’t the case as the printers became rich but not Noah Webster.   He wrote numerous schoolbooks during his lifetime and when he decided to write his dictionary he decided that he needed to learn 20 different languages (including Arabic, Italian and Welsh) to help the people to discover where their words came from.   What an undertaking!   He started writing his dictionary in 1807 and it was officially published in 1828. 

Today, we can still access the 1828 version of the Noah Webster’s dictionary which is quite popular among homeschoolers.   It is still available in printed as well as online.   Recently I also discovered that you can download two apps for 99 cents each – A-M and N-Z – which I immediately purchased so we can refer to it whenever we wanted to.   The beauty of this edition is that the definition are Christian based compared to the 2012 edition.

This book is a beautiful biography that will highlights the life of Noah Webster.   If you want your kids to learn more about the man behind the tool they used to write, this book is a wonderful addition to your personal library.

Noah Webster & His Words is available at your favourite bookstore, even at amazon.ca or amazon.com.

    

Oh!  And if want to paper edition of the 1828 Webster Dictionary you can find it also on amazon.ca or amazon.com.

    

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Hands-On Bible

Hands-On Bible – Updated Edition
Published at Tyndale

About this Bible
Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations. The Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. This new edition features updated tip-ins, a more portable size for kids, an attractive cover, and online parenting helps. With hundreds of fun, memorable activities (A “Do-It” activity in EVERY feature!) and the full New Living Translation text, the Hands-On Bible is packed with activities and experiences that invite kids to crawl inside the Scriptures and “do” God’s Word!

My Thoughts
This bible is not only for reading but for experiencing it as well.   I knew about this bible.  In fact, our church plant has ordered one so we can use it with the kids during the services.   And since that copy belonged to the church, I didn’t had it at home for homeschool.  In fact, I was seriously thinking of purchasing a copy so I can do the various activities that you can found in it.  Imagine my surprise and my excitement when I learned that Tyndale was organizing a blog tour for the updated edition.

This bible is …. how can I express it? ….  Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

This bible contains not only the New Living Translation text of the Bible, but also experiments, crafts, snacks, journals and so much more.    The kids will also have a 52 key verse activities to help them learn, understand and live the Bible truths.

This wonderful and innovative bible can be used as a daily devotion/weekly activities during the year.   It is also perfect to complement homeschool learning in a fun and creative way.    We are planning to use this bible when the new school year starts. 

And there’s more.   A website has been launched and contains tons of fantastic devotions, reading plans and songs.   You will also find a parents section where you can share what you’ve done with the Hands-On Bible.  Simply go to http://www.myhandsonbible.com/ to discover all the fun that you can have as a family!   I’ve already downloaded the devotions, reading plans and songs on my ipod.   I look forward to use them with my children during the upcoming school year. 

Curious about it? Check it out for yourself by reading the first chapter! 

This review was possible because I received a copy of the Hands-On Bible from Tyndale.

The Hands-On Bible is available everywhere even at amazon.ca.



 GREAT NEWS!!!!! 
The wonderful people at Tyndale provided an award certificate so that one person can win a copy of the Hands-On Bible.     Isn’t it fantastic?

Here’s what you have to do.
1) Go to MyHandsOnBible.com and check out the Hands-On Family Devotions.   Come back and tell me which one would be fun to do with your family.  (PS you will have to sign up to access them - It's FREE!).

This entry is mandatory before proceeding further.

More entries opportunity if you do the following…
2) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! on Blogger (see right side of the blog) and let me know about it.
3) Like Canadianladybug Reviews! on facebook and let me know about.
4) Follow me on twitter and leave me your twitter ID.
5) Blog about this contest and give me your link in a comment.

Don’t forget to include your email for each steps.   No email means I will have to pick someone else.    I need to be able to contact you if you win!

Open to US and Canadians residents.

DEADLINE: July 30th @ 12pm (EST)

Mighty Acts of God – A Family Bible Story Book

Mighty Acts of God – A Family Bible Story Book

Written by Starr Meade and Illustrated by Tim O’Connor
Published at Crossway

About the book
"Do as David did. Don't do as Saul did. Follow this Old Testament person, but not that New Testament person." That's what you may find in many Bible story books. In Mighty Acts of God Starr Meade takes a new approach to teaching the Bible to elementary school aged children: she focuses not on characters in Scripture, but on God. Each of the ninety Bible stories included focus on a particular character trait or truth about God, emphasizing that God is the main character in every Bible story.

Each story in Mighty Acts of God is retold in lively, modern-day language from a Reformed perspective, and is followed by an application section with several discussion-sparking questions and prayer points. By moving chronologically through both the Old and New Testaments, parents and children glimpse the person of God as one of consistency, vibrancy, passion, and love.

Designed for families with children ages four through ten, this Bible story book takes a panoramic, chronological look at the character of God.

Who are Starr Meade and Tim O’Connor?
Starr Meade is a graduate of Arizone College of the Bible and the author of Training Hearts, Teaching Minds and Keeping Holiday. She currently teaches homeschool students in Mesa, Arizona.

Tim O’Connor has illustrated various Christian children’s books, including My Bedtime Anytime Storybook and My Pajama Bible.

My Thoughts
My first reaction when I received this book to review was “Crossway do publish lots of Bible Story books lately.” Honestly I didn’t know what to expect from this new Family Bible Story Book. But I must say that I am quite surprised and pleased with it.

You will find definition of words that as Christian we used often like grace, sin or predestine for examples. You will have a key verse to learn together as well as the reference of the story in the Bible. The stories themselves are more like devotionals based on the Bible and written so that the kids can understand it better. Finally each story is completed with suggestions on how to discuss and apply the lesson learned. And these suggestions are interesting. For example, one of the things to do as a family is to consider together some problem areas where God does not seem to be doing anything and the pray for God to work in these situations and ask Him for grace to trust that he is working, even when we don’t see it.

As a homeschooler I can see using this book throughout a year with one story per week. This book is a wonderful addition to your personal library. It can also become a wonderful gift for young families.

This review was possible because I received a copy of Mighty Acts of God from Crossway.

Mighty Acts of God is available everywhere even at amazon.ca and indigo.ca.

Stonz Booties

Stonz Booties

Made in Canada

Not to long ago, I came upon a company that I have never heard of before. So I contacted them and offered to do a review for one of their products and they totally agreed. They have send me a Stonz Wear Booties and I was able to choose the model I wanted. Since my daughter is two and she wears size 5 for her shoes, I have been suggested to go with the Large size. Can you guess which model I’ve picked? Just check it out – it is so cute...

The Product

Stonz Wear baby booties are designed with a wide opening to slip on easily over bare feet, socks, sleepers, shoes or their Linerz. They are made with a durable coated nylon that is water and wind resistant to keep babies feet warm and dry. The booties have two toggles at the calf and ankle for a custom fit and ensuring the booties stay on.

Stonz Wear started because a mom named Lisa was very active and living on the West Coast of Canada. She quickly discovered that finding warm footwear for her young children was an impossible task. She was keeping her own son warm by wrapping scarves around his legs. She then met another mom who had made a special boot that looked like a fleece-lined chalk bag. Lisa knew there was a niche for these booties on the market. Together, the two moms created some samples and went to their first trade show back in 2004.

The booties can be worn on bare feet or with something else like a shoe for example. They all well made with fleece inside and nylon outside of the book. Consequently, they are wind and rain resistant. However, the Stonz booties have not been designed for everyday wear on concrete surfaces. So be careful where your child walks with these on...

The Stonz booties are made by hand, locally in Vancoucer, BC, Canada.

My Thoughts
I didn’t know what to expect before I got the booties. Nothing is better than to have the product in your hands. And let me tell you that I was pleasantly surprise by the quality of the booties when I got them. You can recognize a product that speaks loudly about quality when you see one and the Stonz Wear Booties are such a product.  And how can I resist the fact that the booties had a ladybug on it.  

The booties I’ve received are big enough that I can put a shoe inside. When I slip my cold hands inside the booties, I can see that the fleece will help the feet to be warm. The outside nylon seem robust enough to sustain the rough play of a child outside and the sole looks like it would help to reduce the slipping on the ice. The design on the side of  booties is well made as well.   The best is that the booties are machine washable and dry when you put them inside out on delicate. It can’t be better than that.

My only concern is about the two adjustable toggles at the calf and ankle. These tighten around the child’s foot so that the bootie fits better and stay on the said foot. My concern about these is because I have a very curious little girl who would more than likely pull on them constantly since they are on the front of the boot. I wonder if putting them at the back of the boot would be better...

Now, my only problem is that my daughter doesn’t want to wear them when we go outside. Mind you, knowing that they are not designed to be used on concrete surfaces, it’s probably better. But I just thought that I could convince her to wear them so we can go visit the grand-parents. There is nothing I can do to convince her. She wants her boots and that’s all she wants. *sigh* (could it be that she will become a strong will?) However, she did wore them inside the house and walked around with them. Unfortunately, our camera recently broke so I am unable to take a picture of her doing so.

I do think that this is a product that will be popular for families who have young children.   I wish I had something similar when I had surgery in November 2009 and had to wear a cast for a period of time.   I couldn't find anything to cover my toes.  As you can imagine going outside in the winter was a bit problematic.   A boot like this would have been ideal for me.    So if the company is looking into new ideas for products, I would suggest that you create a product for people who have a cast on their foot during the winter time - I know I wouldn't have hesitate a minute to order one for myself when I had my cast.    Even for the months after the removal of the cast it would be a nice warm bootie to wear (I know I had to wait until the next winter to be able to wear my regular boots...).  

Wondering where you can get these cute little boots? Well you can order them online at http://www.stonzwear.com/ or by calling 1-866-39STONZ. But the booties are also sold in stores throughout Canada as well as internationally. Check out their store locator to see if you can find them in an area near you. I know I was surprised to see some stores from all around town that carries them. Pretty interesting!