Book Review: What Is Given From the Heart

What Is Given From the Heart. Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by April Harrison. 2019 [January]. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was a rough few months for Mama and me. We were already poor, but we got poorer last April, when Daddy went to sleep on the front porch and never woke up. Mama cried and cried, 'cause Daddy didn't have a suit to be buried in.

Premise/plot: The Temple family has lost everything in a fire. The church community is coming together and asking everyone to give something, to give from the heart. James Otis is stumped, especially at first. What can he give of value? He doesn't have anything of value. But he's determined. He must find something to give. His Mama is sacrificing her best tablecloth to make an apron. Maybe James Otis can find something to sacrifice too? One thing he knows...the best gifts come from the heart.

My thoughts: I loved this one. It was SO good. I loved, loved, loved James Otis and his Mama. I did. I thought the solution was wonderful and sweet. I loved Sarah Temple's reaction to his gift. This book was just satisfying through and through.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Christmas Is Coming!

Christmas is Coming! But Waiting is Hard! Karen Whiting. 2016. Abingdon Press. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: God's love is an ADVENTure, and one of the best ADVENTures happens at Christmas time.

Premise/plot: The book is written with parents--busy parents in mind. The goal is to make the Christmas season less commercial and more spiritual. The author encourages parents to have an advent wreath in addition to a tree. Supplementing both are daily family devotions that are themed around common Christmas symbols.

My thoughts: It was okay. I did like that each day had an activity to do. Yet at the same time it wasn't all arts and crafts. Snippets of scripture were included and each day had a suggested hymn or carol to sing.

That being said, I think that instead of starting with Jesus and making everything be about him--who he is, why he came, what he did, how he is still interceding for us--it seems to start with a symbol (stocking, snow flake, bow, etc.) and search for a way--any way that could make it be about Jesus. The book didn't use hot cocoa as an example, but I will. The world will leave you cold and shivering. Jesus warms you up from the inside out and helps comfort you when you need it the most. If that kind of devotion makes your day, then this one is for you. Deep theology it is not.

I don't think the book is flawed. I just think some readers won't find it nourishing enough. Perhaps some are looking for more about HIM and want to share a feast with their families. For other families, perhaps this is more nourishment than what they usually get and perhaps the Spirit will use this book to whet their appetites for more. I'd suggest the Jesus Storybook Bible or the Big Picture Story Bible. Both are available on audio as well. So maybe car trips could have this on instead of Rudolph!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: My First Read-Aloud Bible

My First Read-Aloud Bible. Retold by Mary Batchelor & Penny Boshoff. 2010. February 2010. Scholastic. 256 pages.

Making Our World

Long ago, when God

began to make

everything, the earth

was dark and empty.

God said, "Earth needs light."

And light appeared. God

made the sun to shine by

day and the moon and stars

to light the night.

God was pleased with what he had done.

What did I think of this one? I really liked it. While it doesn't have every story in it, it has a good variety of stories. By reading this book cover-to-cover, you get a good idea as to what the Bible is all about. You can see how the stories are interconnected. You can see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Not perfectly, mind you. In particular, I found the gap between Moses sending the twelve spies and Joshua's leadership a bit jarring. No mention of the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years because of their unbelief, because of their inability to take God at his Word. And there's no Golden Calf either. The Israelites aren't quite presented as they are in the Bible: complaining, mumbling, disbelieving, disobeying, prone to bickering.

But. For the most part. I really liked this one. I found it age-appropriate. The stories are presented simply.

Here are how the Ten Commandments are presented:

God said to Moses, "These rules will help my people every day: Put me first and love me best. Don't worship anyone but me. Don't use my name carelessly. Keep one day each week as a resting day with me. Obey your father and mother. Don't hurt others. Keep love between a husband and wife special. Don't take what isn't yours. Don't tell lies about other people. Don't be jealous of other people and want what they have." (54-55)

And here is the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, may everyone know and love you. Come and be our King. Give us today the food we need. Forgive the bad things we do. Help us to forgive others too. When we want to do something bad, help us choose to do good instead. (187)

Each story is on a two-page spread. With colorful illustrations. Some stories are more interconnected than others. For example, David has five stories.

I thought they did a great job in choosing what to include. There were some stories that I was surprised but quite happy to see represented! I expected to see some of the usual stories--Daniel in the Lion's Den, Jonah, David and Goliath, Noah, etc. But I wasn't expecting to see stories about Elijah, Elisha, Joash, Jeremiah, Ezra and Nehemiah. Some of these are among my favorites. Of course, I would have appreciated even more. Like a Hezekiah story would have been awesome. But. I'm still pleased with what it did contain.

I also loved how they covered the New Testament. I loved how they included so many stories from the book of Acts. How they showed that God kept working in people's lives--in believers' lives--after Christ ascended. I also loved the balance of stories from the gospels. How they included stories covering Jesus' teachings, his miracles, his parables, and, of course, his life story.

Definitely recommended if you have little ones!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Jesus Storybook Bible

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Deluxe Edition. Sally Lloyd-Jones. 2009. Zonderkidz. 352 pages.

God wrote, "I love you" -- he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror -- to show us what he is like, to help us to know him, to make our hearts sing.

The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way a dolphin swims.

And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called "the Bible."

Now some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what he has done.

It had me at hello from the very first story or chapter--appropriately titled The Story and The Song--in which readers get introduced to God, to the Bible, to the Gospel.

The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne -- everything -- to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is -- it's true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle -- the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the Child who would one day -- but wait. Our story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning...

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. I've seen other Bible story books. I've read other Bible story books. Some I remember from my childhood. Others I've come across as an adult. So what makes this one special? I think what makes this one work--really work--is how Sally Lloyd-Jones has every story whisper His name. Her ability to connect each story with the Big Story, keeps everything in perspective, keeps everything connected and relevant. It also helps that she's a good storyteller! She has a definite way with words! She keeps the stories on a child's level, but yet, the stories are beautifully and compellingly told.

From "God to the Rescue!"

So Moses went to Pharaoh.

"Pharaoh," Moses began, "God says -- "

"God?" said Pharaoh. "Never heard of him."

Moses kept going. "God says, let his people go free."

"Why should I?" Pharaoh said. "Don't want to. WON'T!" So he didn't.

But God gave Pharaoh ten warnings called plagues. (86)

and

God's people would always remember this great rescue and call it "Passover." But an even Greater Rescue was coming.

Many years later, God was going to do it again. He was going to come down once more to rescue his people. But this time God was going to set them free forever and ever. (91)

From "God's Messenger"

God had a job for Jonah. But Jonah didn't want it.

"Go to Nineveh," God said, "And tell your worst enemies that I love them."

"No!" said Jonah. "Those are bad people doing bad things!"

"Exactly," said God. "They have run far away from me. But I can't stop loving them. I will give them a new start. I will forgive them."

"NO!" said Jonah. "They don't deserve it!" (160)

Many years later, God was going to send another Messenger with the same wonderful message. Like Jonah, he would spend three days in utter darkness.

But this messenger would be God's Own Son. He would be called "The Word" because he himself would be God's Message. God's Message translated into our own language. Everything God wanted to say to the whole world -- in a Person. (169)

I could almost pick out a passage to highlight from each and every story because the book is really just that good.

One of my favorite, favorite stories is "Operation 'No More Tears!'" which draws from Isaiah 9, 11, 40, 50, 53, 55, and 60.

Isaiah has always, always been a favorite book of mine. And to see it so wonderfully, so artistically translated into a story that little ones can understand, well, it does my heart good! The story may be concise, but it's faithful to the spirit of the message.

There are twenty-one stories from the Old Testament. And twenty-three stories from the New Testament.

The illustrations are by Jago. I really liked the illustrations. I wasn't sure about them at first. But as I read the book, I began to like them more and more.

This one is available in two editions. One is the deluxe edition. And the other is the regular (no-bells-or-whistles) edition. What does the deluxe edition offer that makes it worth the price difference? It offers the book as an audio book. Three CDs narrated by David Suchet. You'll have to decide for yourself if the audio book would be a great asset to your family's library. (Personally, I like the audio book. And I would recommend it.) But either book would be a good choice.

(Both the illustrator and the narrator are from England.)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: God Gave Us Love

God Gave Us Love. Lisa Tawn Bergren. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. Waterbrook Press.

Little Cub struggles with loving in this family-friendly picture book. It's not always easy to love. Your family. Your friends. Your neighbors. There are many different kinds of love, Little Cub discovers through her questions, but God gave us love. And he wants us to show HIS love to others. Grampa Bear is doing the honors in this one of teaching Little Cub all about God and God's love and how we're supposed to love others because God first showed His love to us.

"Anytime we show love, Little Cub, we're sharing a bit of his love."

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: God Gave Us Christmas

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Illustrated by David Hohn. 2006. Waterbrook Press.

Mama and Little Cub are back for another adventure in God Gave Us Christmas. (They also star in God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Two, God Gave Us Heaven, and God Gave Us Love.) In this holiday picture book, Little Cub, inquisitive as ever, asks who invented Christmas. At first, Little Cub is convinced that Santa had to be the one who invented Christmas. After all, he is the one who brings all the toys. But Mama Bear lets Little Bear know that Christmas is all about God. The two, in fact, set off on a journey to see how God gave us Christmas. By looking at His creation, Little Bear soon accepts that God's gift is amazing. This is enthusiastic Christmas tale starring a lovable bear family.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The House Without A Christmas Tree

Rock, Gail. The House Without A Christmas Tree.

This short little book--88 pages--would make a great holiday read aloud. The book is set in the mid-to-late forties. Our narrator, Adelaide or "Addie," is a young girl--maybe ten--who is being raised by her father and her grandmother. The story opens the week before Christmas. Addie and her best friend, Carla Mae, are chatting away about school, about their classmates, and about Christmas. There are several main keys to the plot--buying "secret santa" gifts for classmates, class parties, etc.--but the heart of this one is the uncomfortable relationship between father and daughter. Here is a girl who loves life living with a man who isolates himself, who has built a wall around his heart since his wife died. This is the story of how a father's heart was melted, and how a relationship was rebuilt. Back to the title, back to the plot, Addie's one desire is to have a Christmas tree. She feels she's the only kid in town without one. And it's not because they're "poor." Although the family isn't rich by any means. No, it is because her father is stubborn, is mean, is closed off to the idea of celebrating really celebrating the holiday again. But don't think that the father is presented as a villain through and through. Without a doubt, he's just a broken-hearted man who doesn't know how to live life without his wife, who doesn't know how to love his daughter, who doesn't know how to move forward.

I hadn't read this one in years--probably since I was in elementary school--but I am so glad I read it this year. Addie, her grandmother, her father, her best friend, and let's not forget that Billy Wild, her secret santa who gives her a heart locket! All the characters are just so memorable. This one just feels right.

Book Review: Tonight You Are My Baby

Norris, Jeannine Q. Tonight You Are My Baby: Mary's Christmas Gift. Illustrated by Tim Ladwig.

I enjoyed this one. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book of the Nativity story--the birth of Jesus. It is the story of the Savior's birth through Mary's eyes--her thoughts, her prayers, her hopes. The narrative is told largely through rhyme. (Perhaps not the most poetic and rhythmic verse ever penned, but not horrible by any means.) I enjoyed the main refrain, "Tomorrow you will be King, but tonight you are my baby..."

I liked this one a good deal. I especially loved the illustrations--they're beautiful. They complement the text well. And together they make for a charming read perfect for this time of year.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Book Review: Room for A Little One

Waddell, Martin. 2008. Room for A Little One. Illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.

A nativity board book told from the animals point of view. It's told by Martin Waddell, an author that I usually adore. And this one isn't an exception. I enjoyed it. A lot. With great illustrations, simple and straight forward text, the message of Jesus' birth is a memorable one.

It was a cold winter's night.
Kind Ox lay in his stable,
close to the side of the inn.

Old Dog came by.
He stopped and looked into the stable.
"I need somewhere to rest," said Old Dog.
"Come inside," Kind Ox said.
"There's always room for a little one here."

"There's always room for a little one here," is the refrain of the text and its theme as well.

Definitely recommended. It's now available in board book. (It was first published as a picture book.)

Book Review: Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Robinson, Barbara. 1972. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

This little gem of a book is only 90 pages long. It's been a favorite of mine for years, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. It is just one of the best Christmas books ever.

The Herdman's were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toolhouse. (1)

Meet the Herdman's: Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys. They're described as "six stringy-haired kids all alike except for being different sizes and having different black-and-blue places where they had clonked each other." (4)

The first chapter we see what they're all about--the troubles they cause, the fear they create among their peers, etc. But chapter two is when it really gets exciting.

Mother didn't expect to have anything to do with the Christmas pageant except to make me and my little brother Charlie be in it (we didn't want to) and to make my father go and see it (he didn't want to). Every year he said the same thing--"I've seen the Christmas pageant." "You haven't seen this year's Christmas pageant," Mother would tell him. "Charlie is a shepherd this year."
"Charlie was a shepherd last year. No...you go on and go. I'm just going to put on my bathrobe and sit by the fire and relax. There's nevery anything different about the Christmas pageant."
"There's something different this year," Mother said.
"What?"
"Charlie is wearing your bathrobe."
So that year my father went...to see his bathrobe, he said.
Actually, he went every year but it was always a struggle, and Mother said that was her contribution to the Christmas pageant--getting my father to go to it. (17-18)

Here is where we learn that this won't be an ordinary pageant as we plainly see in chapter three at the casting. This year the Herdmans land all the big roles--through fear and intimidation, yes--but the roles are theirs just the same.

The first pageant rehearsal was usually about as much fun as a three-hour ride on the school bus, and just as noisy and crowded. This rehearsal, though, was different. Everybody shut up and settled down right away, for fear of missing something awful that the Herdmans might do. (43)

It soon becomes evident that this pageant will be one-of-a-kind, though no one quite expects it to turn out the way it does. Let the Herdmans surprise you this Christmas!

The Best Christmas Pageant is funny and charming and true-to-life. It makes a great read aloud too!

Book Review: Keeping Holiday

Meade, Starr. 2008. Keeping Holiday. Illustrations by Justin Gerard. (192 pages). Crossway Publishers.

If there's a resounding theme (or echo) to this Christmas-themed allegory it's this: You can't find the Founder; he finds you. He's not just the Founder, he's the Finder too.

Dylan and Clare, his cousin, are the stars of this allegorical novel. Every year Dylan and his family journey to Holiday (Is it a city or town? I can't quite remember). The singing. The food. The parties. The lights and decorations. The gifts. The church services. Everything about Holiday seems to be magical. Seems to be more special. Dylan wonders why the feeling doesn't last. Why spending time with his family and friends on vacation in Holiday feels so wonderful and so right, but those same activities back home aren't as magical. What is it about Holiday that gives him--and everyone--such a high?  

Dylan's curiosity is only deepened when he finds a flyer in the church yard. A flyer asking him if he would like to keep Holiday... and if he does ... to go through the church's garden gate to find out more. He does. But what he discovers is that the Holiday his family has been visiting all these years--the Holiday he's always known and loved--is not the real Holiday. There is a better, richer Holiday. Even more beautiful. Even more wonderful. But this Holiday isn't a place he can enter. Only authorized individuals--people authorized by the Founder--can enter this real city of Holiday. 

So Dylan begins his quest to find the Founder. Now, several years later and with his cousin, Clare, by his side. Dylan and Clare discover visitor passes within Holiday's church or chapel--good for four days only--to visit the real city of Holiday. His parents send them off prepared with a big smile--they've been hoping to see him take this journey on his own for years. It's a journey they've already made. 

But this journey to the real city of Holiday isn't quite as easy as Dylan hoped it would be. Along the way, Dylan finds out the true meaning behind the symbols of Holiday. Here is where the allegory begins to come in. He encounters talking evergreen trees, a talking mistletoe plant named Missy, a talking poinsettia named Penny, talking bells in a church bell tower, talking stars in the sky, a candle maker, etc. Through his conversations he learns more and more about The Founder and the creation of Holiday. 

There are two ways to respond to Keeping Holiday. One is to see it as dinky and didactic. I must admit Missy the Mistletoe doesn't help matters here. But the other way is to appreciate the message--didactic as it may be--because it is important and true and good. I liked the message--finding the real reason for Christmas, learning about the Incarnation, discovering the Savior--a good deal. I think this book could be shared--read aloud perhaps--between parents and children. I appreciated that aspect of it. But I can't lie and say that it isn't a little dinky all the same. If you've read and enjoyed other allegories in the past like Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan or Hinds' Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard...or perhaps R.C. Sproul's line of picture books: The Princes Poison Cup, The Lightlings, The King Without A Shadow, The Priest With Dirty Clothes... then you may be just the right reader for Keeping Holiday.