Picture Books

Picture Books on Death (You’ll Never See)

I thought with a subject that is so dour today, I thought I could do a little inside-out reporting and tell you all about the ...
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R.C. Sproul’s New Picture Book: A Review by Desiring Virtue

Today's post is by Jessalyn Hutto, a book reviewer and blogger at her lovely website, Desiring Virtue.  Be sure to click on over to her ...
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RR Podcast 12: Simonetta Carr on Pinocchio and Christ in Italy

Introduction A few weeks ago, I posted a written interview with Simonetta Carr on her novel for young readers, The Weight of a Flame: The ...
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Saturday Review: Books for Beginning Readers

I read a lot of books for this blog.  All the ladies at the circulation desk at the Greene County Library (bless their hearts!) know ...
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The Lorax: A Book and Movie Meditation

“It is to be broken. It is to be torn open. It is not to be reached and come to rest in ever. I turn ...
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Cities and Gardens

As mentioned last Friday, some professional worriers have noted that children's picture books are displaying a decided preference for cityscapes as opposed to natural landscapes.  ...
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Christ in Literature: The Anansi Stories

We started our February series on African folktales with an interview with a Christian from the Congo and a stack of books.  We followed that ...
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Interview with Author Jane Kurtz on African Stories

More African stories!  Today, we hear from Jane Kurtz, who was raised by missionary parents in Ethiopia.  Since then, she's come to live in the ...
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Africa: A Literary Adventure and Podcast!

This month my local public library is offering a marionette show of African folktales starring Anansi the spider. It's a unique way to celebrate Black ...
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A Roundup of Dickens Resources: Books

My first exposure to Charles Dickens was the original Classics Illustrated edition of A Tale of Two Cities.  The last panel of Sidney Carton climbing ...
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50 Years of The Snowy Day

When The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats first came out in 1962, it broke the mold in a number of ways.  Besides the charming ...
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RR Podcast 10: Roger Lowther on Japanese Literature

This interview is part of our Japan: Literary Adventure.  See Part One for an introduction as well as links to the books we talk about ...
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Picture Book Roundup

Late last year an article in the New York Times caused the book world to shiver and shake and ask itself, "Is the picture book ...
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A More Excellent Way

On Friday we looked at some very popular picture books that you just might find under your tree.  Some of them are better than others, ...
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Thanks Anyway . . .

Any bookstore manager can tell you that one of the most reliable customer types is the older woman with no children in the household (either ...
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Home-Field Advantage by Justin Tuck

Home Field Advantage by Justin Tuck, illustrated by Leonardo Rodriguiez.   Simon & Shuster, 2011, 22 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages ...
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Make-A-Book: Thanksgiving Edition

Readers, this is an older post that was affected in our hack. We have not recovered all the resources yet. Our apologies! While we're on the subject of crafts and ...
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Thankful for Cheryl Harness

The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish, by Cheryl Harness.  National Geographic, 2006, 143 pages.  Age/interest level: 8 and up. Thanksgiving means a raid on the ...
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Those Who Served–And Serve

Veterans’ Day is one of those holidays that sneak up on me.  I intend to write a note to a veteran, wear red, pray a ...
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*The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins

*The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Brian Selznick.  Scholastic Press, 2001.  48 pps.  Recommended for ages 7-up. When I ...
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Martin Luther: Guest Review by Shanna Gonzalez

Today Janie and I have the opportunity to introduce you to two delightful resources: first, fellow Christian and kids' book blogger Shanna Gonzalez, whose own ...
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Columbus and the Founding of our Nation

COLUMBUS The first time I browsed through Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's biography, Columbus, I purchased it for my kids on the spot based largely ...
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Author Interview: Simonetta Carr on Athanasius

Athanasius.  By Simonetta Carr.  Reformation Heritage Press, sale 2011.  66 pp.  Ages 9-12. What makes a good children's book?  We've talked a lot the past ...
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Picturing God

Images of God for Young Children, by Marie-Helene Delval (illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni) Eerdmans, 2011. Brother Sun, Sister Moon, by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela ...
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Growing Up Shakespearean

Shakespeare and Story Bibles As I was searching recently for Shakespeare resources for my kids--who are 3 and 5--I harbored a nagging, undefined feeling that ...
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The Living Past: An Interview With Cheryl Harness

We end our extended history week with what some consider to be the purest form of history: biography.  The old argument of whether great events, ...
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4th of July Round-up

Here it is: my 4th of July round-up!  Books about the Revolutionary War era recommended for ages 4-12, arranged from youngest to oldest. Saving the ...
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‘Creative’ Retellings of Paul Revere’s Ride

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Illustrated by Christopher Bing.  Ages 4-8.  40 pgs. Roughly 150 years ago, a poem entitled ...
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Knights in Training

The Brave Young Knight, by Karen Kingsbury, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard.  Zonderkidz, 2011.  Age/interest level, 4-7 In the spirit of Will, God's Mighty Warrior, here's ...
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Is Your Son ‘God’s Mighty Warrior’?

Will, God's Mighty Warrior by Sheila Walsh, Ages 4-7, 32pgs.   “This book is a favorite with my boys, 2 and 5. They really like ...
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Library Loans: Late Fees and Summer Camp

SUMMER CAMP We are eventually going to do our first summer camp next month.  But in the meantime, I have been looking for ways to ...
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Press Here by Herve Tullet

*Press Here by Herve Tullet

*Press Here by Herve Tullet.  Chronicle Books, 2011.  56 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-4 Recommended for: Ages 0-4 and up Those of you ...
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Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg.  Houghton Mifflin, 2011, 37 pages.  Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 9-12 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 On the ...
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Is Your Daughter “God’s Little Princess”?

I know I'm in murky water here.  Early in my daughter's infancy, my husband and I began the argument: is our daughter a princess? Now ...
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Music of ‘The Little House’

Saturday happy: Just found out that folksinger/songwriter Caroline Herring just put a CD out called The Little House.  It's a retelling of Virginia Lee Burton's ...
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Brave Little Digital World

In Surprised By Joy, C. S. Lewis wrote about the flowering of his imagination at an early age--especially through books, which were piled up everywhere ...
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Easter Gifts 101: Last Minute Warning!

Easter is almost here, and while you could just pick a board book up at Walmart while you're getting the Paas dye, you've still got ...
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What Ginger Plowman Taught Me About Kids’ Books

Roughly three years ago, I read Ginger Plowman's book, Don't Make Me Count to Three.  It's a fantastic resource with lots of practical advice for ...
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Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs

*Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs

Dust Devil, by Anne Isaacs, Illustrated by Paul Zelinsky, Schwartz & Wade, 2011. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 and up ...
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Indestructables: Give your baby a taste for books!

You'd think a mother of triplets would have enough to do, but a few years Amy Pixton took the time to dream up and create ...
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Easter Gifts 101: Bible stories and The Story of the Bible

“I just ordered Happy and Honey, Bob Books set 1, and the Starfall readers—books you recommended—for Lois's and my African-American great-grandson. Could you recommend an ...
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The Prince's Poison Cup cover image

Easter Gifts 101: ‘The Prince’s Poison Cup’ by R. C. Sproul

The Prince's Poison Cup is perfect for young boys ages 4-8, but I think it will also appeal to many girls. It's that time of ...
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a story, a story cover image

‘A Story, A Story’: Thinking Through African Mythology

The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture...Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture ...
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It's a Book

It’s a Book by Lane Smith

It's a Book by Lane Smith.  Roaring Brook Press, 2010.  32 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 10-12 and up Bottom ...
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sneaky sheep cover image

*Sneaky Sheep by Chris Moore

Sneaky Sheep is a light-hearted book about two silly sheep who go astray. The illustrations are worth the price of the book. *Sneaky Sheep by Chris ...
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If Olivia Comes to Visit….

We live in an age of series picture books. Which, like having 27 McDonalds in every city, makes shopping a little less complicated for tired, ...
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The Whole Counsel of God: Complementing Your Story Bible

The claim that a story Bible isn’t actually a Bible may seem a bit shocking at first. I mean, it’s got the word "Bible" right ...
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Buying Your First Story Bible

You’re a new parent. You’ve got the baby crib with a fancy name, the swing, the bouncer, the burping pads. Now it’s time to choose ...
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