Just in Time for the Holidays - God's Gift by Lee Ann Mancini is a Gorgeous and Wonderful Book for Children

“God’s Gift” centers around four sea children. Two of the children, Christian and Mary, celebrate Christmas, and the other two, Jacob and Jeremiah, celebrate Hanukkah. Christian and Mary believe they receive more presents during Christmas. Jacob and Jeremiah are convinced Hanukkah is a time for more gifts. Will the children come to an agreement? And will they begin to realize that it’s not about the amount of gifts received?

Wow! This is an absolutely gorgeous book. There are brilliantly beautiful illustrations on every single page. The book is generously sized at 10.9 x 8.6, with each illustration filling each page. That’s a ton of eye-catching artwork for children (and adults) to enjoy. The book is sturdy and the pages are glossy, high quality.

The story of God’s Gift is wonderfully written, in kid-friendly terms that never talks down to its audience. Children will easily understand the concept of God’s Gift – that it’s not all about how many gifts you receive, no matter which holiday you celebrate. It’s about God’s love for us all.

The author does an excellent job of explaining the true meanings of Christmas and Hanukkah, in a way in which children can relate. I enjoyed hearing the retelling of the origins of both holidays.  As a mother, grandmother and caregiver, I have no doubt boys and girls of any age will enjoy this charming book too. Highly recommended! Thanks to Book Crash, GLM Publishing and the author for gifting this book to me. This book would make an excellent holiday gift.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

I Will Follow Jesus Bible Storybook by Judah and Chelsea Smith Is A Wonderful Book for Children

There are plenty of children’s Bible storybooks available, but I’ve found that many of them have a tendency to speak down to children. Oversimplifying the Bible and the story of Jesus in particular, can easily be chosen when teaching children. The “I Will Follow Jesus Bible Storybook” doesn’t do this.

Even when discussing the true reason Jesus was born – to die for our sins – the authors don’t sugarcoat it. Yes, dying is a difficult subject to broach with any child, but the authors do not attempt to skirt around the issue and I found it an important and honest approach.

Clearly many of the passages call for further discussion between parents and children. But this is what’s so wonderful about well-written children’s books – they should provide the opportunity for an open dialogue with our children. And this book certainly does that.

There are scripture verses and prayers scattered throughout the book as well. These make a lovely accompaniment to the stories of Jesus’ life. The illustrations are simple, yet beautifully colorful and eye-catching. The book is sturdy and should last for many years to come even when used daily.

This book would make an excellent gift for even the smallest child. I would certainly be happy to give this to my grandchildren. I highly recommend “I Will Follow Jesus Bible Storybook”!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *this book is scheduled for release Feb. 9, 2016.