Stop-and-Go Devotional by Diane Stortz, illustrated by Hannah Marksis

Stop-and-Go Devotional: 52 Devotions for Busy Families features a one-page Bible story with a thematic title and full page illustration; followed by a “think and talk” section with a short paragraph of connecting the story to the child’s life, two questions for reflection and discussion, and a prayer; and the final section introduces an activity, a key point, and an easy Bible verse. The book is evenly divided between the Old Testament and New Testament.


The devotions are written for children to read themselves or with a parent. As some of the activities require going somewhere, or gathering certain materials (possibly including shopping), it seems like it would be most beneficial for an adult to read the section ahead of time and then suggest the devotion on a day suited to the activity. It may be that a particular days activity is also easily completeable at home without extra preparation, such as singing a song. The devotional is described as being for preschoolers and primary-grad children.

For example, the Good Friday Bible story is titled, "The Saddest Day." It references Matthew 27 and Mark 15. The "Stop and Read" section features dialogue from Jesus and one of the soldiers at the cross. Bold, colored onomatopoeia add emotion and sensory details to Jesus' death, after which "Roar! Rumble! The earth shook. Rocks split apart" (165).  "Think and Talk" provides questions such as "What are sins? Do you ever sin?" (166). For the activity, the book suggests finding craft sticks or paint stirrers to make a "Jesus Saves" cross where the first 's' in Jesus written across the horizontal stick leads into 'saves' on the vertical stick. The key point is: "Remember Jesus saves us" (167) with 1 Corinthians 15:3 ICB "Christ died for our sins" as the Bible verse.

The Easter story follows, titled, "Good News!" and referencing Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24. The onomatopoeia "Rumble! Rumble!" is repeated in the story section, as well as repetition from the angels and Jesus of "Don't be afraid" (169). Reflection questions include "Is there someone you could tell the good news about Jesus today?" (170). The activity is planting peas or beans, which requires some planning on the part of an adult to have the necessary supplies. "Remember Jesus is alive!" the key point directs (171). The Bible verse is Acts 2:32 NLT, "God raised Jesus from the dead."

The book is one that families will turn to daily or weekly for 52 different stories, reflections, and activities. To support that use, there is a ribbon bookmark sewn into the spine The cover features spot gloss and the end papers are full-color illustrations, but all of these features do not fully make up for the shock of a $17.99 list price.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

God, I Know You're There by Bonnie Rickner Jensen, Illustrated by Lucy Fleming

Beautiful and creative text and artwork pair together in the imaginative board book, God, I Know You're There. Each spread is addressed to something intangible with a rhyming quatrain and the repeated phrase, "Still I know you're there" followed by how the narrator experiences each. Wind, sun, sky, clouds, moon, stars, rainbow, rainfall, thunder, tiny seed (in the ground), snowflake crystals, and God are each addressed in turn.

The text is delightful throughout, but in particular I found the stanza's about the rainbow and God to be most representative of the book's quality: "Rainbow, I can't slide down you. / Still I know you're there. / Your colors arc in heaven's art, / Both beautiful and rare" and "God, I can't see You. / Still I know You're there. / You're in the love I give away-- / The sparkle when I care." This final spread addressed to God has an additional couplet: "And if Your love is what I show, / My heart is fuller still, I know," a beautiful message to end the book on.

Lucy Fleming's artwork is especially pleasing and imaginative in the spread about the moon, showing a girl and fox serenely swinging from the moon. Each spread features a different child, with varying races and genders represented. The final spread about showing God's love ties the theme together by showing a boy and a girl of different races holding hands.

The spot-on text and artwork might this book one of the best board books I've seen in a long time.  God, I Know You're There is written by Bonnie Ricker Jensen, who also wrote the I Love You, Little One board book. The book is just over 5" x 8", giving it the look and feel of a "grown-up book."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

You're My Little Sweet Pea by Annette Bourland, Illustrated by Kit Chase

"Cuddle up with the Little Sweat Pea in your life and share this heartwarming book that reminds children just how special and loved they are."

Adorable watercolor animal baby and parent pairings accompany soothing rhyming text in You're My Little Sweet Pea, a padded-cover board book. Softly outlined in ink, Kit Chase's illustrations depict a different baby-parent animal set on nearly every page show the parent cuddling, holding hands, or playing with the child.

There is some visual variety in that two spreads each feature a two-page illustration, one page has five small images illustrating each of five different verbs (my personal favorite page, particularly a little baby fox taking a bubble bath in a pail with a stack of bubbles on its head), a spread that features the same animal pair on each page, and the final spread has the pairing of mother mouse putting baby mouse into bed while the right-hand page is a close up of just baby mouse all tucked-in, asleep.

The text by Annette Bourland is short, sweet rhymes centered around things the parent loves about the child: appearance ("squishy cheeks and sparkly eyes, pure delight and perfect size"), personality ("your giggle always melts my heart"), possibilities ("tender feet and tiny toes, where they'll take you, no one knows"), and the relationship between them ("you and me, we're quite a pair"). The last three spreads focus on getting ready for bed, a typical theme of children's board books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

I Love You, Funny Bunny by Barbara Hendon, Illustrated by Sean Julian

I Love You, Funny Bunny is a sweet picture book about the special relationship between a parent and a child. Each line of rhyming text (except for one) begins with "I love" and then describes a child's attribute or action that the parent loves.

Prominently on the front cover are the words "Illustrated by Sean Julian," the spine says Julian, and the back cover flap features only his bio. To find that the text is written by Barbara Hendon, you have to look at the fine print on the title page with the copyright information.

This focus on illustration makes sense in context of the book: the text itself is simple and undetailed--short, easy to understand, and rhyming: "I love your sense of wonder, when you first see something new" (13-14). The rhymes appear on subsequent pages, making the overall rhythm less effective: "I love the times we cuddle close and share a book or two" (15-16).

In contrast, the illustrations are full of detail, telling more story than the words with vibrant colors and emotive facial expressions on both part of the child bunny and the parent bunny. Each spread has so much detail to take in, occasionally with multiple scenes displayed across the pages. Fully appreciating the illustrations would make the reading aloud pace slow, further prolonging the payout of the rhyme on the next page.

Though the book suggests that it's appropriate for ages 4-8, I would stay on the younger side of that range for optimal enjoyment of the simple text and lack of narrative story line.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

The Gift that I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford, Illustrated by Julia Seal

The Gift that I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford is an empowering picture book that shows the many gifts given by God and how children can share their gifts with the world. Told in short rhyming quatrains, through the story the narrator questions whether the gift she is given is dancing, singing, sharing while playing football, helping animals, cheering on a friend, joining a marching band, visiting someone in the hospital, or giving her family hugs. The ending includes a prayer for her to be able to share her gifts with others, and the revelation that God's love is the gift she can give. The message is encouraging: that God has given her so many gifts that she can share with others. The specific mentions of acts of services is an especially creative way of teaching children that gifts don't have to just be innate skills.

The text is in first person, but the illustrations follow a little girl through the pages, accompanied by lots of butterflies, pinks, and purples. The dust jacket also features glittery butterflies. Despite playing in to some gender stereotypes, the illustrations redeem themselves through a racially and gender-diverse game of flag football. Julia Seal's illustrations are cute and colorful and add depth to the story through little details.


The religious message that our gifts come from God is strong, as is the message that we should be sharing those gifts with others. This book encourages community engagement, friendship, and generally compassion for others, shared through a catchy rhyming verse. For these reasons, I'd recommend this book for children ages 3 to 7.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

The Prayer Bible ICB Review

The Prayer Bible is an International Children's Bible (ICB). The cover designs are metallic gold and there is a cloth blue ribbon bookmark.

Though it has "large readable type" that is much easier to read than an adult bible, it is still probably only 10-point font. The pages are thin as in most Bibles, which may be challenging for children to get used to.

There are 160 pages in the Bible focused on prayer. These are a full page focused on a particular topic, with a scriptural reference point to start, followed by several paragraphs of text explaining an aspect of prayer, such as "Your Will." There's also "Prayer Pointers": "We don't always know what to pray for, but God always knows what is best for us!" (16). These pages are lightly decorated with a stems of leaves.

There are 64 colored pages of poem prayers, scripture prayers, and kid's Q&A's related to prayer. The only real added color though is gold, but it is prominently featured as a decorative border on several pages, and as an accent on others.  The prayers are relatively short, but are one-per-page. An example of a question answered in this Bible is "What if I am afraid God si not going to answer? Should I pray anyway?"

There is a key verse highlight section that directs the reader to passages based on a topic keyword, such as "bravery," "healing," "love," "rejoicing," and "salvation." Throughout the Bible, these "key verses" are highlighted in blue. The Lord's Prayer is printed in easy-to-read language with the scriptural reference printed at the top.

Each book of the Bible features blue titles and chapter numbers. There are footnotes throughout. I was disappointed that there's no child-friendly introduction to each book of the Bible.

There is a dictionary at the end that is also a directory of scriptural references to the word mentioned. The dictionary explains who people are, as well places and words like "amen." There's also two pages of "What God Promises About..." which features a category (e.g., "forgiveness,""my prayers," "wisdom") with verses printed out and where they are located in the Bible. There are three pages of "Memory Verses for My Life." There are several blank ruled pages for prayer requests at the end, followed by two more prayers and Q&A pages.

It comes with a 64-page ruled prayer journal that has a kite in the top left corner of the left side of the spread and a hot air balloon in the bottom right of the right page. The inside of the journal's design and lines are printed in blue.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

"One Christmas Bear" written and illustrated by Anne Vittur Kennedy

"Two tiny mice get a ride, and off they go!

Two funny foxes making angels in the snow."

One Christmas Bear is a 20-page board book with a unique cut-out shape. Though it is a board book, it is not as thick as many others and the pages can still bend and flex. It is a counting book that follows a polar bear and other arctic animals participating in various snowy activities.

Each page features one sentence of text, which rhymes with the adjacent page's sentence. The spreads each have a large number in the bottom right corner that indicates the number. The number begins both sentences of the spread.

The last spread breaks the pattern with four lines of text on each page, but imparts the important message that "Little acts of kindness, our friends and families dear, Merry time together--gifts from God to last all year!" This is only part of the book that has directly religious content.

The illustrations are very cute and colorful--a difficult feat in a book about snow! My favorite illustration is of four jolly snowmen because each one is a different animal shape: bunny, bear, dog, and mouse. The caribou are especially well-drawn (and are wearing wreathes, bells, or scarves around their necks!).

On the cover of the book, the words and part of the bear's scarf are metallic red. The background around the pear is dusted in glitter. Those features, added together with a cute rhyming story of winter fun with lots of different friends, make this book a nice item to gift to a child this Christmas season.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to post a positive review.

"Princess Prayers" by Crystal Bowman

Princess Prayers is a 26-page padded cover board book. The cover also has glitter in select places, giving the book a really nice first impression.


Each spread of pages includes a prayer and a picture. On the left page, there's a two stanza rhyming prayer and a Bible verse that the prayer is based upon. Each prayer is titled with a theme such as "I'm Sorry," "Keep Me Safe," and "God Made It All." The book opens with a morning prayer and closes with a bedtime prayer.



The illustrations are of familiar princess from the Princess Joy (also Charity and Grace) Sticker & Activity Book. They are very colorful and often feature animals, including horses, sheep, butterflies, bunnies, and dogs. The prayer pages are outlined in colorful, intricate designed border, such as flowers, jewels, or butterflies.

The rhyming prayers are easy to read and understand. They are closely tied to the Bible verse, which is a neat way to introduce children to the way the Bible sounds. I could see a family reading this together all in one sitting, or turning to prayers that fit specific situations, such as beginning the day with "My Morning Prayer."

I received a free copy of this book, but was not required to post a positive review.

"Jesus Loves Me! A Sing-Along Book" illustrated by Gynux

Jesus Loves Me! A Sing-Along Book is a children’s board book containing three verses of the song Jesus Love Me. It is 20 pages long of thinner weight board pages. It opens so that the pages can lie flat, which is really nice since the pictures always are across the entire spread.

The pictures feature animals going on a nature walk while playing instruments, as the book is supposed to be sung to/with children. Along the nature walk, the animals engage in other activities in addition to playing instruments, such as catching a butterfly, saving a kitten from a tree, having a picnic, and building a campfire.

The last spread features a bunch of the animals looking at the book with the instruments, as though they are actually reading/playing along. The other side of the pages is sheet music for the first verse and chorus. Since all of the verses are the same tune, this can be used to play the entire song.

The book is of high-quality, with a foam board cover. The animals are cute, but the illustrations aren’t my favorite style; they’re slightly more towards realistic in textured drawing, but with extra expressive faces.

I wasn’t super familiar with the second and third verse of the song, since usually all I heard growing up was the first verse (“Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but He is strong! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”). This would be a really fun way to sing along with children who love music, or if you play an instrument, you could even play along given the music at the end. The sheet music is simple to follow along.

I received a free copy of this book, but was not required to post a positive review.

Review: "Remember to Forget" by Ashley Royer

Levi hasn't spoken since the sudden death of his girlfriend, Delia. After months of therapy, there was no improvement on his depression, or his refusal to speak. Out of ideas, his mother decides that he should move from Australia to go live with his father in Maine. Levi is rude, sarcastic, and even cruel to his father when he arrives and to everyone he meets. Neighbors Aiden and Delilah go out of their way to befriend him, despite his attitude. Even Deliliah's name is similar to his lost love, making it even harder for Levi to accept her offers of friendship. But when he realizes he may have feelings for the girl he once hated, he'll have to sort through his emotions and finally work toward healing and moving on.

Even though he is absolutely horrible to everyone around him, the chapters told from his perspective allow the reader to see why he acts the way he does and to know what he is thinking when he is not speaking. There's also chapters written from Delilah's perspective, but they really don't give a good reason as to why she wanted to be friends with Levi when he was downright hostile toward her. She apparently wants to solve the mystery that is Levi, but I don't buy it as a motivation because of the consistency with which he pushes her away, not giving her any hint that he could eventually become friendly. Delilah also just happens to work at Levi's new psychiatrist's office, going as far as to snoop in his records to find out more about him.

Though some parts were unrealistic and contrived, overall the story was interesting enough. The details surrounding Delia's death are revealed slowly through out the book, which added some mystery and depth. There's some great feel good moments to combat Levi's horrifying depression and self-doubt that is abundant in the first half of the novel. When I wasn't rolling my eyes at the cheesiness or unbelievable characters, I cried, I smiled, and I was decently satisfied with the read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: "The Berenstain Bears: Bear Country Fun Sticker & Activity Book" by Jan & Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears Bear Country Fun Sticker & Activity Book is a thin, 32-page paperback perfect for entertaining that 4-8 year old in your life. There's a variety of activities, most of which can be enjoying without reading, though younger children may need help with the instructions.




Activities include mazes, counting, search and find hidden pictures and letters, coloring, line tracing, word search, placing stickers on a picture, spot the differences, color by number, crossword puzzle, circles items starting with "B" and tracing the letter, matching season names to activities, message/symbol decoding, connect the dots, pattern detecting and completing with stickers, and drawing.



Though there is a range of difficulty, there is sure to be something children of every age will enjoy. The only issue I found with the puzzles was that on the page that directs the child to complete a pattern using stickers, the blank spaces were not always large enough to fit another iteration of the pattern. The stickers are "reusable," meaning they come off the glossy paper, but I can picture my niece sticking and resticking on that puzzle trying to make them all fit within the provided space and being frustrated that it isn't possible.

Even with that little hiccup, I do think the activities that directly involve the stickers would be the most appealing, at least to my niece who loves stickers. Of the 50 stickers provided, I'd say about half have directed use within the book, and the other half can be placed anywhere.

Some of the pages are faith-based, such as talking about the family going to church and doing a word search to find the words they learn about in church. "Do to others what you would have them do to you" and "love your neighbor" are also messages shared through the activities. There's really not that many pages that directly mention God, but the overall message of the book is very positive, promoting a love of learning and outdoor/family activities.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "The Newsmakers" by Lis Wiehl with Sebastian Stuart

In The Newsmakers, serious reporter Erica Sparks lands a job at Global News Network, the fast growing news station in the country. Her determination and drive quickly set her apart as she lands the most improbable of interviews. When tragedy strikes, Erica's right place at the right time launches her career to superstardom overnight. But her instincts tell her something more is at play, and being a good journalist, she will pursue the story in a never-ending hunt for truth. When people she speaks to start to have mysterious accidents, Erica realizes her investigation has so much more at stake than her own career—possibly her life. 

Though there's not much mystery in the story, the suspense and thrill is all there, making it an exciting and enthralling page-turner. Erica is a charming protagonist, one you can really root for as she is so dedicated to her work, her co-workers that others take for granted, and the daughter she lost custody of in her recent divorce. There's also a romance brewing between Erica and her producer, Greg Underwood, but the scars of Erica's past and threats in the future make her unsure if perusing romance is the right course of action. Their relationship is very natural, and happens in the background of the plot, rather than focusing on it. 

As a book published by a Christian publisher, the main message is forgiveness. Erica has a past full of regret and she looks to God for comfort and healing. She also turns to prayer in moments of uncertainty. There is some swearing and suggestive comments, but it's not frequent or detracting. 

The story may be predictable, but it is still highly enjoyable. I definitely recommend this thriller and am interested in reading other books by author Lis Wiehl. The characters of The Newsmakers come to life and are all so unique in every way.  Sure the captivating plot was great, but these characters, from lively and devoted reporter Erica Sparks to the creepy obsessive owner of GNN Nylan Hastings, are what really sets this novel apart.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "Whispers in the Reading Room" by Shelley Gray

"I would never stop you from reading whatever you like. I like that you are smart, Lydia. That is one of the things I admire about you."
"You are the first person who has told me anything of the sort." 

Another excellent installment in Shelley Gray's Chicago World's Fair Mysteries series, Whispers in the Reading Room delivers a fast-paced historical fiction/romance/mystery that succeeds on every level.

Lydia works at the library because she's passionate about books, but it also has the side benefit of the meager pay check that helps her support her mother and maintain a facade of wealth enough to find herself a suitor. She's prepared to marry a man she doesn't love, a man who isn't quite the man he appears, just to give her mother the comfortable lifestyle they shared when her father was alive.

She's resigned to her fate, but can't help but notice the handsome gentleman Sebastian Marks who frequents her library. Their shared love of reading, paired with a shared distaste for Lydia's fiance, Avondale, soon bring the two together in a way that neither was prepared for.

But Sebastian Marks has his secrets, too. Lydia has to come to terms with the face that he's a notorious club owner - a club full of illegal gambling. Absolutely no place for a lady, still she insists on visiting in an attempt to better know Mr. Marks. When a gentleman is murdered on the steps of the club, the recent violence streak in the area suddenly gets the police's attention. From Deception on Sable Hill, detectives Sean Ryan and Owen Howard are back - and this time Lydia and Sebastian are high on the list of suspects.

Lydia has an intense need to provide for her mother at any cost from the beginning, but as her character grows throughout the novel, she finally is making her own choices as an independent women. It's interesting to watch the women in this novel rebel against the standards of their time. They won't put up with a man trying to "own" them. Even Sebastian isn't everything a gentleman "should" be - he wants Lydia to experience the world, not shelter her.

The mystery is a good one, though it's not really at the forefront until much later in the book, though there are clips of newspaper articles throughout that let the reader know trouble is brewing. When the resolution finally comes, it feels too quick, but the journey there is full of suspense and intrigue. Definitely worth reading this one, as well as the second book in the series, Deception on Sable Hill. Now I need to go back and read the first one, since I haven't had the chance yet!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "At Love's Bidding" by Regina Jennings

At Love's Bidding is the second in Regina Jennings' Ozark Mountains series. Though I've read one of her other books, Caught in the Middle, I hadn't read the first of this series, A Most Inconvenient Marriage. From what I can tell, there is little that you miss out on by starting with the second book. The main characters are different, though the setting remains the same and there is some character carry-over.

In At Love's Bidding, the Wimplegate family owns an auction house in Boston where an important painting is mistakenly sold. In order to appease the upset owner, Miranda Wimplegate and her grandfather promise to get it returned. Upon checking the records and seeing that the buyer had used a fake name, Miranda and her grandfather follow the only clue they have to Missouri, where the painting was to be shipped. Figuring that it must be headed to the only auction house in town, grandfather buys it sight-unseen. Unprepared, they discover when the arrive that what they have purchased is a livestock auction - nothing like the fine arts they were used to dealing in.

Dealing with her grandfathers progressing memory problems, searching for the missing painting, and learning to run a completely new type of auction, Miranda doesn't expect to become distracted by the livestock auction's manager. They're stubborn to admit their love because of the two very different worlds they come from.

When strangers appear in town, Miranda and her grandfather know their time is running short to recover the painting before someone else finds it. The future of their Boston auction house rests in the balance.

Fitting in to societal norms was a key theme, and familiar, as it was similar in that way to Caught in the Middle. Though slow-moving at times and a fanciful premise, overall it was an interesting and heartwarming story of love, compassion, and a little bit of mystery. Miranda has a lot of character growth from a timid girl who won't stand up for herself to a woman ready to take charge of her life. It happens at a reasonable pace and through specific situations where she is able to prove herself (scaring away a bully, standing up to her grandfather when he's being unreasonable, etc.).Other memorable characters, including young Betsy, who always speaks her mind and is always hanging around, add depth to the story. It's not just a romance, it's about all types of love and compassion, from Miranda teaching the street children in her spare time to helping her grandfather in his declining health instead of getting frustrated with him to of course her relationship with Wyatt and learning to follow her heart.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: A Christmas Celebration Sticker & Activity Book

A Christmas Celebration Sticker & Activity Book is a 16-page paperback that includes more than 50 stickers. With the exception of the coloring pages, the other activity pages are brightly colored, which make for a very attractive book.

Activities include using stickers to finish a picture, finding hidden objects, finding hidden shapes and putting stickers over them, coloring, listing their favorite place to travel, spotting differences between two pictures, counting the number of animals or objects in a picture (2-10), tracing a path, solving a code with pictures representing letters, tracing a word, using stickers to complete a "puzzle", and a color by number.

As the book progresses, it tells the sorry of Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem and baby Jesus being born. On a few of the pages there is a full paragraph of description and then a small activity to follow. It would work best with a child already familiar with the Christmas story, reliving it through the activities, rather than hearing it for the first time since there is not too much detail.

My two and half year old niece was a little young to fully appreciate this book, but she did enjoy placing the stickers that matched the corresponding grayed out areas in the book. The recommended ages for this book are 4-8, and I think that the younger side of that range would have no problems with any of the activities.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "The Bronte Plot" by Katherine Reay

In The Bronte Plot, Lucy Alling works at a reputable antique shop for with the owner, her mentor, Sid. She loves her job, but her favorite part is what she loving refers to as Book Day, where she takes care of all of the special edition, rare books. It's through these rare books that she takes an interest in a young attorney, James, who comes in to buy a few books as gifts. They begin dating, but it ends abruptly when James catches her using unscrupulous business tactics.

However, James' grandmother, Helen, takes a special interest in Lucy, and after the break up she hires Lucy as an antique consultant for a trip to England. With Helen's health condition precarious, her family is outraged by her decision, and simply don't understand. But for Helen, it's a trip of going back to go forward, and Lucy plays an important role in Helen's personal mission. 

Though Lucy is slow to admit it, the trip holds similar trials for her as well. She is reluctant, but anxious, in seeking her estranged father, whose only contact for more than a decade has been to send Lucy a book on her birthday.  The most recent was postmarked England. But she knows that a love of fabricating stories runs in the family, and she's not quite ready to face the reality of how much her father's lies have hurt her, and shaped her.

Lucy, her father, Helen, and James all share a love a literature that runs common through the novel, uniting the characters. Author Katherine Reay, as with her other two novels (Dear Mr. Knightley and Lizzy & Jane), includes many quotes and references to classical literature, especially the Bronte sisters. A novel for book lovers, whether or not your exact tastes line up with the characters, The Bronte Plot is another delightful escape into a the lives of characters you'll love from the beginning despite their flaws.

I especially enjoyed the pacing of the book, which though there was downtime in Helen and Lucy's England journey, every moment was vital to the characters' growth and it was captivating to watch it play out. Every piece lead toward the forgiveness, redemption, and honesty that came with the characters facing their pasts to ultimately move forward.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "Princess Charity Sticker & Activity Book" inspired by Jeanna Young & Jacqueline Johnson, pictures by Omar Aranda

Princess Charity is part of a five-book sticker and activity book series titled The Princess Parables. Each 16-page book focuses on one of five sisters and Princess Charity is the youngest.

The activities are similar to the other Princess Parable books, but some types are unique to this book as well. Activities include: coloring, filling in stickers, word search, connect the dots, color by number, maze, find things that don't belong, spot the differences, drawing yourself as a princess, and drawing a kingdom. It's a handy little book of entertainment that would be perfect for vacations or waiting rooms.

The only problem with these books is that the 50 sticker insert is in the middle of the book, which is always a two-page spread photo. The stickers sheets would have to be pulled out of the book's staples so that the child doing the activity could see both sides at once.

The story line for Princess Charity leaves a bit to desire...There are short descriptions of what Princess Charity is doing and directions for activity. Most of them are very generic, about the princess, her sisters, and their father, but all of a sudden one page there's a Prince Jack without any introduction and then later he leaves the kingdom. It just seems weird in the limited story that it would focus on him leaving instead of arriving, since there was no prior mention of him. Maybe that was explained in Hope and Faith's books, since I haven't read those yet.

The story isn't terribly important though, especially with all of the great activities and stickers for children to play with. I would still heartily recommend this book.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: Only God Can Make a Kitten by Rhonda Greene and Illustrated by Laura Bryant

Only God Can Make a Kitten is a delightful rhyming story book for ages 4-8, according to the back of the book.


The story features a young, inquisitive boy asking his mother questions about who made things, from the ocean, to trees, to snow. His questions are posed in a concise four-line stanza, which his mother answers in a similar rhyming stanza.




The illustrations are beautifully done and add a younger sister to the story. My favorite pictures were of the kitten, who really isn't in the story very much. That was my only complaint -- that I was hoping for more kitten in the story. The kitten is only mentioned on two pages and in three illustrations (excluding the front matter, which actually had quite a lot of kitten illustrations).



Its important to note then that is a story about a boy asking about who created things that happens to include a kitten. Accepting that this is not a book about kittens, I would fully recommend this book as I think the rhyming stanzas and colorful illustrations will capture the hearts of young readers.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: Tiny Bear's Bible

Tiny Bear's Bible is a fuzzy covered book that toddlers are sure to love. The bears ears can be wiggled on the cover, which I know my niece will enjoy.



Between the fuzzy covers are board book pages that tell twelve Bible stories through short one-to-two paragraph poems. After the poem, there is sometimes a direct address to little bear, such as, "Yes, Tiny Bear, God keeps his promises!" Stories include: Noah's Ark, Daniel in the Lions' Den, David and Goliath, and the birth of Jesus.

The illustrations are very well done. On the left page, the illustration is from the Bible story with the title and verses it is taken from. On the right is the poem telling the story, along with a picture of the little bear that relates to the story.

The publisher suggests that this book is appropriate for ages 2-5, which I think is appropriate given the board book and fuzzy cover format, along with Bible story poems that will grow with the child.  It's a great book to read aloud and a really fun way to introduce young ones to the Bible.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Review: "God Watches Over Me"

God Watches Over Me is a collection of poems and Bible verses, illustrated with Precious Moments drawings. It is a board book with a foam board cover, making it ideal for children like my niece who haven't learned to be gentle with the pages yet!

Each page has a category of a place or time where God is watching over us, featuring at least one poem, Bible verse, and illustration. Some of my favorites were "God Watches Over My Friends and Me," "God Watches Over Me When I Travel," "God Watches Over Me When I Get Hurt," and "God Watches Over My Pets."

The illustrations are adorable and are the reason I was interested in this book. However, the poems themselves are just okay--mediocre rhyming paired with long poems that would be challenging to keep a toddler interested in. It's not a typical easy rhyme and low word count per page book.

I do think it's a book that could grow with a child though since it is durable. All in all, I would recommend only for the biggest Precious Moments fans, since the content isn't the best.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Book Look for this review.  The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.