My Picnic Basket

Dr. Mary Manz Simon newest picture book, My Picnic Basket, is a cute introduction to the idea that our loving God is always near us. The book itself is shaped like a picnic basket, with cutout pages showing the contents - including a watermelon, vegetables, a pinwheel, sunglasses, and umbrella. Page by page, in rhyming verse, we learn about a little boy's picnic and how it relates to God. For example, the watermelon reminds him that God gives him good food to eat; the pinwheel - moved by invisible wind - reminds him that while he can't see God, God is present; the umbrella and an approaching storm reminds him God will protect him. And when the sun reappears:

"I bow my head and whisper,
'Thanks, God, for living me.'"

The last page shows the picnic basket with a tag on it that says "I'm with you! Love, God." There is also a Bible verse: Matt. 28:20 ("I will be with you always.").
 
What I Like: My kids have both enjoyed Simon's other books - especially My Basket of Blessings, which, like My Picnic Basket, is a cut out, shaped rhyming book. So I wasn't surprised when they enjoyed this title, too. The illustrations are bright and colorful (and sometimes shiny) and the message is simple and clear.

What I Dislike: At one point, Simon writes: "Inside my picnic basket/is watermelon sweet." This sort of reordering of words in order to get them to rhyme is generally avoided because it's distracting. Otherwise, however, the rhymes and rhythm don't draw attention to themselves.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: toddler to preschool

Publishing Info: Standard; 2013; ISBN: 978-0784736999; board book, 14 pgs., $9.99

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Time Crasher's: Viking Attack

Ethan Conway’s father has disappeared. Ethan has a pretty good idea of what has happened to him, but he needs the help of his two friends, Jake and Spencer, to search for him. Ethan’s father is a scientist who has invented a time travel machine. He had tested it several times by sending objects and animals back into time and retrieving them. Now that his father is no where to be found, Ethan suspects he has traveled back in time on his own and might need help coming back.

Time Crasher’s: Viking Attack, written by H. Michael Brewer, is one of those stories where the reader gets to determine the ending. At the end of each section in the story, the reader must make a choice as to what should happen. The first choice that must be made is whether or not Ethan will use the time machine to try to find his dad. If you choose no, the story ends right there. The other choice allows Ethan to follow his dad and the reader gets to determine what happens next. Ethan, Jake and Spencer use their faith to guide them through their adventures. 

Black-and-white cartoon-like pencil sketches are scattered throughout the text, some full-page, most not.

What I Like: This is a fun book, well-written with lots of action and lots of choices for the reader to make. As one reviewer wrote, their son had read the book 15 times and still enjoyed it. 

I also like the riddles and tidbits the author has inserted at the ends of some of the chapters. They provide food for thought as well as Bible-based activities related to the story.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Legacy Press Kids, 2012; ISBN: 9781584111351; Paperback, 199 pages, $9.99.

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Special Info: This is the first book in the publisher's Time Crasher's series.

Rosita Valdez and the Giant Sea Turtle

Rosita Valdez has always had a vivid imagination. Her mind has a tendency to wander to far-off places when she’s supposed to be doing other things like listening to her parents or working on her homework. Rosita has also been raised to tell the truth. So, when she starts telling her family and friends about riding a giant sea turtle in the cove, no one believes her.

Rosita loves to go to the cove to swim. She is not allowed to go by herself, and she is not supposed to swim by herself, but when she meets a giant sea turtle she breaks some rules by climbing on his back and swimming away from the cove. She tells her friends and her family that she has met this giant sea turtle who takes her on spectacular rides on the sea where she meets his family and goes on adventures. But, no one believes her as no one but she has seen the turtle. So, she gets in trouble for lying as well as for swimming by herself.

The author has left the ending of Rosita Valdez and the Giant Sea Turtle somewhat up in the air. At the end of the story Rosita has to acknowledge that she has been lying about the sea turtle and take her punishment for it. But, at the end of the book the author writes an Epilogue in which she addresses the reader and asks some questions. She writes: “Dear reader, what do you think? Is Toby a real turtle? Did he and Rosie have a great adventure, or does she just have a great imagination? You, my friend, get to decide the end of this story…” The author not only leaves it up to the reader to decide what’s real and what isn’t, she also leaves the very real impression that there will be at least one sequel to the story.

Black and white pencil sketches are scattered throughout the book in between all but the first two chapters. The illustrations relate to specific things that happened in the chapters prior to them.

What I Like: This is a good story for teaching children about telling the truth.

What I Dislike: There is very little conversation in the book, making the text more of a narrative than anything else. I think that drags down the action. Also, the author overuses the word “winked”.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: 6-12.

Publisher Info: WestBow Press, 2012; ISBN: 9781449764869; Paperback, 108 pages, $11.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

How Do We Get to Heaven?

Children ask lots of questions about everything imaginable. Sometimes, as parents, we rack our brains about how to explain grown-up concepts to children. Author Cindy Pertzborn makes it easy to talk to children about Heaven and how we can get there. Her book, How Do We Get to Heaven? was written in response to her own five-year-old’s question, “Mom, how do we get to Heaven?”

She writes a story that children will understand and that parents can use as a guide for teaching their children about God and spending eternity in Heaven. She says that getting to Heaven is as easy as A-B-C: “Admit to God that you have sinned; Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for you; and Choose to trust and love God.”

She incorporates a short prayer into the story that children can pray when they are ready to accept Jesus into their heart. She also includes a Commitment Pledge they can sign, as well as a section of Biblical References for verses dealing with sin, salvation and forgiveness.

The illustrations by Stephen Adams are bold, colorful and attention-grabbing.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5-12.

Publisher Info: WestBow Press, 2012; ISBN: 9781449745851; Paperback, $16.95.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

Tadeo Turtle

Psalm 139: 13-14 tells us how God knit us together, and is quoted at the beginning of Tadeo Turtle, written and illustrated by Janis Cox. Written in rhyming verse, a once contented turtle named Tadeo becomes envious of the way a fellow creature (Sammy Squirrel) is able to move. Hampered by his shell, Tadeo mourns the fact that he can’t climb, run, and jump.

Then one day, Tadeo dreams that he has no shell to hold him back, and he indulges in some classic squirrel maneuvers. He’s happy until a cat comes along and chases him…just as a cat would chase a squirrel. It is only then that he wishes to have his shell back.

When Tadeo wakes up, he acknowledges that he is a turtle, and, as such, God had made him perfectly.

The book ends with four turtle craft ideas and a page devoted to turtle research ideas. The overall structure of the book is no more than four lines of text per page paired with watercolor pictures of various sizes.

What I Like: I like how the author started the book with a Bible verse. Plus, the theme of the book is good: God perfectly and wonderfully made you. I also like the book extensions. Although the crafts aren’t particularly original, they are fun, and the inclusion of them will likely inspire budding artists to create their own turtle. Perhaps they might even use their project to retell the story.

What I Dislike: This isn’t a dislike, but a neutral statement. The illustrations are okay—not my favorite style for a book geared toward younger readers, but still realistic and well done. But to me, many just don’t hold enough detail or variety to keep the attention of a younger audience.

This is also not a dislike, but a note. The research aspect of the book might be too difficult for the target audience. I checked out all the websites listed. One looks to be at about a first or second grade reading level. The text of the other two sites is at about a third or fourth grade level. However, with the guidance of an adult, younger children can enjoy these resources too.
My one true dislike is the price. $12.99 is pricey for a 28 page paperback.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: No age is listed, but the simplicity of the tale makes it well suited for a Preschool or perhaps Kindergarten audience.

Publisher Info: Word Alive Press, 2012; ISBN: 978-1770696952; Paperback, 28 pgs., $12.99

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"It's a Jungle Out There" Book One of the Rani Adventures

Ron (Rani) Snell's book, "It's a Jungle Out There," is a captivating look at life in the Amazon Rainforest, from the perspective of an eight-year-old boy. The son of missionary parents, Rani shares countless, breath-taking adventures. It is a miracle he, his brother Teri, and his two sisters survived many of the adventures. Snell's stories are packed with detail and humor, with a little thanksgiving thrown in.

Rani's adventures include navigating swollen river rapids by canoe, raft and fallen tree, navigating 16,000 foot mountain passes via Chevy and canvas-covered "Aeronca" airplanes, and swimming with alligators, piranhas,and sting rays. Life at home wasn't much calmer. Rani's family battled rats, giant ants and vampire bats at home, not to mention the wild ocelot, monkeys, and birds they tried to keep as pets.

A sample of Snell's writing speaks for itself.

 Isulas are big ants. Well, "big ants" doesn't exactly do them justice--they're kind of like one-and-quarter inch monster ants, the way they sting and all. We've seen Machiguenga men writhing on the floor after getting stung. Machiguenga men don't writhe just to impress their girlfriends.
I was the only one of us kids to get an isula bite, so I was kind of special, even though my mom already had gotten stung once when she sat down in the outhouse. Since she might read this book, I better not say where she got stung, but you can assume it wasn't on the top of her head. 

 Snell gives us an eye-opening look at living in a family of Bible translators working with the Machiguenga tribe. In between adventures, Snell's parents learned the language, translated the Bible,  began schools for children in various areas, and grew to love these gentle people. At the end of the book, Snell encourages readers to check out Wycliffe Bible Translators.

What I Like:  When I say captivating, I truly mean captivating.  I read a short section aloud to my family last night, as we were driving home. They couldn't help laughing. Better yet, at 6:30 this morning, my nine-and-a-half year-old son woke me up to ask if he could borrow the book. 6:30 is much earlier than he usually is up on a school morning, and I had to threaten him to get him to put it down at 8:10! I am sure he will be running over to the neighbor's to borrow books two and three this afternoon.

Snell's faith is evident in his compassion for the people, and in the way he writes about their beliefs and struggles with accepting the Christian faith.

The book would also work perfectly for teaching how to write a personal narrative.
 
What I Dislike:  There were random typos throughout.  Although I noticed them, I can honestly say I enjoyed the book so much, I didn't really care the typos were there.

Overall Rating:  Excellent

Age Appeal: 8 and up (but see Special Note)

Publisher Info: Hannibal Books, 2006; ISBN: 0-929292-83-9; Paperback, 165 pages, $7.95

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Special Note:  Snell writes in a very matter-of-fact manner about death due to infant mortality, disease epidemics and accidents. He also does write about infanticide and people drinking poison in suicide attempts or to try to induce abortion. Snell relates one second-hand story about villagers burying a newborn alive and stomping on the grave because its mother died in childbirth. These sections would be easy to skip, if you were reading the book aloud.

Book Two is called Life is a Jungle! and Book Three is called Jungle Calls.

Bennie's Forever Gift

In Bennie’s Forever Gift, written by Lynne Farrell, Bennie loves to go for rides with his Grandpa Eldee. Bennie looks up to his Grandpa because Grandpa always makes him feel special and loved.

For his eighth birthday, Grandpa Eldee gives Bennie a special gift, a bright red horn for his bike. Of all the presents he got, it is his favorite. He puts it on his bike and he and Grandpa go for a ride.

Then Grandpa tells Bennie about the Great One and his Forever Gift. He explains that the Great One created each of us differently and gave us special gifts. Grandpa said the Great One’s best gift of all is the Forever Gift. The Forever Gift is very special as the Great One only gives it to those who ask for it. If you accept the Forever Gift, you will be forever friends with the Great One and go to live with him when you leave this world.

The illustrations by Kathy Dache are colorful and expressive and the entire book’s layout works well with the text.

What I Like: I like the story’s message, a story about the gift of God’s eternal grace and the promise that we will be with Him when we die.

What I Dislike: I didn’t mention this previously, but just so you know, Bennie is a tricycle and Grandpa Eldee is an old-fashioned bicycle. I was a bit thrown off by the cover illustration as it is a picture of a tricycle with lots of balloons. With the title, Bennie’s Forever Gift, I expected the tricycle to be a gift, not be one of the main characters. I don’t necessarily dislike it, I just wonder why the author chose a bicycle and a tricycle as characters. Also, God is referred to as the Great One, instead of simply as God or our Heavenly Creator.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 6-12.

Publisher Info: WestBow Press, 2012; ISBN: 9781449761332; Paperback, $15.95.

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