Skimmer & Finn: There Are No Pancakes on This Planet by Christopher Francis

 

Genre:  Graphic Novel, Children

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I make my students set reading goals every year. I expect them to read from 11 different genres. I agree to do the same.  The one I struggle with is graphic novels. I grew up reading comic books and such so you would think this wouldn't be an issue. The problem is with the content. So often the book is full of wonderful pictures but lacking in words and plot.  When you read this graphic novel you will find it has it all.  I am looking forward to the next one in this series. 

Skimmer is a robot traveling with his human Finn. Earth had been destroyed 1000 years before and people were put in pods and sent out to other planets to survive. Finn wakes up from his pod and meets Finn who tries to explain things to him.  I laughed so hard because he was told Earth was destroyed and he went through a list of his possessions to see if they were gone. It sounds like any typical kid they are self-centered.  They do find another survivor and that is when things begin to happen.  Will Finn learn or cause more trouble?  This is a must read book and one I look forward to getting for my grandsons.

Two Great Easter Stories

 

LambsPress has a very nice Easter Coloring book. This simple book tells the Christian story behind the Celebration of Easter.  It is told in simple scenes from the story. At the end of the book there are alphabet pages that correspond with scenes in the story.  Very simple way to teach your children about Easter.

Faithful Pages Press has written a wonderful Easter story for ages 3-5.  It has hand drawn illustrations created by Aaron J. Masters. The combination of the simple, yet colorful illustrations along with a retelling of the reason we Christians celebrate Easter is told to hold the interest of young and old. I like reading and reviewing multiple books about the same topic.  In this way if the first one isn't for your or your child then maybe the second or third one will be. I definitely recommend this book to families.

TenMore Picture Books, Some of My Favorite Stories and Authors

 A few more picture books that I reviewed right after Christmas.  I purchased each of the picture books and the opinions expressed here are my own.

The Adventures of Scotty Claus by David Scott Fields II

This was probably my favorite read over the two days I tried to read down my picture books on my Kindle. This is the story of a young man whose dream is to meet Santa Claus. One night his wish comes true. He learns that Santa has known his parents for years. Santa asks for him to help him deliver presents that night. As the night goes on he learns there is more to Christmas than receiving gifts.  He meets a special young girl named Ruth who is very sick.  Santa takes Scotty back to his workshop and lets him make a gift. He decides to make a snow globe for Ruth. Then Santa comes out to tell him who and what Christmas is really about. He even gives Scotty his personal Bible. He explains that he hopes one day Scotty will come to know the true gift that was given.   The end  of the book tells the story of the author and how for years his father played Santa for real. This is one of the most heart -felt and touching stories I have ever read. I highly recommend this book.

Things My Way by Sarah Read

Dominic is a young boy who likes to do things his way, or as he says it, "to the beat of his own drum." He does this at school, in sports and at home. Things down always go the way he planned. Mom has a way to teach Dominic that there is a time and a place to follow the directions. Read this wonderful and simple book to see if Dominic learns that lesson.

My Body Bubble by Michael Gordon

I loved this story. Annie is playing with her best friend Max when he falls down. She hugs him and doesn't get the reaction she expected. Her hug made him feel uncomfortable. This story is learning about personal spaces, or as the book calls it personal bubbles. I think I like this book so much because I have had people step too close to me and I take a step back and then draw a square in front of me saying, "Sorry, this is my space." They usually apologize and take a step back.  Great lesson to be learned and explained in a manner that all children, and adults can understand.

I Get Angry Like a Tiger by Michael Gordon

Once again the author has created a book that helps children deal with very common situation. Most young children get angry. If there is no one there to teach them how to handle those different emotions they usually handle it incorrectly. This book is great at teaching a strategy to deal with anger. In addition there are several common situations that kids get angry in and these situations and solutions are addressed in the book.

Georgie’s Long Goodbye by Bri Kozlowski

This was a strange but good story. Georgie has lost his grandmother. However, before she passed she became a part of a holographic computer program. She was sent back to the family for a time. Georgie does everything  with her. Then one day he can't find her. His mother explains that he has to learn to say goodbye. Georgie doesn't want to. He and his mother come to an agreement. This is a strange yet wonderful book about grieving for those we've lost.

Stories for Children 10 by Francois Bissonnette

I have always loved this author's stories. This is the story of Emily and Arabella. Emily is a human child whose parents read to her about Fairyland every night. One day Emily can't find her book.  The wise fairy visits Arabella and sets her on a quest to find the Fairyland Book. Without it Emily begins to forget the stories of Fairyland and Fairyland is beginning to disappear. Arabella must find this book and return it to Emily. The world building is awesome and the characters are lovable.  I recommend this author's books to everyone.

A Colorful Beginning by Raven Howell

A wonderful book to read to a child before they begin their first day of school, or to read to a class on their first day of school.  It shows them that no matter what their differences they are all better together. Plus, you get the added bonus of teaching children about mixing colors. A win, win if you ask me.

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

I love learning something from a picture book. This is the story of how we got the Macy's Day Parade. It started with a young boy who loved puppets and making things move. Tony Sang worked with Marionettes for years. Mr. Macy wanted to create a window display and hired Tony. Then he decided to create a parade for his employees and Mr. Sang helped with that. You will need to read the book to see how a simple window display evolved into the Macy's Day Parade we have today. I loved this book.

Bigger Than Alexander by Christopher Francis

A fun story of a young boy who is bigger than all of his classmates. Unfortunately he grows so big he no longer fits in the classroom or school.  However, the teacher knows there is something different and special about Alexander. There is something about him that is bigger than his size. Read the book to find out what it is that makes Alexander so special. Read this book by one of my favorite authors.

The Best Gift For Bear by Jennifer A. Bell

Hedgehog bakes gifts for all of her friends, but she doesn't know what to bake for her best friend bear. She sees the snow on her house and decides to bake bear a gingerbread house. She gets it all decorated and heads to bear's house. As she gets near the wind tears up her gift to bear. What will she give bear now?  Read this wonderful book about friendship.

Nine Picture Books from Emily Hartmann

Continuing my review of children's picture books.  Here are several by author Emily Hartmann

Cuddle Up: Children's Book about Emotions and Feelings, Valentine's Day by Emily Hartmann

This is a wonderful book. Each animal parent in rhyme tells their child how they will protect them and how much they love them as they tuck them into bed for the night. This is a wonderful story to read at bedtime to your youngest child.

Grateful Hearts by Emily Hartmann

A cute book full of beautiful pictures that show animal families expressing their gratitude for what they have each and every day. Great for bedtime story.

I Feel Worried by Emily Hartmann

This book addresses worry that children feel so often. It addresses so many different things that children fear. They fear the dark. They fear the first time in a new place. They fear performing in front of others. They fear storms. The book also talks about ways to help deal with these fears to make yourself feel better. This is an opportunity for adults to talk with a young child and reassure them. It is also a time to share that adults have some of these fears as well and how they deal with them.

My Bad Mood by Emily Hartmann

This book addresses what children can do when they are in a bad mood. They can take a walk, draw, play music or love on a pet. Each of these activities are things that children love and can do to turn their mood around.

Make Good Choices by Emily Hartmann

This book is all about choosing the right things. Everyone adults and children need to make good choices. They need to choose to be friendly, to forgive, to be kind. We all need to beloving, calm, confident. We need to make good choices to  be healthy through food and exercise, and to be  generous, caring, brave. These are things we face every day, both young and old and it is up to us to teach the younger ones to make good choices.

Snuggle Up, Little Cub by Emily Hartmann

A cute bedtime story that shows different animals, parent and child telling them in a special way how much they love them and they snuggle together for the night.

How Animals Say I Love You by Emily Hartmann

A cute bedtime story where each animal tells their young one how much they love them, and what they will do together, or how they will protect them. The book showcases in rhyme; elephants, giraffes, tigers, hippos, rhinos, lions, zebras, flamingos and koalas.

The Feelings Animals by Emily Hartmann

A cute animal book that talks about emotions, how they make us feel and what we can do to help us with those emotions.

Good Night, Little Farm by Emily Hartmann

A simple and gentle story to read to your youngest at bedtime. The beautifully illustrated pictures along with the simple rhyming of a story well told will definitely lull your little one to sleep. The author has kept it simple using farm animals and their young to prepare them and your child for bedtime. Well done.

Five Wonderful Picture Books From Different Authors

 Trying to read down books on my Kindle. I decided I would start with several of the picture books I have purchased. Sit back and enjoy them.

Source:  I purchased all of these books   Genre:  Children's Picture Books

Tree Full of Wonder by Anna Smithers

I really loved this book. I grew up on a farm and outside my bedroom window was a giant maple tree. I loved the shade it provided, the colors that came in the fall. This book shows the connections we have with trees and all the things we need them for. The pictures are beautiful.  The end of the book has a section with pictures of different types of trees and asks you to find them in the book. Then there is a page that tells what we use trees for.

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

This is a wonderful picture books that takes the reader on a journey to a pond. While a mother and her young son row across the top of the pond, the young boy learns about animals and insects that live both above and below the water. The reader learns the connections both have to the other. There is an author’s note at the back that tells more about these systems. There is also a page that tells the reader about four animals listed in the book.

Unspoken: Communicating Beyond Words by Cara Cusack

This book is beautiful in illustrations and in the message it conveys. We read the stories of children who do not speak verbally. Each one of them speak in their own manner, whether it is through music,  dance, artwork. They are able to communicate with the world in such a beautiful manner, showing us that we are all different and we can all communicate given what we have.

Inside the Pencil Box by Avni Saxena

I really loved this story. It is the story of how the pencil got an eraser on its end. ; This author's imagination is wonderful. She created a pencil box that had two kingdoms living in it. One was the kingdom of pencils the other was the kingdom of erasers. Each thought the other was better. It wasn't until they set out to prove it and ruined Emma's homework that they realized they were both wrong.  The solution to the problem was an imaginative genius.  I absolutely loved this book. I would definitely read more by this author.

Overcomers by Joy Ohagwu

What a wonderful book of faith. When Claudia is approached by a man who tells her if she is a woman he will kill her, she takes off running. Running away isn't enough. She prays for God to protect and hide her. She then races to warn everyone she sees. As she nears home she sees her sister running toward danger. Once she catches up to her sister she sees how much faith her younger sister has.  They both pray for the safety of their friends and family members while danger passes them by. This is a wonderful book complete with scripture that  tells us why we should not be afraid.  I will recommend this to everyone I see as well as check out any other books by this author.

Four Wonderful Children's Christmas Books

 I should have gotten these reviews out earlier. However, I know that the weeks before Christmas break are full of testing at school so this year it didn't happen. However, these books would be a beautiful way to begin your holiday celebrating next Christmas with your little ones. Sit back and see what  can be in store for them.

The Nativity Story Advent Calendar for Toddlers and Kids by MamTalk

A wonderful book for children ages 3-5.  It not only tells the story of the birth of Jesus, but also is full of activities that children and families can do each day leading up to Christmas day. It teaches children about gratitude and the true gift of giving of themselves. As you read it also prepares children to put on a play about the meaning of Christmas and also has masks to cut out to help with the play. This is another wonderful book from MamTalk

Nativity Story Directly from the Bible: The Birth of Jesus Christmas Book for Toddlers, Kids, Preschoolers, Little Boys and Girls

Let me start by saying that the pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I love that it is not only a retelling of the birth of Christ, but done in scripture that kids can undestand. This is the kind of story that as a child would entice me as I got older to read the story from the Bible on my own. One of a few children's books I have seen that give the actual scripture reference to children.

The Nativity: A Bible Study Book for Young Scripture Explorers by Pure Lily Press

I enjoyed this book immensely. Growing up, Every Christmas Eve started with the reading of the story from the Bible. I remember being bored when I was only 5 or 6 because I didn't really understand the story read straight from the Bible. As I got older it made sense.  This book would have been perfect. You have the top of each page straight from the scripture for older children and then the bottom of the page is a condensed  version of it complete with scripture reference for the much younger child. Just a piece of personal info, I did carry that tradition on with my own children and have had the pleasure of watching my daughter carry this on with her children. Books like these are so important and this                                                 is one of the best I have seen.

The Nativity Book by Faithful Pages Press

Another beautiful retelling of the Christmas story. In this book for children 3-8 we have the beautiful retelling of the birth of Christ. At the bottom of the pages the scripture reference. I guess the reason I really like the picture books with the scripture reference is because we can sit with our youngest and show them where we find it in our Bible. This introduces them to one of the most important books around. The pictures are simple, yet beautiful. This is another wonderful book I will recommend to parents and grandparents everywhere.

Daily Guided Gratitude Journal with Creative Prompts by MamTalk

 

Genre: Children's Journal

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

A wonderful book for children ages Kindergarten to fourth grade.  If you want you child to write more then start with this book. This is a beginner journal. Parents can sit with their young child and read it to them and then have them draw pictures or tell the parent what to write. The older child can write and color. What a great way to get children interested in writing and help create a life-long love of writing. I love books by MamTalk.

This book is full of cute pictures.  Each page starts with an example, a place to write the date, then a page for students to fill in with their own personal information. This is a wonderful way to show kids that they can write every day about things that are important to them.There are pictures to color which makes this a fun activity. I only wish that more parents would spend time daily with their children teaching them to journal like this, showing them that writing can be fun. It is a great way to teach children the importance of gratitude

1 2 3 Ultimate Preschool Math by MamTalk Publishing

 

Genre: Children's Workbook

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

As a former kindergarten teacher I learned that small kids are like sponges. If you give them the opportunity and guidance they can learn much more than people think they can. By the end of the year my kindergarteners could read an analogue clock. They could read and write small stories. Why? The curriculum we used pushed them. Some of them needed more encouragement or needed to be retaught like everyone does in something. But they all succeeded

That is what this book does. The very first page does this. It shows a blank hedgehog ( one with zero needles) The student draws the needles on it, trace the zeros then trace the word zero, then they practice writing it on their own. Then of course they get to color the animal associated with it. After they have finished tracing, writing and coloring they can count the number of each animal.

Next they are asked to count objects up to ten. A certain number of shapes are placed in boxes and the child must count them and then color the correct number choice. Then they count and write the number under each picture like a graph.  Then there are pictures with different objects. Children color the count scattered objects and write the number in a box that corresponds to the pictures.  They learn to count one more or one less, then match the number to the objects. They learn the concept of before, between and after, inside and outside, right and left.  This is all followed by simple addition and subtraction. Once again they get to practice on basic shapes.  As always upon completion there is a certificate.

These are fun, engaging math concepts that are sure to keep the youngest child busy and actively learning

Large ABC and 123 Learning My First Big Tracing Workbook for Kids by Kidsup Publishing

 

Genre: Children's Workbook

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

One hundred and eleven pages of tracing fun for the young child. The very first page shows each letter and the numbered directions for writing each letter. Like your typical preschool/kindergarten letter tracing book they use cute animals for each letter. What I loved about this page was they used animals such as an alpaca, a narwhale, a sloth, a vulture and a yak. These are not the same ordinary animals we usually teach  them first. I know with my own grandchildren, if I showed them something they had never hear of before then it was a teaching moment for me.

Kids start off tracing single lines that are horizontal, vertical, slanted, the V-shaped before they ever start tracing letters.  In the beginning each letter takes up one full page.  Then you move onto the next section where you have one animal for the capital letter and one for the lower case letter.  The letters are followed by numbers then shapes that have positive statements attached to them. They even get into a rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon and octagon.  As always, when your child finishes this book they get a certificate that you can print out and they can color.

Escape to the Everglades by Edwina Raffa and Annelle Rigsby

 

Genre:  Middle Grades, Upper Elementary, Historical Fiction

Source:  I own a copy.

I have owned this book for a long time. As we neared the end of the school year and I had packed away my books for the year, I found this book. It had been left on one of my bookcases.  I decided to take it home then give it to my grandson to read. I am so glad it was left behind. I loved this book.

Running Boy receives his adult name at the naming ceremony and hopes that will end the bullying by Tiger. He is also eager to join Osceola's group to fight against the injustice being done on the Seminoles and other Native Americans. Tiger doesn't consider him a true Seminole because his mother was Seminole and his father was white. That is why he was given his father's name, Will Cypress.  His uncle agrees he is a man now and can decide on his own to join Osceola. He reminds him to remember who he is. He isn't just a Seminole he is also white. His uncle tells him that things are not always as black and white as we think. 

Will understand these words when he meets a woman and her three sons who help him hide out and point him in the direction of Osceola's camp. The few days he stays with them he learn what it means to be both white and Native American. He learns what his uncle means when he says he belongs to both worlds and he learns to accept who he is as a man and what it means to "do the right thing."

The Altruism Trial by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Science Fiction

Source: Purchased

Riley Pickering is a young man who thinks of no one but himself. He behaves as if the world owes him everything and exists for him alone. What was funny about this is that I see kids like this in my classroom every year. Some leave middle school for high school the same way they entered school. They believe they are the most important person to exist and everyone else exists to do their bidding. In this book Riley receives a package with an unassembled plane. He makes his parents put it together. When the day comes to display their project he is called first. He steps into the plane and starts it up. He has read no instructions so he doesn't know how to fly it. The plane takes off and he crashes into an island. Here he meets two other kids who are just like him.  The story is all about change. But can Riley learn or be willing to learn important lessons to get off the island?  Like all of the other books this author has written, I loved this book. They are not only fun to read, but they are also full of life lessons.  I highly recommend all of his books.

Trapped in 1867 by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Science Fiction
Source: Purchased

A boy, a girl, a class assignment, and a time machine. Guari and Ben have been paired up for a class assignment. They are to research how Ottawa has changed over the past 150 years. What better way to research the assignment then travel back in time? Ben doesn't believe Guari. He is unaware that her father, a scientist has an actual time machine in their basement. What happens when they land in the middle of the winter?  This was a fun book to read. They face freezing to death, wolves, fires, all to try to get the best grade on the assignment. Can these two become friends? Why is Ben so mean to Guari all the time. It gives a realistic look into the history of Ottawa, Canada, while creating a fun storyline.

Spike: The Penguin With Rainbow Hair by Sarah Cullen, Carmen Ellis

Genre; Children’s Picture Book
Source: Purchased

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much I read it to my husband. He laughed and said I was being a teacher. However, he loved it as well. I am a sucker for stories that rhyme. They did a wonderful job with that. The story is of a young penguin born with a tuft of rainbow colored hair on top of his head. His parents are so proud of him and name him Spike. Spike is not fond of his hair and tries everything he can to make his rainbow colored hair go away. The lesson to be learned is that we are all different and we don’t need to be the same to fit in. This is a wonderful book to teach such a wonderful lesson geared for the youngest of children.

The Illustrator,  Zuzana Svobodova is a wonderful artist. The colors she chose are soft and colorful, except for his bright tuft of hair. The penguins are cute and cuddly. I kept thinking that I would love to have a stuffed penguin who looked just like Spike. I personally think it would be a beautiful addition to go with the book. I will still share this with my grandchildren. They love reading them even if they are older and read on their own. It is all in how you present it to them. Highly recommended to parents, grandparents and teachers.

Student Saturday: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Student Reviewer:  Malia W.

Genre: Elementary, Middle Grade, Adventure

" I couldn't possibly", said Despereaux, backing away form the book.  "Why? Um," said Despereaux. "It would ruin the story." You see this might not seem like much but Despereaux was always the odd one in his family, but from this point on ...everything would start to go downhill. To me he had an emotional intelligence that the other mice did not - it made the reader feel more connected to him but for the mice in thebook, he wasn't normal -- that wasn't normal. Regardless of that when Despereaux said he couldn't possibly because it would ruin the story it reminded me of myself. There's often times I want to tell my friends something but then I don't because I'm afraid it would ruin our friendship.

You know when you were little and your mother might say "I'm disappointed in you" yeah, well I'm starting to think that's just a mom thing. In the book Despereaux's mother gave birth but all the other mice died except him -- and even he was so frail that she said he would die like the others. "All that work for nothing," said the mother. She sighed. "It is so sad. It is such the disappointment." Disappointment was something she said often, it was her favorite words.Sometimes it makes me wonder if it's my mom's favorite word too. There was just this time where my mom would always say she's disappointed in me, little me didn't reallyunderstand why at the time but Ido do now. I guess much hasn't changed since I still make selfish-idiotic choices that give my mother al the rights to be disappointed in me - to give everybody that right in fact. It often makes me wonder why people like me, still have faith in me. 

"But his existence was cause for much speculation in the mouse community," You know that feeling when you're the odd one in the family or on the side lines in the friend group? I think that is what this quote feels like. Like the guild-eating, self-conscious that's telling you that whatever you're thinking is 99.iiii% correct. When you feel like your existence is something to question, not just for you but for others too. It's almost like everybody you know and consider your friend starts to blur out and blend in with the darkness and start to questions why the even became friends with  you and why you're even here. Though in Despereaux's case, it was worse, even so he ignored it all and just did him. Sometimes I was ore like that instead of focusing on what others think about me.

This small book has so many lessons to teach and I highly recommend it.

 

Easter Bible Story About Jesus for Children from MamTalk Publishing

 

Genre: Older Children
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my

This is another Easter Story from MamTalk. This one takes the reader from the reason for Jesus' arrival on Earth to how he helps us every day. The story talks about the miracles he performed. Then it goes into his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, and then into his arrest and crucifixion. It doesn't stop there, we next learn of his resurrection and why it was important. We learn that his death paved the way for our eternal life It ends with the ascension into Heaven. Children reading this book will learn about God's ultimate love.

I highly recommend this book for children 6-12. It is a great story with a great message.

Easter Story About Jesus for Little Boys and Girls by Kidsup Publishing

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a simplified retelling of the Easter story for kids 3-5 years old.  The story begins with Jesus' birth and goes through his life. It then tells the story of his crucifixion and resurrection, which is the reason we celebrate Easter. The pictures are simple, happy and bright.  This would be a book that any parent or grandparent could read to their child or grandchild to teach them the  true meaning of Easter.

 

Easter story About Jesus by MamTalk Publishing

 

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Christian

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I love these books by Mamtalk. This is the story about why we celebrate Easter. In a day and age where children focus on the "Easter Bunny" and candy, it is nice to see someone who wants to promote the true reason for the Holicay. The story is told in a simple manner so that the youngest child can understand. The pictures are simple, yet bright and colorful. What I love more than anything is that as the child grows older the reader can use the scripture text that accompanies the book. A great way to teach about Easter and a great way teach kids to love reading the Bible.

Learn to Write by Kidsup Publishing

 

Genre: children's writing practice
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

As I went through this writing book there were several things that appealed to me. As a grandmother I loved that the theme was dinosaurs. I have two grandsons who are crazy about dinosaurs. The second thing was all of the opportunities for them to practice writing letters and numbers.

As a teacher, I loved the fact that they also have the opportunity to write bigger words. All of the dinosaur words and at the end of the book there are dinosaur jokes and their answers for them to practice writing. I definitely think this is a great book for ages 4-7.

Henrietta Hedgehog's Prickly Problem by Carole P. Roman

Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 I have long been a fan of Carole P.  Roman's Books. I was excited to receive this one in the mail. Henrietta is a hedgehog who is teased at school about her looks. She tries to disguise herself. All this accomplishes is hurting another animal's feelings. Henrietta learns from other animals that they are all different for a reason and being different is okay. This is a lesson that so many children need to hear. Every day I hear kids complaining about what someone said about the way they look. As a teacher it breaks my heart to hear this from any student. Excellent book, a must read.

The Nativity Story For Children

 

Genre:  Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Growing up I remember my mother reading the story of Christ's birth straight from the Bible before we opened Christmas presents. As a teen I had the privilege of doing it. When my children came along my mother once again would read the story while the grandchildren sat on her lap. This beautiful picture book has two beautiful things in one. It is straight from the Bible, yet it has beautiful pictures to accompany it. As a younger child I didn't understand all of the words. Having this book would have helped me understand this. My grandchildren are much older, yet this is the book I will take to my daughter's house to read to them. They will get the benefit of both God's word and beautiful pictures to help them understand. This should be a must read in every house at Christmas time.