Jerry Bridges: one of my all-time favorite "spirital" authors

I don't have much time for extra reading this semester; I'm homeschooling three children part-time (they're in a university model school which meets three mornings/week), I'm in my final year of coursework for my School Library/Information Science degree, and I'm still a wife and mother in the midst of it all ☺.

BUT, I'm still making time to do a book study with a friend. Why? Because we're studying a book by Jerry Bridges--one of my all-time favorite spiritual authors. I'll be reporting soon on some more children's book related items, but for now, here's a brief foray into the world of grown-up books.

Jerry Bridges has a knack for communicating spiritual truth that is at once both profound and basic. There is meat to his books, material I find myself chewing on and applying to my life even as it challenges me to go back to Scripture, to study to show myself approved, and to learn more about this great God whom we serve. And yet, his books are amazingly approachable, even if you don't have any background in the faith, if you're a newcomer to Christianity, or simply from a different denomination which has stressed slightly different aspects. (Bridges is what I would term Reformed, but I don't know what denomination he claims.) He has worked for the Navigators for the past 50 or so years! To me, the most distinctive aspects of his books are these:

• grounded in Scripture--indeed, they overflow with Scripture references
• God-focused--it all comes back to who God is rather than focusing solely on mankind

I have not read all of Bridges' works (he's a prolific author!). But those listed below are all well worth taking some time out of your busy schedule to peruse. Read with pen in hand and be willing to create some marginalia!

Trusting God Even When Life Hurts

My current study. Trusting God is the most prominent part of the title on my copy; I think the second half is a bit misleading. I don't feel like life "hurts" most of the time, so I put off reading this gem until this year. This book is about trusting God. In all areas. In all situations. A reminder that God is sovereign--even over nature and nations (a timely reminder given our upcoming election season). 

Transforming Grace

Wow!! This book changed my life. Really and truly. If you're familiar with Sonship, this book is similar but it starts with who God is, not who man is (and man's sin--he gets to that, but he begins first with the Lord).

Disciplines of Grace

A follow-up, in a sense, to Transforming Grace. Well worth reading and a succinct look at the practical aspects of our Christian walk.

The Gospel for Real Life

This might become my high school/college graduation gift of choice. It is EXCELLENT. Even if you've been a Christian your entire life, you will benefit from this book. A bit of rehash from Transforming Grace in parts; it would be a terrific refresher if you've read TG years ago and want to revisit it in a newer form (and with new information).

The Crisis of Caring

Another misleading title, this book sounds like it's only for those in position as care givers or perhaps those in charge of mercy ministry. Rather, it's an exploration of Christian fellowship and the ways in which we bear one another's burdens.






Next up on my Bridges-to-read list: Respectable Sins (mostly because I already own it ☺). Which Bridges book is your favorite?

Cover images from NavPress and Goodreads

The Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress (+ free download)

The Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress
Oliver Hunkin, John Bunyan, and Alan Parry (illustrator)
Eerdmans
1985


The Pigrim's Progress is one of those stories that is part of our cultural background--even if you are not a Christian. Granted, Christians place much more emphasis on this story because it is such a good allegory of our Christian journey/faith. Regardless of your perspective, the old, original form of the story can be a challenging read since it is roughly 350 years old.

Enter: The Dangerous Journey. A fully illustrated, abridged version of The Pilgrim's Progress, The Dangerous Journey is approachable for kids but is also a terrific refresher or introduction for adults as well. The story is abridged, but it still is told using the original language.

Want to go through The Dangerous Journey with your family? Check out Redeemed Reader's Children's Guide, available as a free download this week!!

Note for concerned parents: Redeemed Reader recommends this guide for ages 9 and up. I have read The Dangerous Journey with my children (ages 5, 5, and 6), but there are some meaty concepts in this story AND there are some fairly intense images which may frighten young/sensitive children--particularly if they haven't been exposed to much fantasy. I will no doubt revisit it in a few years using the study guide and do more discussion with them; this summer, our church is doing a Dangerous Journey themed program on Wednesday nights, so we've been following along in the book at home.

10 Things Parents Must Teach Their Children (and Learn For Themselves)

10 Things Parents Must Teach Their Children (and Learn For Themselves)
Edith Schaeffer
Baker Books
1994

I was teaching an early elementary Sunday School class a couple of summers ago, and the curriculum kept featuring quotations from this book in the margin. And the quotations were always so good. I decided the book was worth checking out.

It's taken me a while to read this gem--not because it's hard reading, but because it's thought-provoking and meaty. I didn't want to skim through it, and I was so tired mentally from schoolwork during the school year that I often picked up lighter reading before tackling something like this.

Do You Own a Hymnal?

Did you know that you, the average person, can own your own hymnal? They're actually quite reasonable in price. We use the Trinity Hymnal in our church and in our home; GCP (Great Commission Publications) sells them for a mere $17. If you have more than three people in your family, consider buying more than one. If you have a musician in your family, consider buying the spiral-bound edition that will stay open while the person plays. We have several hymnals in our home, including that spiral-bound one.

My husband and I grew up sitting in the church pew every Sunday. (And we still do that!) It is true though, that while we learned many hymns by osmosis, as it were, sitting there in the pew Sunday after Sunday, we have also both invested a large portion of time actively learning the great hymns of the faith. My husband plays both piano and organ and has played for countless church services over the years (currently he plays for our own church's morning worship service every other month). I used to accompany my church's evening worship service with my recorder (yes, I did!); there was a pianist as well and occasionally another recorder player.

Code of Silence

Code of Silence: Living a Lie Comes with a Price
Tim Shoemaker
Zonderkidz
2012


Three eighth grade kids are eye witnesses to an armed robbery and potential murder at their favorite local diner. One of them is partially seen by the bad guys; the message to the witness, under cover of darkness, is "We'll find you. We'll make sure you don't talk." (OK, that's a rough paraphrase ☺). The problem? Two of the bad guys, though masked, were clearly wearing cop pants.... Are the police in on it? The kids' plan? A code of silence: tell no one (not even their parents). Hide the security camera's hard drive they swiped. Lay low. Play it cool. When the cops show up at their school to start questioning kids, the code of silence trio know the game is up--or very nearly so. These bad guys aren't messing around....

Truth
Because this is a book from a well known Christian publisher, it's no surprise that references to God and prayer are thrown around in the book. Unlike many prayers-as-evangelistic-opportunities, these one liners are the whispers of desperate kids. The code of silence trio are presumably Christians; some of their families and peers ask them if they're praying, and the kids themselves reference their own prayers. Yet, there is no overt gospel message or even remotely identifiable denominational label. This book will appeal just fine to nominal Christians and even a broader audience. That being said, one of the things I appreciated in this book is the characters' honesty and recognition that their continual lies--necessitated by their commitment to their code of silence--are creating a barrier between them and their families and the Lord. By the end of the book, this is all reconciled, and their hearts are predictably more at peace. "Lying doesn't pay" comes through loud and clear as the book builds to its climax. Another theme I appreciated is the subtle idea that kids don't always know what's best. Novel in this day and age, I can assure you. Here's a middle grades novel that wraps up with the kids taking matters in their own hands at their peril. The parents don't exactly "save the day," but the kids do realize at the end that they should have trusted their parents from the get go as well as the others in authority over them. Nice. (And yet, I don't feel the book is too preachy and "message-y".)

Story:
This is your classic mystery with a nice twist at the end. Writing is pretty good for mystery standards, which I was pleased with. The perspective changes a few times between the three main characters; this wasn't necessary, in my opinion, and gets a little distracting. In addition, the middle third of the book is a touch slow--just a touch. That being said, it's a gripping read, and I think kids who enjoy mysteries will like it a lot!

Reading:

• As with any book, Christian or not, ask your kids what they think of the actions of the main characters--would they have done the same thing? 
• It sounds, on a very few occasions, like the main characters might be taking the name of the Lord in vain. Arguable--what do your kids think? Is it justified? Is it a gasp of a prayer? 
• Ask your kids if there are times when they've been tempted to lie--is there ever an okay time to lie? What about trusting your parents? 
• Lots to discuss here--don't make this book a "teaching opportunity" but make note of some potential teachable moments that may crop up.

Happy Reading!

Book on shelves now; book reviewed via ARC from netgalley; cover image from Zonderkidz

Fading Tracks (a FaithGirlz Boarding School Mytery)

Fading Tracks
(FaithGirlz Boarding School Mystery)
Kristi Holl
Zonderkidz
2008



I am a snob about Christian literature. I'll admit it right here, right upfront. Oh, don't get me wrong--I've read PLENTY in my day. Why, back in the day, I practically lived on a steady diet of Grace Livingston Hill, Janette Oke, Bodie Thoene, Michael Phillips,....  But they are all kinda the same, aren't they? "Christian Disney" if you will**. So, you can imagine my smirks when I saw the FaithGirlz series in the public library--that "z" is a sure fire sign that this is "quality" literature, isn't it?

But you know what? It's not that bad. This is Nancy Drew in Christian form--well, a 12-year-old/6th grade girl in a private boarding school named Jeri (short for Jericho) in lieu of the slightly older Nancy Drew. If you love mysteries and good clean fun--you might want to check these out.

Truth: Overall, I really like how this book handled Jeri's Christian faith. There is no preachy-come-to-Jesus moment. There are no cheesy-prayers-which-are-really-evangelical-opportunities-in-disguise. In that respect, Jeri's faith seems genuine and unaffected. And, for that, we should applaud Kristi Holl. Well done. I also like that there's absolutely NO romance in this book--3 cheers for writing a story for girls where there is no pining after Mr. Right. Where Truth starts to slide over into truth is this: Jeri consistently disobeys those in authority over her--all in the guise of sleuthing and rescuing lost girls. Laudable reasons. But at one point, she seems to clearly feel that the Lord is leading her to do these things (she gets a hunch and feels that it's from the Lord). I'm uncomfortable with that. In my experience, the Lord doesn't usually lead us to obey authority, especially when the authority is not commanding us to sin. That is going to be a potentially dangerous message to pass onto impressionable middle school girls; let's be honest: how many outright laughable "hunches" did YOU have in the sixth grade?

Story: For what this short novel is, it's pretty well done. This isn't stellar writing--it's mystery writing for those who want an action packed story and a quick read. This particular genre doesn't usually lend itself to powerful prose that makes you want to stop and ponder....

Reading: Share these with the middle school girls in your life (or upper elementary). There are a slew of titles in the FaithGirlz series. But remember: you need to remind the young folks slurping these down to stop, take a breath, and think through whether the characters' actions are the right actions--even when those characters are Christians.

Sources: Book from local library; "Christian Disney" description from friend; cover image from goodreads

What Christian fiction for middle schoolers have YOU found to be worth reading?

Parenting with Scripture

Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments
Kara Durbin
Moody Publishers
2012

All in all, this book delivers exactly what it says it will do: presents a handy topical guide for teachable moments, all tied to Scripture! Topics are covered in two pages each. The topic is listed and then followed by several Scripture references (actually, quite a few in some cases), then discussion questions and activities for reinforcement. Parenting tips are also sprinkled throughout as they correspond with a given topic. I appreciate the positive spin on so many topics (i.e. "honesty" and "thankfulness" are covered as well as topics like "complaining" and "anger"). This lets you easily use this book as a devotional guide with your children, covering topics as they arise in the book. Since the topics are listed alphabetically and cross-referenced in the back, it's also an easy book to use "in the moment." (The author makes a point of saying in the introduction that she couldn't find books that used Scripture in this manner; I think that's not quite true. Doorposts has some thorough resources in this vein; Don't Make Me Count to Three, Teach Them Diligently, and Shepherding a Child's Heart are also books in this vein, but they don't provide quite the practical Scripture reference guide.)

I think this book is probably most helpful with older preschoolers and up; very young children won't really "get" the questions (although you can always start memorizing Scripture with them as soon as they can talk!).

Perhaps my biggest "issue" with the book is the absence of grace, or the seeming lack of emphasis on it. Certainly we are to be working out our salvation, striving to obey the Lord, seeking to "put off the old and put on the new." But in all these things, we are more than conquerors...through Christ! We can only do these things in his strength and through his grace. Similarly, I found the explanation of the gospel a little lacking.

That being said, I still think this is eminently helpful resource for Christian parents; I plan to buy the book and will just adapt some of the information to my own Reformed theology. This new edition will be available in stores this month; check it out!

Advance review copy from netgalley; cover image from goodreads.com

Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words

Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words
Rachel Coker
Zondervan
2012

I must confess I braced myself for the usual brand of Christian romantic historical fiction here. [I grew up on a steady diet of Janette Oke and Bodie Thoene (to name a few).] But I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is pretty good, the writing needs a touch of work (which will come, no doubt, with the author's maturation as an author--this is a first novel), and I didn't find it too preachy.

This is a love story, yes, but it's also a story of a young 13-year-old girl coming to grips with her own spiritual need for God and with the ways in which she has hardened her heart to everyone she meets; the book takes us from this young age of 13 all the way to her late teens/early 20's (and, because of the time period, this is an "older" age than we might think it today). Her physical/emtional coming of age mirrors her spiritual coming of age. Her own mother is dying of brain cancer when the book opens; after she dies, Allie is sent to live with an adoptive mother (Beatrice) in Maine. The book takes place in the 1940's on the before/during/after WWII.

A few quibbles: as I mentioned, the writing is a touch trite at times--or, well, immature sounding. I found Allie's unrecognition of her old friend Sam a bit far fetched (he shows up in Maine after not having seen Allie in a few years). I also wondered why it took SO long for her to come to grips with her adoptive mom Beatrice, to find out more about Beatrice and daughter Irene's background, how Allie seemed to magically end up in Maine after a short-ish car ride from TN (that car ride would have taken FOREVER in the '40's.... just sayin'), why more people didn't try to help her when her mom was sick/dying, and why more people weren't helping her after her mom died.

Overall, though, I like the honesty Allie expresses, the way she "comes to faith" near the end of the novel,* and her relationship with Sam and the other Maine characters. The love story is well done. The Emily Dickinson references at the beginning of each chapter are a nice touch. This will be a fun read (and slightly "deeper" read) for those who enjoy Christian romantic historical fiction!

In stores now and perhaps soon in libraries; I read this as an ARC from netgalley. Cover image from goodreads.com

*What is the best way to communicate a character's spiritual change? Do we really need to repeat their prayers word-for-word--are people reading this kind of book really going to hear the gospel that way? I honestly don't know. I always find it a bit trite. I'm wondering if the author could describe the conversion simply and provide a footnote with the gospel more clearly explained???  

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery? 

Any books you've read in which you thought a conversion was really well done?  (feel free to leave a comment and share some titles/thoughts with us!!)

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books
Tony Reinke
Crossway
2011

Lit! is a terrific introduction to what it means to read as a Christian, from a Christian worldview; Reinke covers why we, as Christians, should be readers, how we should read, and what we should read. He covers a lot of ground succinctly (less than 200 pages) and includes both theoretical and practical information. This book, in particular, is a good introduction to a Reformed worldview, to the idea that the gospel is both central to our existence and informs everything we do, that common grace insights can be found in many places, and to a basic understanding of Christianity and the arts. If you are already familiar with the ideas of thinkers such as Neil Postman, James Sire, C. S. Lewis, Puritan theologians such as John Owen, Reformation "greats" such as Calvin and Luther, and are widely read in the more well known creative authors in Christendom (Tolkien, Lewis, John Donne, Dostoevsky, Flannery O'Connor, etc.), then this book will be a refresher course. If most of what I've just discussed in this first paragraph sounds like Greek to you, I highly recommend this book.

Hide and Seek Devotional

Hide (the Word) and Seek (the Lord) Devotional
Stephen Elkins, "creator"
Amanda Gulliver, illustrator
Thomas Nelson
2012

Can you have too many kids' devotional guides? While I certainly like some story Bibles and devotionals better than others, I'm also inclined to think that just about anything that gets kids reading their Bibles and hiding God's Word in their hearts is on the right track. Enter: The Hide (the Word) and Seek (the Lord) Devotional!

What I like: This devotional gives a (very) short summary of a Bible story but suggests kids read it for themselves and gives the Scripture references. Each "chapter" is centered on a Bible verse that works thematically with the Bible story presented. Verses are organized in ABC format AND include full A-Z lists for BOTH Old and New Testaments!! The verses are not the "usual" contenders for their given letters, either. Rather, a key word that starts with that letter is used instead of merely the first letter of each verse. (The "Old Testament" and "New Testament" categories refer to the memory verse location, not necessarily that the coordinating story is from the same testament.) This means that some of my all-time favorite verses make an appearance (such as Zephaniah 3:17). Another bonus: there is a Scripture memory song for each verse. Lyrics are given at the bottom of the page. AND there are free downloads on Thomas Nelson for the songs as well as an audio version of the short story given on the page (narrator? Kirk Cameron). In my experience, nothing helps cement something in your memory like music. I also like the layout of each page. At least in my digital review copy, there aren't many illustrations to distract the reader/listener.

What I don't like: the short paragraph versions of the Bible stories are a little "chatty" and "cute" but I think kids will like them. I'm willing to overlook some of that in favor of the encouragement to the kid readers to get in the Word! The Scripture translation used is NIV; we tend to use ESV in our house, but again, I'd be willing to "give" on this one in favor of kids actually learning the Scripture. In addition, the entire verse isn't given (i.e. "A gentle answer turns away wrath" without also including "but a harsh word stirs up anger.") You can still encourage your children to memorize the entire verse and in whatever version you choose; the songs, however, will not correspond.

I should point out that I haven't read every page yet. I won't answer to the theological accuracy of each verse/story. What I have seen, though, makes me tempted to look into this for a gift for one of my kids.

Recommended age group: older preschool-mid elementary

Even in the advance review copy I have, the website given is up and running. So, check out the Hide and Seek Bible site to listen to the songs for yourself (you'll also get to hear the devotional parts, too). Cover image above from same website. ARC from .

One Thousand Gifts

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
Ann Voskamp
Zondervan
2010

Megan told me to read this as soon as it came out...she's an avid follower of Voskamp's blog A Holy Experience which we have linked in the margin under "In Good Company" (before you click over there, know that there's music playing on her blog!). At any rate, my Bible study teachers gave each one in my small group this book for Christmas this past year. I plunged right in--taking a sharp deviation from all the children's literature I had been reading (children's literature is like a drug... I confess...) and enjoying my first real school break since May.

So, I plunged right in and got swept along in the current of Voskamp's stream-of-consciousness, lyrical writing. She's very poetic and reminds me a little of Annie Dillard (a favorite of mine). I got bogged down in the middle when she began chasing the moon...the rest of the book felt a bit slower to me than that first, magical half, but I was also caught up in the maelstrom of Christmas activities at that point. It may simply have been that I didn't have enough time to continue reading at the same rate.

B is for Bethlehem

B is for Bethlehem
Isabel Wilner, author
Elisa Kleven, illustrator
1995--paperback
2004--board book

It's a little late to let everyone know about this charming Christmas book, but I'm afraid I'll forget next year! I've had this book for years, and my children have grown to love it as well. The illustrations are sparkly collage style and provide a wonderful twist near the end--you realize a group of children has been acting out the Christmas story. The text is simple couplets that walk the reader/listener through the Christmas story--including a wonderful reminder at the end that Jesus came for everyone! Amazingly, the author created this in ABC order and still keeps the order of the Christmas story. She begins with Augustus and ends with Zanzibar.

I like that this book is different from the usual Christmas story fare; it's a nice counterpoint both in illustrative style and in text format while still reinforcing the biblical story of Christmas. The board book edition makes a wonderful gift for toddlers.

The Mommy Manual

The Mommy Manual
Barbara Curtis
2005
Revell

This book doesn't get a lot of attention in my particular Christian community, and it should. We spend a lot of time discussing books that help us know how to discipline our children; this book spends more time on the training of some of those heart attitudes.

Barbara Curtis is mom of 12: some biological, some adopted, some special needs.... And she's done it all: public school, private school, home school. She's a former Montessori teacher, and you will see that training come through in this book. She's also a believer and encourages moms SO much in that arena (even discussing how much praying she does in her laundry room--a room where she spends MUCH time).

What I like about this book:

• strategies for inculcating heart attitudes of service, gratitude, and others
• watching for opportunities even with your toddlers for encouraging these heart attitudes
• an emphasis on the potential of your children (a realistic look, but positive nonetheless)
• an honesty about her own background and walk with the Lord
• a realism that doesn't come through in other parenting books
• it's written by a mom--no matter how much I enjoy parenting books by men, they still lack that "mom" voice and reality.
• encouragement!

The bottom line: Curtis will encourage you to seek out ways to encourage the potential in your child's heart, no matter how old that child is. You will come away from this book eager to seek opportunities to build heavenly treasure in and with and for your kids.

ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts

Susan Hunt's ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts is a terrific Bible memory tool for 4's and 5's (and even older). These stories are longer than the ones in Kenneth Taylor's Scripture memory books, and the questions at the end are a little more complex. The verses are organized alphabetically by first letter of the verse. If you're familiar with Steve Green's Hide 'em In Your Heart CD's, you will recognize some of these verses. But there are plenty of new ones, and the stories help flesh out the verses nicely. Some of the stories are a little warm and fuzzy, but overall, this has been a great tool to help us learn Scripture with our children. We've read and discussed (and memorized) one verse a week.

The verses are in the New King James version, so I rewrote these in our preferred version/translation (ESV); thankfully, most of the beginning letters were the same!

Big Thoughts, Wise Words, and Giant Steps

Kenneth Taylor has a knack for knowing how to communicate with the youngest children. These three books are all sets of verses laid out for Scripture memory: a short (VERY) synopsis/explanation of the verse alongside an illustration form each "lesson." There are also review and application questions--which I really love. For instance, the verse might be about loving your neighbor. The questions will be along the lines of, "Do you see someone in the picture who is loving his or her neighbor?" In addition, each illustration has ladybugs hidden throughout--finding the ladybugs is a hugely enjoyable pastime for toddlers and preschoolers.

My only complaint about these books is that the verses are often paraphrased--and I would prefer a translation. That's a simple matter to fix, though, and I just typed up the verses in the translation we preferred. This even works with the ABC volume (Big Thoughts) because the ABC letters relate to a concept, not the first letter of the verse.

The first book has been updated--you see the updated cover in that image--but I don't believe the other two have. Nevertheless, our children haven't minded the somewhat dated illustrations. These are readily available used--so snap them up!

Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC Concepts with coordinating verses (i.e. "I" is Illness)
Wise Words for Little People: verses from Proverbs
Giant Steps for Little People: 10 Commandments and Beattitudes

Scripture Memory: Hide 'em In Your Heart

There are some great books for Scripture memory--and I fully plan on highlighting our favorites. But nothing, and I mean nothing, beats these Hide 'em In Your Heart CD's from Steve Green for Scripture memory with young children!

 I could go on and on, folks. Suffice it to say that Mommy needs the verses on these CD's as much as the kiddos. The range of verses is terrific--alternating between verses that instruct us in how to act (i.e. "Do everything without complaining or arguing") and those which inform us of who God is/what He has done (i.e. "For God so loved the world..."). Before each verse, there is a very short introduction/explanation by Steve Green. Then, the entire verse is sung--no mere snippets or phrases here (i.e. "Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God."). The songs are original compositions and are sung by Steve with a kids' choir. Our kids have loved listening to these CD's, and Scripture memory has followed effortlessly. The verses themselves have become part of our everyday conversation. If someone is misbehaving, I can ask him or her, "What are your actions saying about you? Remember our verse? "Even a child is..." and the child will fill in the rest of the verse. Or, if someone is cranky, we might sing "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

We have volumes 1 and 2. Both volumes are available as a set on amazon I believe. You can also check out the resources on Steve Green's website.

Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark
Peter Spier
1985
Caldecott Medal

There are some really great Noah's Ark retellings and illustrations out there (someday, I'll review Jerry Pinkney's amazing version). But Spier's version is my all-time favorite. Aside from the image of him shutting the ark's door (the Lord does that in Genesis), this version could very well have happened. Spier fills each page with myriad details, inviting--no, demanding--one to take a closer look. Since Noah and company were on the ark a very long time, Spier allows the animal population to grow. (Watch for the hoard of bunnies leaving the ark!). He also gives clues as to the potential chaos on board, the mess generated by that many animals, and the relief all must have felt when the waters began to recede.

This is not technically a wordless book since the first page or two contains a line from Scripture and a centuries-old poem. Lest you are tempted to skip the poem, I should point out that my children request it! The rest of the book is word free, though. Spier's illustrations are so detailed that my children love to pore over the pictures again and again--each time they notice something new. Unfortunately, this book is out of print. However, since it is a Caldecott winner, you're likely to find it at your local library since they tend to hang onto those!

The True Princess

The True Princess
Angela Ewell Hunt, auth.
Diana Magnuson, ill.
1992

While the illustrations are not my favorite, I think this is a book worth owning and reading to your little princess! Gently, it sends the message that a true princess, a true daughter of the King, is one who thinks of others and who does her job cheerfully--while still acting as a charming story in its own right. This story will appeal to girls who are into princesses--it is simple enough to read to a fairly young child (age 3), but older girls will appreciate it, too. If you, like me, are seeking resources to combat the princess craze, then seek this book out. At the time of this review, it is cheapest on Christianbook.com (not amazon, like usual!).

The Three Trees

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
Angela Ewell Hunt (retold by)
Tim Jonke, ill.
1989

This is a familiar story to many: three trees wishing for certain things are all used in the life of Christ. Along the way, their wishes get fulfilled in unexpected ways. The illustrations are wonderful. This folktale does a terrific job of covering the life of Christ from birth to death--it should be read year round, not just at Easter or Christmas.