Barkley's Great Escape by Wanda Wyont

Learning water safety has never been more fun than when there are animals involved. I purposefully wanted to review this book because I wanted to talk about water safety with my children. We just had a baby and I wanted them to have a memorable story to learn from.

I liked how the story centers around a dog, Barkley, who gets out of his fence on goes on a grand adventure around his neighborhood. He comes to a pool and decides to get in. However, he drifts to the middle and he's not a strong swimmer. He grows tired and thinks he'll never make it out of the pool. He does eventually make it to the side of the pool to hang on until the pool owner's come out and rescue him.

My daughter liked the illustrations that told the story very clearly, without even having to use words. She also liked that the next time Barkley went swimming, he wore a life jacket. 

The illustrations were definitely eye-catching for a child and I enjoyed them, as well. At the back of the book, there are conversation starters and questions about water safety that allows you the chance to talk more to your child about the importance of water safety.

With summer coming up, this is a great book for those little guys to read and learn from.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

How Far Away is Heaven by Margaret Davis Ledford

Our children have experienced the death of 4 loved ones in the past year. Each were Christians, so we know they are in heaven. We have had the question "Where is heaven?" asked to us many times. I was thrilled to see a book about this question that I could read to my children.

I appreciated that the book doesn't speculate where heaven is. It doesn't say it's "up in the clouds" or anything like that. In fact, it doesn't answer the question of how far away heaven is. We don't know how far away it is and I'm glad that it pointed children in the right direction and didn't deviate from what Scripture teaches.

In the book, Zachary's Papa dies and Zachary wonders where his Papa is. He is told that his Papa is in heaven, and of course, he wonders where heaven is. Zachary learns that heaven is a place with no more sickness and his Papa is glad to be in heaven with Jesus. He also learns that Jesus is in heaven, too.

The story was a little choppy, in my adult opinion. However, the kids liked it and it didn't seem to bother them. I struggled with the flow because it felt like it left out some important information.

Having lost my grandfather, the kids related to this book very easily since the grandpa dies.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Donkey's Little Tale by R. Mitchell Scott

This is such a cute book full of stanzas that rhyme. The story flows perfectly because of that, I think. The story is the Christmas story, but its is from the perspective of the donkey that Mary rode. It wasn't a weird perspective at all because it simply told how the donkey saw Mary was about to be a mother and could see the tender way in which Joseph cared for Mary. Then he tells of the journey to the stable and the birth of Jesus.

The illustrations in this book are very cute. Apparently they based it off of clay creatures, which really made this story come alive visually. The colors are soft and they look like clay people and animals. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures, and so did my children.

Even though Christmas is over, this is a book that would be perfect to get and save for next year, or to read anytime to remember Jesus' birth.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Manger Mouse by Sarah Martin Byrd

This is a cute book to read at Christmas. It's from the perspective of a little mouse who trusts his mother about what will be arriving in their stable. The preparation they go to for Jesus' arrival made me think about the preparation in my heart and the anticipation for Jesus' next arrival.

 

I liked how the baby mouse did the job that God created him to do. It was a good example to my children of how God uses different people for different purposes, but they are all needed. This little mouse was to keep Jesus warm in the manger. No one else could do that job because they couldn't fit through the hole. How beautiful it is to be reminded that even the smallest tasks are important to Jesus.

 

My 4-year-old and 6-year-old really liked this book. The pictures held their attention and the story was engaging. I would definitely recommend this as a Christmas book! You can buy it at http://ambassador-international.com/books/the-manger-mouse/.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

What really happened the night Jesus was born?  Matty’s mother tells him he will take part in the most important thing ever to happen in history. Why him, a meek and lowly stable mouse? All Matty the manger mouse wants to do is snuggle into the warmth of his mother and fall asleep—but the Creator of the world has another plan for him. Will the little stable mouse surrender to his own needs or bow to the will of the Savior? Children and adults will be touched by Matty’s brave little heart. As the story of that first Christmas unfolds, come join Matty and all the other stable dwellers—portrayed in lush and charming pastel illustrations.

About Sarah Martin Byrd

Sarah Martin Byrd is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. She is a published novelist (Guardian Spirit; The Color of My Heart), newspaper columnist, blogger, and former advertising manager for a regional newspaper. Sarah loves sharing her life story with children of all ages. She speaks at schools, book clubs, libraries, and book festivals. Sarah lives at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina with her husband of 37 years. Her only daughter and grandchild live close by. When not creating new stories, she loves reading, camping, canoeing, fishing, exploring the world, taking daily walks, and spending time with her family.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Marriage in Middlebury by Anita Higman

I love the little cafe pictured on the bottom of this book.  It is so cute and I can just picture being here, sipping on some delicious tea.

Charlotte was someone that was easy to relate to.  I liked her personality and absolutely hated the way the book opened up and Sam's fiancée was introduced.  I liked her okay, but it wasn't who I wanted Sam to be with.  I really wanted Sam and Charlotte to have a second chance at love.

My favorite part is when Sam's father asked to speak with Charlotte.  I just knew that this was going to be a time that would lead to reconciliation in one way or another.

I was thrilled to read another book by Anita Higman.  I recently read Winter In Full Bloom and absolutely loved it.  When I saw that Anita Higman had come out with another book, I knew I had to read it.  I was so excited to know that it was just as good as the previous book I'd read.

To read more opinions on this book, go to  http://litfusegroup.com/author/ahigman.

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Book Info

About the book: One decision changed both their lives . . . but will love win in the end? Charlotte Rose Hill enjoys a comfortable life serving up country delicacies, uniquely blended teas, and matchmaking advice for her quirky, devoted customers. The only thing lacking is someone to share it with. At eighteen she denied Sam Wilder's marriage proposal after his family convinced her to walk away from their relationship. They both moved on . . . or so she thought. When Sam walks back into her life more than a decade later, Charlotte is surprised that her heart still quickens. But is it because of his presence? Or because of the presence of Sam's new fiancée? A second chance at love doesn't happen often, but their past may keep them apart. Is it too late for Sam and Charlotte? Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qPbkU Meet the author: Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. Connect with Anita at: http://anitahigman.com

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I just received this book free from Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Water Baby Learns to Ski by Barbara Collins

This book is written for younger children, I think.  I would think that a child from baby to 2 would like this book.  It has simple sentences with only 1-2 sentences on each page.  The illustrations are cute and do catch the eyes of the children.  My daughter really liked looking at the pictures.

As for the story, I think I expected more.  From what I gather, the story is written in honor of her son who she considers her "water baby."  The water and boat was important to Mrs. Collins, as her dedication mentions that her family spent a lot of time in the boat.  That was important to read so you can have a better understanding of the story.

The story is of a young child that is learning to ski.  To start, he is skiing on grass and in the bath.  Then it's time for him to start in trainer skis, then one ski, no skis, and a wake board.  It looks like fun and is a cute story, but I didn't really get a message from the book other than skiing is fun.  The review in the front of the book talks about learning character, but the only thing that touches on character is the last page telling children to be a champion and do your best in all you do.  I felt like there could have been more that talked about this if character training was really what she wanted to focus on in the book.  I didn't see that message.  For me, the theme was a water baby can ski with different skis.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Scotties Learn About Respect by Stephanie Robinson

This has become one of my favorite children's books that I have recently read and reviewed.  To start, I like the illustrations.  I think they were done perfectly in this book and my children really liked looking at this book.  In fact, I had to search their rooms several times because they kept taking it from my pile to review!

The message of the book is such a great one for children.  I have talked a lot to my children about 

respect and it gave them some concrete understandings of what respect is.  Since reading the book, 

we have been able to remind our children that obedience is a way to show us respect.  Thanks to those scotties, our children have a good example.

Archie, Flea, and Bonnie are Scottish Terriors.  Archie sometimes forget what his mom has told him to do and that leads to trouble.  Flea has to have a talk with Archie when he messes up his mom's garden.  Then Archie must repent and make things right with his mom.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book. 

Healing Hearts by Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD

I have found a book that I can now give to those who have experienced the loss of a child.  I know that at just the time the person is ready, they will come to love this book as it walks them through grief.

 

I didn't realize that Dr. Nikaidoh had lost a child.  I didn't read the summary of the book because I was interested from the cover.  That makes this book even better because it's a personal journey, but it also involves many other mothers.  It tugged at my heart because it talks of the mothers who have lost their children and how they helped guide Dr. Nikaidoh through grief. 

 

I found myself with tears in my eyes as I read some personal accounts of those who contributed to the book.  I know that losing a child is a mother's worst nightmare.  As a mom, I can't even fathom my child being taken from me, although I know it can happen at any minute.

 

It was also neat to get an inside look into the life of a pediatric heart surgeon and all that he does to prepare for a surgery and how it affects him, too.

 

This book is staying on my bookshelf, but copies of it will definitely be passed out and recommended. 

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I received this book from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

 

Each the Same

I love the message in this book!  This book gave my children examples of what I always tell them.  I tell  my children that I love them the same, even if they are different from each other.  In their heads, I know they don't understand how I can love them the same, but I think they get it now. 

I would not have thought to compare the things that the author did in order to show examples for my children.  It was very cleverly written with cute pictures.  My kids love animals, so it was the first book that they requested I read.  They have even picked it up several times to "read" by themselves.  

The book explores how cats/chickens, cows/horses, sheep/sheep dogs, pigs/ducks are all very different animals on the farm.  They each do different things, but each are very special to the farmer.  The same is true with the farmer's children.  One is a boy and one is a girl.  They are different, but he loves them the same.  Beautiful story that I know we will read over and over.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Literal Lily

I know that this is a children's book, but I found that I really enjoyed reading this book to my children.  I even laughed at the interpretation of Lily's "shop 'til you drop" idiom.  I also liked how the definition for "literally" was written in a simple way for children of all ages to understand.  I have used that word several times with my 4-year-old and now he has a better definition for the word.

Not only did I like how they explained the word "literally," but there were also many different examples of different idioms and how they are not meant to be taken literally.  I think it helps children to have examples that they can draw upon to help with explaining words.  My son has even started telling me that he loves me "to the moon and back."  I had forgotten all about that idiom!  I had also not stopped to realize how "I could just eat you right up" can sound downright scary to a child!

This was such a wonderful topic for a children's book, in my opinion.  It was something that can spawn discussions with your children.  The pictures aren't the best from an adult standpoint, but my children liked them.  They have already asked for me to read this book to them several times since I first read it to them this morning.
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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Making Room by Elisa Pompili

I really liked this new author, Elisa Pompili.  There were a few moments in the book where I could tell that this was her first book, such as moments that had too many descriptive words about the scene.  That was few and far between though.  I was wrapped up in this book from the first page.  I didn't know what to expect from this book and I'm glad that I read it. 

Since it opens on the beach, I was hooked, especially since we're planning our beach vacation. I could see me reading this book on the beach easily!  I'm guessing that's why the chairs are on the cover.  I like the simple lines of the cover, but it doesn't tell me a whole lot about what the book is about. 

The book itself has very believable story line.  At times I would get frustrated with Elizabeth for her many personality swings when she was thinking about God, but then I started to put myself in her shoes.  Once I did that, I could easily understand why she would struggle with God when she had to raise her brothers and her parents were less than stellar.  No wonder she kept waiting for Nathan to leave.  I liked Nathan from the beginning and was glad that when Elizabeth told him that he could leave, he said "no."  He was a strong character and they both spoke their minds.  So many people are like Elizabeth in our lives, so I thought it was easy to picture her. 

I am definitely looking forward to more books by Pompili.  She has a wonderful talent at writing books.  Her grandmothers were right...she needed to write a book!  I know each book will only get better and better.  Keep writing!

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.