Ronnie Wilson’s Gift is a delightful children’s picture book written by Francis Chan. This book is a great way to reinforce faith building in families with young children. Ronnie Wilson becomes aware of the gift of eternal life that Jesus has given to each one of us. Once Ronnie understands what Jesus sacrificed for him (and for everyone), he wants to do something to honor him…he wants to give something to Jesus in return.
This desire to honor Jesus with a gift starts a whole chain reaction of gifts that Ronnie bestows on others simply by taking action. I love the fact that Francis Chan has written a book illustrating the fact that God can use each of us to achieve powerful, and helpful things; no matter our age. This is not a lesson that the world teaches our children. The world says take all that you can get and whine for more, Christian teachings says give, bless others and communicate the love of God.
Francis Chan is a pastor and a speaker who is known nationally and internationally. He lives what he preaches by serving those that God calls us to serve…those who are hurting, those who are poor and those who do have not learned of Jesus and his sacrifice. By writing this book, Francis Chan has brought that message to the children of the world. He has done that in a way that speaks to their hearts and their minds and encourages them to think of ways to serve others that they find in need. This opens their eyes to those people with hurts and needs in their everyday life…people they know and the random people that God puts in their path.
This particular children’s book was illustrated by Jim Madsen. His illustrated drawings are colorful and help to evoke a perfect emotional response to the words telling the story. The colors are beautiful and the character’s body language and facial expressions add layers of meaning to the story of giving and receiving. Combining the artistic visuals that Jim Madsen provides, along with the teaching that Francis Chan instills with the story of Ronnie Wilson’s Gift was a perfect pairing of talents.
Both children and their parents will enjoy this book. The values that it encourages, the teaching of the foundational idea of us being the hands and feet of Jesus here on Earth and the realistic character of Ronnie is a good way to open dialogue between children and their caregivers about how best to serve the Lord in their daily life.
It is easy to recommend this book to my readers. I think that this book would make a wonderful gift for those children in your life that you have the privilege of teaching and inspiring to acts of giving and helping others to understand the love of God.
I have to say that I won this particular book as one of 5 winners on a giveaway here: Parent Life Online thanks to the publisher David C. Cook . I was not obligated to give a review or to say that the book was great…EVEN though it IS great. Thank you to Parent Life Online and to David C. Cook for the opportunity to win this book and read a book that shines a light on such a wonderful book of faith building, for children and their families.
This book review of, Where Did My Good Mood Go is about an educational children’s picture book on emotion written by Ava Parnass and illustrated by Kate Kaminski. The illustrations are colorful and uplifting. This helpful as the subject matter is all about a child trying to find a positive mood.
Ava writes for young children who are struggling with their emotions and their behaviors. She has created a character in this story called Mushy. Mushy is a magical book online who helps kids understand their feelings. The illustration of Mushy is open and friendly. The idea behind Mushy is to have a trusted friend who helps a child understand their emotions and behaviors and to adjust them accordingly by opening the door to processing why they are feeling the way they do. Many times children feel alone…as if they are the only ones to ever feel the way that they do. After reading this book, I think that they will come to see that emotions can come and go without getting stuck in a destructive mode.
I think this works well in this book, Where Did My Good Mood Go. I believe the book will empower young children (and the adults who care for them) to see that they are the only ones in charge of how they handle challenges, as they come along. Mushy explains that everyone has bad days now and then. Mushy also encourages communication between adult and child to help foster supportive words and actions. I think young families will find this book helpful and enjoyable at the same time.
Ava has been a family psychotherapist for over 15 years. She believes strongly in helping to develop healthy relationships through communication between parents and children. Her books and her music are all about building up the healthy foundation of a child. If you are interested in learning more about Ava and her books & products you should visit her website: www.ListenToMePlease.com Make sure to tell her that you learned about her through Book In Review. I do need to tell you that I received a review copy; but that in no way guaranteed a positive review of her books or products. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Ava and her company…and that the children in your life are the recipients of her efforts to bring healthy and happy into their everyday experiences.
While most people learn about Clara Barton and her nursing work on the battlefield during the civil war; we don’t really learn about the extent of Clara’s influence on America. I found the book to be very interesting as it discussed Clara’s early childhood and the foundation she gained through her family and their work ethic.
Ms. Barton was a highly effective individual when it came to influencing people in positions of power…the very rich as well as those higher up in the government. Equally influential with the poor and those who were injured or displaced because of war or natural disasters, Ms. Barton knew how to prepare and dispense supplies that helped people to survive and overcome whatever hardships that they were facing. It was the very establishment of America’s first endeavor of organized humanitarian aid.
In a time when women were regulated to very defined roles in society either in the home or in very limited careers such as teachers; Clara Barton opened doors to women fulfilling their purpose in societies in ways that were previously closed to them.
Clara was either revered and respected or resented and resisted by most everyone she came into contact with. Those who supported her efforts stood by her side and tried to aid the areas of impact that she felt called to contribute to. Those who resented or resisted her goals often times were successful temporarily at standing in her way. Clara suffered physically because of her dedication to her calling. She had to restore her health for lengthy periods of time so that she could again, gain the strength to put her heart and soul into establishing guidelines for providing ethical and medical standards regarding those who fought in wars.
Compassion combined with a diligent effort to organizing and streamlining aid to those in need was what was needed. She also helped to find and organize information regarding the loss of lives due to war; which was a great comfort to those family members who lost loved ones in war and had no idea of their burial places.
Clara Barton is a woman who has earned her place in history and is one whom both men and women can admire and pattern their own behavior after. She was called the “Angel of the Battlefied” because of those who had gratitude in their hearts for her nursing skills.
This book was written by Susan E. Hamen and was published by ABDO Publishing Company in 2010. It was printed on recycled paper and was nicely put together with wonderful pictures that go a long way towards keeping the interest of the reader. If you are interested in the book or in more information about Clara Barton you can visit their website here: http://www.abdopublishing.com
Can I just say that as a parent of special needs children, I adore Patricia Polacco’s book, The Junkyard Wonders? This book captures the emotional temperature of children who are thrust together in the public school system…”special ed” and “regular ed”. It illustrates the need to fit in and be accepted for who you are. I love that Patricia dedicates this book to one of her former teachers. This says it all to me, because a “real” teacher…teaches because it is what they are created to do. Their teaching is natural, never forced.
This story is about a young girl named Tricia who decides to stay with her Father and Gramma after her summer vacation to attend school in Michigan instead of going back to live with her Mother in California. She wants this change because she is tired of being treated differently as a “special” student. Only, to her discomfort…she finds out on her first day that she is indeed still in a special class and the regular kids call them the Junkyard Wonders.
The term is meant to humiliate and segregate the regular kids from the specials and make them feel inadequate. However, like many special needs classrooms around the world…the kids in the Junkyard come for forge strong bonds with one another because they have a dedicated and caring teacher who takes the time to help them see and understand their own unique value and gifts.
This book is emotional and touching and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who just wants to be connected to the world of the special needs child who is capable of great and amazing things just by being who they are and living life to the fullest. I think that this story illustrates the strong relationships that children in special education classrooms form with one another…they celebrate with one another victories and they sorrow at each other’s challenges.
If you would like to see the authors website you can go here: http://www.patriciapolacco.com. Patricia dedicated this book to her own special teacher, Mrs. Peterson and her Tribe. This book was published in 2010, by Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. http://www.penguin.com/youngreaders .
This mid-sized children’s book, Help Your Parents Save The Planet, is just the right size for young readers to wrap their hands and their hearts around. The subject is all about its 50 simple ways to go green now. The book was written by Gregory Rutty and all of the photographs are by Shutterstock. It was copyrighted in 2009 by Play Bac Publishing USA, Inc. What I absolutely love about this book is that it is very hands on in it’s ideas for kids to make a difference in the world just by the choices that they make in their everyday life.
For instance, I like the fact that they cover what kinds of things can be done in the kitchen. Children are smart and they get to thinking about those ideas (they are contagious you know); once the ball gets rolling…they come up with some pretty smart ideas of their own. Here the book talks about making better choices when shopping for groceries or even the items that we use to serve our meals and snack. Household chores are discussed and really teach about making the most of conserving water while doing dishes. Opening up a dialog with children about using real dishes instead of toss away, like paper or styrofoam, products shows children that even simple choices can impact the world and save money. Read the rest of this entry…
The Friendship Puzzle is a wonderful kids book written about and for those children who interact with other children who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This story is about a young girl, Mackenzie, who goes to school with a young man that she tries to be friends with. She notices that he doesn’t seem to have any friends and so she attempts to engage him but doesn’t understand why he doesn’t respond to her attempts at friendship.
There are some behaviors that the young man, Dylan, does that confuse Mackenzie Mackabee. He sits and swings alone for long periods of time. He covers his eyes and his ears for no apparent reason. He doesn’t seem to smile or talk back when any other students talk to him. One day, the kids are playing soccer when out of the blue, the young man runs and takes the ball and continues running. The kids are upset thinking that he is trying to stop their game.
Mackenzie consults her teacher about her questions regarding young Dylan’s behavior. The teacher is thrilled to have an opportunity to explain that Dylan has Autism and how that affects him. She explains that she is sure that Dylan isn’t trying to stop their game or trying to be a bully.
You will have to read the wonderful story to see how the situation is resolved and how a little understanding can go a long way to helping others to include someone who is a bit different from themselves. This is a wonderfully written book and the colorful pictures on the pages help to show how students can learn about one another and appreciate their differences. The emotions of the characters are reflected in the artwork so that the reader can empathize with the characters in the story.
I think this is a wonderful story book for any classroom setting; but, especially any classroom that may include special needs students who may be struggling to feel acceptance from their peers. The author of the story is Julie Coe and the illustrator is Sondra Brassel; the story was inspired by the children of Jennifer Maloni. I like the fact that these women intend for this book to make a difference in how children see another child who is a bit different from themselves and appreciate and include them in their social lives! There are even some great activities to promote positive interaction between children who are living with Autism or any other challenge that sets them apart from their peers and others who are in their daily lives. After all, everyone deserves the opportunity to be accepted for who they are and to feel like they fit or belong with others in the peer group. Pick up this book and let it be an inspiration to teachers, students and families everywhere!
The book can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com
The book, Hannah’s Gift…Lessons from a Life Fully Lived, requires at least one small box of tissues that have been softened with lotion. This book…made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me sob like nobody’s business…and it made me want to change the way that i look at life with all of it’s ups and downs.
Hannah introduced the power of the human touch to the medical professional’s approach in helping pediatric care patients. She introduced the idea of not limiting the activities of a sick child, when another approach can be considered, without compromising the health of the child. In other words, don’t say no just for the sake of saying no…time is limited…say yes once in a while, and feel the liberation of that!
I can think of all kinds of people that i want to personally recommend this book to. I stayed up last night, until 2:30 this morning, to read it cover to cover; and, I am not sorry for the sacrifice of time.
Hannah is three. She is a life force to be reckoned with. Hannah is diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. She and her family are on a collison course with the depths of their faith. Hannah lives with joy in her red shoes that “fit perfect”. She insists on being given some control in her daily life.
Hannah is an inspiration. Even after her death, she leaves a legacy of living life to the fullest. Hannah teaches many not to fear the opinion of others; not to hold oneself back, by fear. She teaches that life is better living in truth, when you have the facts. She also inspires a closer relationship with the spirit of God.
Hannah’s family was each gifted in the present, and in the future, through knowing her and learning from her short life. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. If you know someone who is grieving…share the book. If you know someone struggling with cancer…share the book. If you know someone locked in fear…holding themselves back from their joys…share the book.
Hannah’s Gift…touched me in ways that are amazing. Just yesterday, previous to reading the book; I had been blogging on the subject of grieving; at the request of a friend who is grieving the loss of her mother. Part of my blog post referred to my vision of grief as being like an onion…full of layer upon layer of discovery and loss. Hannah’s Gift also, later in the evening of my reading, likened grief to the layers of an onion. God spoke to me at the reading of that. He speaks to us in real ways when we are listening. Just like he spoke to Hannah’s mother through a complete stranger who was encouraged by a Hannah who had passed to create a handmade rug for her mother. Just like he spoke to Hannah’s mother through two other women who made a quilt before Hannah’s death in his usual perfect timing.
My blog post was that everyone grieves differently…and that is ok. The key is not to get stuck in anyone area of grief that is destructive. Hard to avoid…but, necessary for the soul to go on.
Hannah’s Gift was written by Hannah’s mother, Maria Housden. She overcame the despair and depression that her loss caused to go on to write this inspiring book. Truly, God intended her to share her wisdom and her journey. He has changed Maria’s life since that time…it has been a life of meaning. Painful at times, inspiring at times, and he has taught Maria about living in the moment, loving in the moment, letting go with dignity, and teaching through it all.
Hannah’s Gift was copyrighted in 2002 and was published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
The Legend of the Valentine is an inspirational children’s book written by Katherine Grace Bond. The story is about young 9 year old Marcus who lives in Alabama during the civil rights movement; as he experiences prejudice, his grandmother teaches him about the power of love.
Young Marcus is bewildered as his father is jailed along with Dr. Martin Luther King; as far as he can see, he didn’t do anything wrong except stand up for people who were treated differently from the white folks.
Marcus’s mother is upset. Grandmother is a great story teller and since it is close to Valentine’s Day, Grandmother decides to tell Marcus about the real Valentine. Valentine was a person back in Rome in the early days of Christianity.
Valentine was also in jail because he worshipped God and not the emperor which was the law at that time. By loving his jailers and praying for the jailer’s blind daughter; she was healed. The jailer became a Christian also.
So Marcus, goes back to school where some of the children treated him poorly because of the color of his skin. He made Valentine’s with his granny for each of them. Travis, the young man who truly showed his prejudiced, came to understand that Marcus was more than the color of his skin because of the other children’s acceptance of Marcus.
Love and forgiveness heals alot. Marcus began to form relationships with the other children in his class after giving out Valentines to his classmates. Marcus followed the teachings of Jesus in loving his “enemies”.
The publisher is ZonderKidz. Their website is: http://zondervan.com/. The book is illustrated by Don Tate; copywrighted in 2001.