God Helps Me Bible ~ Book Review

~ Book Review

God Helps Me Bible

by Juliet David

illustrated by Clare Caddy

ISBN: 978-1-85985-916-2 

Toddlers, Beginning readers

$11.04 (spiral bound)

My thoughts:

This little bible contains 25 stories from the Old and New Testaments which introduce toddlers (and some older babies who are gentle with books that have thicker paper type pages) to many popular characters from the Bible. The stories are about 1 1/2 to 2 pages long and use large print and each ends with the location of the story in the Bible. You'll find 12 stories from the Old Testament - Noah, Abraham & Isaac, Joseph, Samuel, David & Goliath, Esther, Daniel & Jonah and 13 stories from the New Testament - all but one of the stories are about Jesus including the shepherd finding Baby Jesus, the Wise Men, many of the miracles - water to wine, a blind man sees, the healing of the man lowered through the roof, loaves & fishes and Zaacheous. The only NT story not about Jesus is the story of how Paul got out of Jail.

Please note that there is no mention of the death & resurrection of Jesus (I thought they would of included the resurrection & the ascension) and while several of the stories have "big" words like frightened and astonished overall your child should grow to love having their own Bible and want to read it with you. It will be a great start to including a small devotional in the morning and/or while waiting in the car or to go somewhere.

The God Helps Me Bible is a small Bible ideal for toddlers who need short, concise stories for short attention spans and uses words & concepts tailored for the littlest child so each story clearly emphasizes how God loves & helps us. It features spiral binding with a thick hardback cover so children can lie on their tummies and look at the book, the pages lie flat and each 2 page spread has a full page picture in bright colors. The illustrations are really cute, engaging and will introduce children to simple details that aren't overwhelming with busyness.

About the Author: 

Juliet David has written many children's stories and Bible activity books. Her other interests include painting, music, and traveling to Israel and other Bible lands. This experienced author lives in London with her family.  

I received a copy of the God Helps Me Bible from Kregel Publications to review on Classic Children's Books. I was not required to write a positive review and no money exchanged hands.

Simon and the Easter Miracle

Blog Tour

Simon and the Easter Miracle

by Mary Joslin

Illustrated by: Anna Luraschi

ISBN: 9780745960586

$11.69, 32 pages, ages 5+

About the book:

The gospels tell of Simon of Cyrene--"a man coming in from the country"--who was ordered to carry Jesus' cross. Over the centuries, his story has been woven into a Polish folktale. In the tradition of The Three Trees, this folk tale gives a fresh perspective on the Easter story.

When Simon the farmer brings his wares to market, little does he expect how he will be involved in the events of that very special day, nor how his items--bread, eggs, and wine--will become important symbols of Jesus' passion and resurrection, remembered throughout the ages.

My thoughts:

With Easter coming up this week I thought I would share this interesting story - with a twist. It is more of a "folk tale" than a Bible Story because it doesn't tell the whole story. I would of liked to see a page in the back with the story/scripture typed up  to support the actual story for older kids/adults.

I had never heard this folk tale - yes, I knew about the man ordered to carry Jesus' cross on the day of his Crucifixion but I had never heard this particular story.  Peter was a man who went to the village to sell produce (eggs and vegetables) and ended up having to carry Jesus' cross. After Peter returns to get his things he discovers all of his goods were destroyed except 12 eggs - which end up hatching after the Sabbath. 

The illustrations in the book remind me of many of the little Bible Story books that we had when I was little. The pictures are simple and tell the story beautifully BUT do be aware this isn't a story that is based on the Bible (other than the man who carried Jesus' cross and Jesus' Crucifixion) - it's almost a combination of the Easter story and where Easter Eggs came from - there is no mention of Jesus' resurrection. I would use it along with a children's picture bible that includes the whole story of Easter.

Kregel Publications provided a copy of the book for review on Classic Children's Books. No money exchanged hands and I was not required to write a positive review.

Journey Into the Bible - Book Review

Journey Into the Bible
by Lois Rock
Age 9-12, 48 pages
Lion Publishing
ISBN: 978-0745960883
Purchase on Amazon for $11.69


About the book:

If only you could have stood and watched as the great stories of the Bible unfolded in the ancient world...


This exciting, time-travel book combines fascinating facts and "travel tips" with intriguing pictures and maps to take all young explorers on a guided tour of the ancient world of the Bible and its people. Drawing you into foreign lands and epic journeys, from the beginning of time itself, you will be given a tourist’s-eye view of the people and empires that provided the setting for the Bible’s key stories.


Each stop on your journey allows you to learn about the people and events associated with that place as well as offering astonishing glimpses of what archaeologists have uncovered. "Travel tips" give you useful information for your journey--what food and weather to expect, where to stay, what sort of festivals you might experience, and what souvenirs are worth looking out for!



My thoughts:
This very interesting book is a great introduction to anthropology and the study of the people of the Bible. Using 20 of the stories from the Bible your children learn about the languages, the lifestyles, the culture and the peoples during Biblical times. Most of the stories are illustrated on a double page spread, many with cross cuts of the houses, "vignettes" that show the passage of time (a year of plowing, planting, harvesting and gathering) through the seasons, and includes "travel tips" so your kids will know what to expect if they lived during the time of a particular story. There are also explanations of who a person was in a story - an example would be Samson and why he was a important part of Israel's history.


History includes: Adam & Eve, Abraham, Joseph, Jerusalem, Babylon, Nazareth, fishing in Capernaum, Galilee, Bethany, Throughout the Empire, and more...


Extend the Book:

1. Create your own "search & find" - put them on 3x5 cards and keep them in the car for something for the kids to do on long drives or in restaurants.
2. Create a list of discussion questions based on the pictures or text in the book.
3. Have your family build a replica of the tabernacle based on scripture and examples in the book 
4. Click here for help putting together your own activities.
5. What else can you do with a book like this?

Warning: Please be careful when asking questions or creating activities for your children to do that you ALWAYS bring scripture/versus to their attention and encourage your kids to turn to the Bible for their answers. These kind of books are wonderful for the visual aspect but should not take the place of the Bible - which is God's word to us. 


About the author:
Lois Rock is an, author, editor and illustrator of children’s books and has edited and written many of the Lion Children’s Books including My Very First Christmas, A Child’s First Book of Prayer, The First Rainbow and The Lion Encyclopedia. Lois lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and three children and in her spare time loves long walks and leading children’s church groups, which she has done for many years. Lois Rock has also written many other children’s books that are filled with great information that help children to learn and discover more about the Bible, the Church and Jesus, one of her recent child’s information books is The Jesus Encyclopedia.


Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of each of these books to review on CCB. No positive review was required and I wasn't paid any $ for my opinion. Thanks Kregel Publishing!

The Story of Noah's Ark - Book Review

The Story of Noah's Ark
Storybook & Wall Clings
by Lori C Froeb
Paperback, 16 pages, Age 4-8
Published by Kregel
ISBN: 9780825455520
Available on Amazon for $9.99


The story of Noah and his ark is one of the most frequently read stories in the Bible. With this deluxe set, kids can use the wall clings to recreate the awesome scene of all the animals boarding the ark. As they read about Noah and his adventure, children are prompted to stick the vinyl clings on any painted wall. The clings safely stick and easily peel right off, so kids can rearrange them however they choose and reuse them for hours of enjoyment!


The Story of Noah's Ark is a favorite of most children. It's exciting to think of having a zooful of animals in a boat and God taking care of Noah and his family too. This story is written for the preschool crowd with large cartoonish type illustrations and the story is written for little children in a conversational tone. This book also includes 2 pages of window clings that can be used on the wall or the window for children to play with and tell the story in their own words. 


The suggested age range for this book is 4-8 but I can see kids as young as 3 enjoying the clings (with some supervision to keep younger kids from eating them). The story itself can be "tweaked" for older 2 - 3 year olds provided they are able to sit still and listen to a story.


At this time there is only one book. I'd like to see other favorite bible stories included in a series. Perhaps Adam & Eve, Daniel in the Lions Den, Joseph, David & Goliath, Moses, Baby Jesus and  Paul & Timothy (for older preschoolers to early elementary age). The book is a paperback and I'd like to see it released in a hardback instead of paperback, but perhaps they chose paper due to the clings to make it easier to store them. 


The author, Lori C Froeb, has released several books for kids from Baby to Preschool. There are several wonderful board books: Noah's Ark, Creation and Baby Jesus for Babies and Toddlers. For the Preschool crowd you might want to also check out: One Special Night: the Christmas Story Pop-Up, Silent Night,  The Newborn King: a Storybook with Puzzle Scene (I suggest keeping the pieces in a ziploc baggie if you think they will get lost).


I received a complimentary copy of The Story of Noah's Ark & the Wall Clings from Kregel Publications for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.