God's Good News: More Than 60 Bible Stories and Devotions by Billy Graham (Published by Thomas Nelson)

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My thoughts:  As I read through God's Good News I can almost hear the voice of Billy Graham as he time and time again spoke of God's Good News. We heard him on television and we attended a crusade in a town near us. We have a long-playing vinyl recording of him, too.

Was he perfect? No. Was he a minister of God's good news? Yes. And this children's Bible story book and devotional with excerpts of Billy Graham's messages included is a treasure.

The book is filled with phrases that resonate with "Billy Graham's voice" - God loves you, He forgives you, He is a God of mercy, God has a plan for your life. Each story is Biblical and applications made that are simple to understand and yet profound in theological meaning.

These 60 plus stories and devotions will bring God's good news to the family that reads it together. It is ideal for the young reader to begin his or her own devotional readings in private as well as family time.

The illustrations are realistic yet have a modern "look" to them and bring the stories to life for the reader.

I highly recommend this Bible story and devotional to families and home libraries as well as church and school libraries. Public libraries would do well to include it in their collection.

About the book: God's Good News is even more child-friendly with a new cover, smaller trim size, and even a lower price point. More than 60 favorite Bible stories are told in actual Bible text from the New King James Version, each paired with a takeaway devotion from Rev. Graham. The takeaways will help children focus on God’s Word, apply it to their lives, and begin sharing the good news from an early age.

"Christianity is good news. . . . When we open up the Bible, it is good news from cover to cover. It's the good news that God loves us." —Billy Graham

No one has brought the good news to more people than Reverend Billy Graham, and the people who admire him span all generations. This lovely edition of God's Good News will be a timeless classic for parents and grandparents to give a new generation of children the good news, to show them the way to the cross, and to help them begin a lifetime of following Christ.

Invite the children you love to experience God through powerful stories from the Bible. They will imagine the walls of water in the parted Red Sea, figure out why Joseph chose to forgive his brothers, read about a paralyzed man Jesus healed, and discover God’s exciting plan for their lives. Most of all, this Bible storybook helps children understand God's incredible love for them. Each story is equipped with a takeaway devotion from Rev. Graham. The takeaways will help children focus on God's Word, apply it to their lives, and begin walking with God and sharing the good news from an early age.

With Bible stories told in actual Bible text, this storybook teaches that God loves us, saves us from our sin, and invites us into a new life with Him. Each entry includes the wisdom of Billy Graham, who spent his life helping people all over the world understand and respond in faith to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that God loves us, and that is good news!

The striking artwork from Scott Wakefield will help children connect with the timeless Bible stories and messages from Rev. Graham.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the BookLook reviewers program to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.

Worthy Kids has new line of Bible Stories for Babies & Toddlers - "In the Beginning" and "Noah's Ark" [Review & Giveaway]

WorthyKids/Ideals Publishing has embarked on a new venture: to create a Bible story series fit for the youngest of children. Beginning with the Creation story, In the Beginning, and with the story of the w orld wide flood in Noah's Ark  utilizing a simple vocabulary of 100 words  combined with simple straight-forward illustrations, they have brought to these young "readers" a concrete introduction into the truth of God's Word. Not intended to replace the Bible, these little board books are intended as an introduction to learning about God and His Word.

ISBN: 9780824919924
Board book ~ Ages 1 - 3My thoughts:

"Children’s Bible stories exist in abundance, but retellings aimed at babies and young toddlers can be hard to find. Author Susana Gay discovered this problem when she couldn’t find a suitable book for a baptism gift. Her solution? She worked with her young son to create Bible story books that are perfect for christenings, baby showers, and everyday use. With bold, modern art and simple words, In the Beginning and Noah’s Ark bring a fresh perspective to classic Bible stories. " [source: Worthy/Ideals]

My thoughts: A simple presentation of the Creation story for the very young child. Told with few words and illustrated simply yet definitively, the days of creation are covered. A sturdy board book that will surely endure the rough handling that little ones tend to give books.

About the book: In the Beginning tells the story of Creation in just one hundred words, highlighting key moments for little ones. Children will learn that in the beginning, everything was dark. Then God said, “Let there be light.” He created the seas and the land, the sun and the moon, all the creatures on the earth . . . and us! And then God rested.

𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁𝌁

ISBN 9780824919917
Board book ~ Ages 1 - 3

My thoughts: The story of Noah's Ark has proven through the years to be one that young children enjoy; not because they understand the salvation message and judgment by God in the story. No, they just love the tale of lots of animals getting on board a big boat, etc.

This little board book is simply the bare bones story of the Flood and how God provided a means of saving mankind and the animals. It ends with the rainbow (a good color teaching tool).

Being a very short book for the very young child, it must be realized that the depth of the Biblical story can not be fully covered. One slight error I noticed was that all the animals entered the ark - two by two. We know that the "clean animals" were taken in sevens. This is a very good introduction to Noah's Ark for the young child. I would suggest a small "Noah's Ark" playset of little figures and an ark to enhance understanding.

About the book: Noah’s Ark Children will learn that God asked Noah to build a big boat; that it rained and rained for days; and that God saved Noah and the animals, placing a rainbow in the sky. They will learn to count the animals two by two and will discover the many colors of the rainbow.

Both books feature the vibrant artwork of Susana Gay. Uncluttered pages make a nimals and objects stand out, helping to build a child’s vocabulary as the parent or child names zebras, fish, bears, and more. These board book keepsakes are fresh, simple, and uniquely crafted for today’s families.

GIVEAWAY

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Ends May 4 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only

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Author: Susana Gay is an award-winning graphic designer and the owner of Threehaus, a branding and design studio in Winter Park, Florida. Susana collaborated with her seven-year-old son, Owen, to create Noah’s Ark as a gift for a family baptism. Owen retold the story and sketched some of the fun and friendly scenes. Working with Owen, Susana polished the text and created the art. They followed Noah’s Ark with In the Beginning, resulting in a series of unique and beautiful introductions to favorite childhood Bible stories.

Worthy Publishing Group (www.worthypublishing.com) is a privately held, independent voice in inspirational publishing, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Worthy has four imprints: Worthy Books publishes a broad spectrum of genres, including current events, pop culture, biography, fiction, spiritual growth, and specialized Bibles; WorthyKids/Ideals creates colorful, interactive children’s books, including VeggieTales and Berenstain Bears, for ages 2 to 8; Ellie Claire produces beautifully crafted journals, gifts and paper expressions; and Worthy Inspired publishes inspirational felt-need, personal growth, and devotional books.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of each book from Worthy Publishing Group to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and freely given.

Forgotten Bible Stories by Margaret McAllister & illustrated by Alida Massari

Grade Level: 2 - 4

Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Lion Hudson
ISBN: 978-0745965208

My thoughts: This is a beautiful book by Margaret McAllister who seems to have a true story-teller gift as she verbally draws word pictures of the events of the often neglected people in the Bible. Having been a long time attendee to worship services with good, indepth preaching, I learned about many often overlooked Biblical people. But as time progresses, we do tend to forget. So this book is a treat because it is a reminder to those older (well, mature) readers as well as for youngsters who have not yet heard about Balaam, Mephibosheth, Naaman's Servant, and many more (even new to me).

Illustrated by Alida Massari whose books I have previously reviwed, Forgotten Bible Stories comes alive in gentle hues rich with reds and blues and designs particular to ancient times and the lands in which these stories took place.

I love the story of the "The Widow" whose cruse of oil kept filling the many large vessels or jugs. She had nothing but ended up with much. And then the story of the "Naboth's Vineyard" is wonderful because it teaches the greed consumes the greedy.

The stories encompass both the Old Testament and New Testament.
As with any retelling for children the wonderful truths from the Bible, care must always be taken to not embellish with additional people, words, or actions. I did feel license was taken in some, but essentially the book is a delight and a wonderful opportunity to share these stories with the young.

My rating: 5-stars for illustrations and writing; 2-stars because I think the stories incorporated people, words, and actions not Biblical.

About the book: An elegantly illustrated collection of 13 lesser-known Bible stories. Margaret McAllister imaginatively retells these tales of often-forgotten people, specially chosen for their care and compassion towards the vulnerable, and their (sometimes unexpected) strength of character.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Kregel and Lion Hudson Publishing to facilitate a review of my opinion which is freely given.