WHERE IS WISDOM? by Scott James

ISBN: 9781535965965
B&H Publishing

My thoughts:  It is surprising how much "theology" one can glean from a children's book. The author, Scott James, delves into Job 28 (click to read) to pull a nugget of wisdom for young readers or listeners.

The book of Job in Scriptures is difficult to comprehend. All that pain and suffering. All that advice. All that seeking. In Where Is Wisdom? the search (of Job 28 for wisdom) begins with an understanding that men are smart and searchers. Man searches for food from the Earth. For minerals that glisten and gleam from the depths of the Earth. And still he won't find Wisdom.

Beautifully illustrated the book begins with man seeking for hidden things. The text tells the story of man searching and working hard to find. And then the story, as does the Bible, brings home the truth that man can search but what he finds is a generous gift from God. And man needs to seek after God. The God of all. The one who will help man find wisdom.

A lovely book and one that can take parents and children deeper in understanding with each reading.

About the book: Where can we find wisdom? Down in the deep caverns? At the bottom of the ocean floor? This visual tour through the poetry of Job 28 parallels Scripture and leads readers on a treasure hunt through the wonders of God’s creation.

Among all the dazzling treasures this world has to offer, we learn of an even greater treasure—wisdom—and of the mighty God who alone can lead us to it. Beautifully illustrated, Where Is Wisdom? is a unique celebration of the words and imagery of Job, one that guides young readers high and low to marvel ultimately at the true end of wisdom, Jesus Christ.



DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from B&H Publishing, B&H Kids, to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

THOUGHTFULL by Dorena Williamson (B&H / Lifeway Publishing)

ISBN: 9781462794744

My thoughts:  This is a sweet story with societal implications. It carries the weight of children who are "different" from the norm being accepted for the value they bring to society rather than looked upon as not able to do what the normal person does.

Students in a classroom see the down syndrome boy as a participant on the playground and in art class. Some accept him for his abilities which are good and worthy of notice, and some make fun of him not having capabilities that they themselves have rendering him different.

A good book to use within a classroom setting to help young children understand and appreciate the value of the disabled individual. Also, and perhaps primarily, a good book to use in a family situation when the child is in a setting where he interacts with the handicapped.

About the book: This encouraging story shows how life changes when we learn to value those who are differently abled and to champion the power of thoughtfulness.

Author Dorena Williamson explores the need to be “thoughtFULL”—full of thoughtfulness and awareness, particularly with those who have special needs. In this delightful story, it’s awards day at school, and Ahanu (a boy with Down Syndrome) earns the award for being thoughtful. Later, when his friend Joshua sees others making fun of Ahanu, it’s Joshua’s turn to be thoughtful by supporting his differently abled friend. While doing so, Joshua learns important lessons about friendship, disabilities, and the value we each have as God’s children.

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

Worldview Study Bible - CSB Version from Holman Bibles [Bible Review]

NOTE: It would take a Biblical scholar to truly evaluate the content of a version of the Bible verse by verse and also to evaluate the study notes included with said version. I do not purport to have such qualifications.

BIBLES/Christian Standard Bible/Reference
ISBN: 9781433604348
Navy Leather touch©
$69.99 USD

My thoughts: Study Bibles have basically two portions.... 1) The Biblical text or "The Bible," and 2) The study aids including cross referenced Bible verses, essays, commentary on specific subjects or verses, and maps. The most important of the two is the Biblical text or holy scriptures. While I prefer the King James Version, I understand today's readers often prefer a version such as the Christian Standard Version of the Bible for its readability. Scholars conclude that the CSB stays true to the original. I leave that interpretation and evaluation to scholars.

This is a beautifully appointed bible that has a soft leather-touch cover with great flexibility. The print is pretty standard in size though some might wish for larger typeset. I don't care for the comments sections that have grey background and smaller text. This presents a hardship when reading. I would opt to remove the grey background. For a modern version, the CSB is probably top ranked. The wealth of essays included present a variety of topics that are great for reading, referencing, and formulating a Christian Worldview.

Review by my son:

Pros:

• CSB Translation is very readable.  Flows well.  
• CSB Translation and publishing company are very reliable and true to scripture.
• Maps are in color and easy to understand. 
• I like how verses are separated by the paragraph or by train of thought.  
• The New Testament has each portion of a chapter titled or headed by subject. (See Matthew chapter 6 for example)
• The world view notes are excellent for studying different world views held up against God’s word.

Cons:

• I wish this edition had red lettering for the words of Christ.
• The map with Paul's missionary journeys has two colors that are so similar that it is difficult to distinguish between them.
• I wish the typeset was slightly larger.  This Bible reviewed is of the standard font edition, and it is difficult to read if you are beyond middle age.

Conclusion: Overall I am excited to receive this Bible and will cherish it.

Version

The Christian Standard Bible Worldview Study Bible is first and foremost a Christian Bible including all 66 books of the Bible - Old Testament and New Testament. The version is Christian Standard  which "features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible's original meaning without sacrificing clarity making it easier to engage with Scripture's life-transforming message and to share it with other." (from the promotional material of this Bible)

What is the "Worldview Study Bible"?

Verse commentaries help understand and interpret meaning (at bottom of pages with greyed background).
Center column references direct readers to other similar or associated portions of the Bible.

My thoughts: First of all one must understand what a "worldview" is and specifically what a "Christian worldview" is. A worldview is the basis by which one interprets each and every event and action that happens in the world or the method by which one makes decisions about how one will live their life. A Christian Worldview entails a person's looking at events and actions in the world from a Christian perspective and making his or her decisions about life and how they react to events and actions from a Biblical viewpoint.

From the product: The CSB Worldview Study Bible features extensive worldview study notes and articles by notable Christian scholars to help Christians better understand the grand narrative and flow of Scripture within the biblical framework from which we are called to view reality and make sense of life and the world. Guided by general editors David S. Dockery and Trevin K. Wax, this Bible is an invaluable resource and study tool that will help you to discuss, defend, and clearly share with others the truth, hope, and practical compatibility of Christianity in everyday life.

Study aids or materials (not actual Scriptural text) are included in this edition of the CSB Worldview Study Bible 

Hefty Bible but nice and flexible

• Extensive worldview study notes
• Over 130 articles by notable Christian scholars
• Center-column references
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Presentation page
• Two ribbon markers

My thoughts about the Bible's layout of notes and study helps. 

The extensive study aids, essays, etc. are no doubt quite valuable and would benefit new believers as well as those established in their faith. For a study Bible this would be highly beneficial. 

Some well-known verses comparing CSB and KJV (borrowed from https://www.eden.co.uk/blog/csb-side-by-side-comparison-p128899)

John 3:16

[CSB] “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

[KJV] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jerehmiah 29:11

[CSB] “For I know the plans I have for you” ?— ?this is the Lord’s declaration ?— ?“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

[KJV] “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Psalm 23:1-2

[CSB] “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures”

[KJV] “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”

Romans 12:12

[CSB] “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”

[KJV] “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

Genesis 1:1

[CSB] “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

[KJV] “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Find it on Lifeway - click here

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of this CSB Worldview Study Bible was provided by the BH Blogger Review Program on behalf of Holman Bibles/BH/Lifeway to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are mine and my son's and are freely given. 

ColorFull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us by Dorena Williamson with illustrations by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu

My thoughts:  Experiencing a world of color from the tiniest flower to the shade or color of one's skin can be a joyful experience and this little children's book beautifully illustrates that experience and teaches that one can accept who and what one is and our differences as a perfectly normal and beautiful fact of life.

Children with fair skin, freckles, and red hair often wish they were a "normal" brown hair person and darker skinned children whose hair is thick and tightly curled might wish to be different. But in Colorful: Celebrate the Colors God Gave Us leads children into accepting themselves and one another for the beautiful colors that exist.

In the back of the book, parents have guiding materials that will aid in leading their children into accepting that they are ".....remarkably and wondrously made..." from Psalm 139 and a "Think" guided discussion section.
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The story is about two best friends who are as different as night and day and their joyful discovery of color and a colorful existence. The story is sweet and has a lovely granny that leads the girls along and a kid brother that is right there in the mix of fun.

Beautifully told story and lovely illustrations that exude joy and, yes, color.

About the book: Why be colorblind when we can be colorFULL instead?

Imani and Kayla are the best of friends who are learning to celebrate their different skin colors. As they look around them at the amazing colors in nature, they can see that their skin is another example of God's creativity! This joyful story takes a new approach to discussing race: instead of being colorblind, we can choose to celebrate each color God gave us and be colorFULL instead.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the BH/Lifeway book review program on behalf of the publisher and author to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.

The Big Book of Bible Stories for Toddlers from B&H Publishing Group

B&H Publishing Group
Impring of LifeWay Christian Resources

My thoughts: This is such a nice Bible story book for toddlers. With a softly padded cover and sturdy board pages, it will be one that wee  hands can safely handle and enjoy. They will love to find it and take it to someone to read to them.

This little book is more than a collection of Bible stories briefly told so the very young child can understand. There are key questions with answers that accompany each story. Not just about the story, but about theology.  This will be the beginning of your child's instruction into a deeper understanding of Biblical truth.

Example: "Why does God punish sin?" Answer: "God is holy. He never sinned, He is right to punish sin." "Who is always in control?" Answer: "God is always in control."

The illustrations of these Old and New Testament stories will appeal to the young child. What is very appealing to today's young who are so captivated by technology is the ability to download an app that is used with the book to "read" the story and view the illustrations in an augmented, or 3-D effect, manner. The story as voiced on the app is clear and very understandable. The text is slightly different from that which appears on the page. Each icon in the book denotes a "chapter" that is accessed through the app's menu. Super fun. They will need a smart phone or tablet to do this. But the book is great as a unit itself without the need to utilize the app feature.

A great addition for homes with young children.

About the book: Favorite Bible stories for your favorite toddlers!

Noah and the ark, Jonah and the big fish, David and the giant—little readers know which Bible stories are their favorites. The Big Book of Bible Stories for Toddlers is an interactive and engaging new Bible storybook designed just for toddlers. With stories from both the Old and New Testaments, this big book means big fun and learning for little ones.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from B&H Publishing Group An Imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.