What a wonderful idea! A book for little ones to learn not only about Jesus, but also what life was like in the times he lived in! I feel it will help them connect Jesus was a real person that lived on earth The book is super sturdy (very important!) and can be wiped clean.
The illustrations were colorful, bright, and well done. I especially liked how detailed they were. There was a lot to look at. I remember as a child how intensely I looked at the pictures, noting every tiny detail that I am sure the grownups missed!
The book covers 8 parts of the Lord’s life from birth to resurrection. The author did a wonderful job getting the information across but keeping it simple. Each section is covered in 2 pages. There is a short paragraph explaining the location and event in Jesus’s life. Additional captions are scattered throughout the pages giving more information and further explaining the illustrations.
Flap books are a big hit with youngsters. It allows them to participate in the reading and it is also great fun! By being involved, they are more likely to remember the stories. Another thing I liked about this book was how many flaps there were. I counted 37! Most books have one on each page and that is never enough for the pint size reader! A book any child would treasure and enjoy! If you buy one be prepared to be asked to read it over and over!
I received this book free from Kregel Publications, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This book was soooo good! The characters were witty, clever, and humorous. I couldn’t put it down and read it in 2 days! This was accomplished by staying up till 3:00 a.m. two nights in a row!!! I know many have posted it as a young adult read but I think that is too limiting. Adults young or old would enjoy it.
When she was in the 5th grade, Micah agreed to be a part of a class project and write to an Amish pen pal. The one assigned to her was named Zach. The teacher sent the children’s pictures but due to the Amish beliefs, they were not delivered. With her name, Zach thinks Micah is a boy. She doesn’t want to have their correspondence to end so she doesn’t reveal this secret.
As many years pass and many letters, Zach and Micah become very close. They reveal their deepest thoughts and desires. When her mother dies, Zach is the one that gives her the support she needs.
Fast forward 6 years and many letters. Zach writes Micah telling her is coming to visit. She panics! To her relief he cancels his visit but she is disappointed because she really wants to meet him. She devises a hair brain scheme to go see him and pretend she is a boy!
She pulls it off for a very short time, but overcome by guilt, she ends up doing a dramatic reveal at the family dinner table. The entire family is horrified and Zach is embarrassed and angry. Plans to go home keep falling through and she must stay with the family she has deceived for much longer than she would like! A very awkward situation to say the least! Micah finds that Zach has a few surprises of his own!
Micah not only learns firsthand about the Amish lifestyle but a great deal about herself too. She also has to face the music concerning the damage her deception caused to the lives of others. I found it very interesting to look at Zach’s culture thorough her eyes as a teenager. There wasn’t a dull moment in this story. It was fun, interesting, and very entertaining. I found the plot to be very different than other Amish fictions. It showed the contrast in the English vs. Amish cultures I would not have thought of, and she does it through the perspective of the characters. Melody Carlson is a master writer! You will want to read this book! Be ready for surprises!
I received this book free from Revell Publishers, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I like nothing better during the winter holidays to curl up with a good Christmas story. It makes everything extra cozy and special. So much for waiting till December! The precious kitty on the front of the cover drew me into reading it right away!
Garrison Brown had been working in Uganda for the past 9 years digging wells to help the poor. He is forced to return home due to health problems. Not long after he arrives and just 2 weeks before Christmas, he is contacted that his grandmother has passed way. She took him in when his parents died and saw him through his “terrible” teens to adulthood. She meant the world to him.
Upon meeting with the attorney he finds she has left everything to him, including her six cherished cats. The only problem is Garrison is SEVERELY allergic to felines! Before the estate can be settled, he is to find all of them good homes. Which should be easy, except his grandmother left some very eccentric, detailed instructions about what homes they could go to. It was almost as if he was adopting out children! This glitch in the will greatly complicates his duty. Another surprising twist is that each person who takes a cat will receive $10,000, but they cannot know about it until the feline’s homes are finalized. The guidelines seem impossible, but he loved her so much that he will do whatever it takes to carry out her last wishes.
He is forced to stay in the house with his charges, not only to care for them but also carry out his objective of placing them with the right families. With lots of sneezing and allergy medication, he soldiers forward in his task. Through this he becomes familiar with the house he grew up in and his old neighborhood. He meets a beautiful young woman named Cara that has fallen in love one of the cats (the one that Garrison is becoming attached to). She would be a perfect owner but doesn’t qualify according to his Grans conditions. This causes a bit of a wrinkle in the new friendship.
As the story unfolds Garrison is faced with many sticky situations, some very sad and some very humorous. It seems every tactic he tries backfires, yet one by one, in unexpected ways the cats find their forever homes. Instead of hurrying through his task and moving on, Garrison finds himself connecting with his roots, his hometown, and falling in love.
I once again enjoyed Ms. Carlson’s unique storyline and her wonderful sense of humor shown throughout the book. It was very easy to get into the characters and experience their feelings and situations. I could clearly see God working through Garrison’s sweet grandmother’s plans, even after her death. We can run around and try to “fix” things but the Lord always has the best plan. It was also a story of faith in unusual circumstances. I will probably read this book again next year. Hopefully I can wait until December, but this book would be great to read any time of year. Now I want to read all of Ms. Carlson’s Christmas books!
I received this book free from Revell Publishers, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.