Mustard Seeds

Book Recommendation: 101 Bible Stories from Creation to Revelation

Well, summer is upon us. I love it when my kids are home, without having to rush out of the house each morning. Still, it's good to have some kind of routine. And, for me, the beginning of new season always encourages to start fresh, healthy habits. 

Enter morning quiet times. . . for your kids. Check out this post to see what I used to do when the sprouts were smaller. Now that I have an independent reader and three different distinct ages, I've had to regroup and brainstorm some new books and ideas.

Anne is entering 3rd grade and is now an independent reader. I want her to be able to read something each morning without feeling overwhelmed by pages with solid words. 101 Bible Stories from Creation to Relevation, by ZonderKidz, illustrated by Dan Andreasen, is a perfect fit for her. 

As the title suggests, this Bible storybook includes 101 stories. Each story has a one-page illustration and one page of text--perfect for a daily reading. When I asked Anne to read one story the other morning, she quickly asked, "Can I keep reading more stories?" So I'd say she liked it. 

She and I both really like that how the illustrations aren't "too cartoony," making the book feel like a "bigger kid" book and not a toddler Bible storybook. The illustrations are really  beautiful and have a "realistic feel."

 

The chapter reference is given at the beginning of each story in case you want to look up more details. The stories are simple and easy to understand, without "dumbing it down."  And, I feel it stays true to the Biblical account and details. 

You can check out this link to read some samples. 

This would be a great gift to readers who have Bibles already and might feel intimidated reading its gray pages of text. Plus, the price is quite reasonable. I plan on buying this book as birthday gifts for other children my daughter's age.

Disclosure: ZonderKidz provided me with a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes. My opinions are my own, and I only share about products that I believe are of interest to my readers. 

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Good Friday

"The full force of the storm of God's fierce anger at sin was coming down. 

On his own son.

Instead of his people.

It was the only way God could destroy sin, and not destroy his children whose hearts were full of sin."

---The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones

 

P.S. The Jesus Storybook Bible Kindle edition is on sale right now for $3.99. 

Maundy Thursday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"God was going to pour into Jesus' heart all the sadness and brokeness in people's hearts. He was going to pour into Jesus' body all the sickeness in people's bodies. God was going to have to blame his son for everything that had gone wrong. It would crush Jesus . . . But it would be all right . . ."

---The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones

 

P.S. The Jesus Storybook Bible Kindle edition is on sale right now for $3.99. If you don't have this, get it today!  It's amazing. 

Photos: I took these last summer at St. Paul's Church in Auckland, NZ. (Where my brother-in-law was married.) I was captivated by these amazing carvings on the walls.

Chocolate Robin's Nest

Materials:

• 1 cup shredded coconut (I prefer unsweetened.)
• shredded wheat (six large "loaves")
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips (also a great opportunity to melt down leftover chocolate Easter bunnies)
• wax paper or cooking spray
• cookie sheet or muffin tin
• Cadbury mini eggs or jelly beans (for eggs)
• Recipe yields 12-15 mini nests

Step 1: Put six "loaves" of shredded wheat into a large bowl and have your child crunch them up into little tiny pieces.

Step 2: Add 1 cup of coconut to the shredded wheat, toss until mixed well.

Step 3: Okay, here is where you get a couple of options. We tried two different methods of how to form the nests: 1.) Using a cookie sheet/metal tray covered with wax paper or 2.) Using a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Both worked great. However, I think the muffin tin method worked best for little hands to shape the nests. You choose. So for step 3, prep your pan of choice.

Step 4: Use a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl set over pot of bowling water) to melt 2 cups of chocolate chips.

Step 5: Pour melted chocolate over wheat mixture and mix up until the chocolate evenly coats.

Step 6: Form the nests, either in the muffin tins or on the tray. Make sure to make a little center for your eggs.

OR.....

Step 7: Put in your eggs and put in the fridge to harden. If you used a muffin tin, use a knife to "pop" out the nest after it's hardened.

The muffin tray-method yields a more-shaped looking nest:

The tray method is a little more free form.

Once you made some nest, you need to get your hands on this wonderful book.

The book tells the legend of why the robin's breast is red...

I love this part... "I know this man, thought the robin. All earth's creatures, except humans, recognized Jesus--the Creator-God come to earth."

"The thorn gave way. And as it came out a drop of Jesus' blood fell onto the robin's breast, staining it red from that day to this."

Sale extended!

 A Sense of the Resurrection sale has been extended until Sunday, March 30! Be sure to use the coupon code OHEASTER! and save 20%.

Last day to save on "A Sense of the Resurrection"

 Today is the last day to save on A Sense of the Resurrection. Be sure to use the coupon code OHEASTER! and save 20%.

One more thought on this book: Helping little ones understand Jesus' death is intimidating to most parents. They worry about scaring kids with gruesome details, but also want them to understand Jesus's great sacrifice. I think one of the most useful tools in A Sense of the Resurrection is Amanda's page on "How to talk to your kids about death." She shares great wisdom and some sensible guidelines on how to do this.

Read more on this fabulous e-book in this post. 

Help your little ones gain "A Sense of the Resurrection"

Have you met Amanda at OhAmanda? If you haven't you need to mozy on over to her place. Amanda has a passion about sharing Jesus with her kids. And not just sharing, but helping them experience Jesus. Amanda and I also share a passion about Easter:

"They believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Mickey Mouse with a simple nod from you. Why not help them believe in the power that brought Jesus back to life? Why not lead them to belief in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection? Why not bring them to maybe not a full understanding--but to full belief in what Jesus did for them on the cross and in that tomb 2000 years ago?"

And what is one of the best ways of teaching our kids? Using hands-on, experiential activities.

A Sense of the Resurrection is Amanda's e-book that helps you help your children experience Easter using their 5 senses. There are 12 simple activities to be done before Easter. You’ll experience Jesus’ anointing, the Last Supper, Peter’s denial, the cross, the empty tomb and more. Memories will be made as your family uses their five senses to understand and believe the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Amanda's book includes step-by-step activity instructions, printables, scriptures, talking points and more. And until Friday, you can save 20% off, using the code OHEASTER!

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The Best Easter Books for Kids

I love seasonal books. In fact, I have one shelf dedicated to all our seasonal and holiday books. To keep them feeling fresh and new, I only pull them down the weeks leading up to a specific holiday or season. Then, I arrange them in a box or basket and have them out, ready to reread and rediscover. 

Explaining Christ's crucifixion and resurrection can seem daunting sometimes, especially when little ones are involved. I've found that books are a great guide in this situation and allow parents tell the story in an age-appropriate manner and to open a dialogue with their kids.

Here are some of our favorite Easter books. Remember, your local library might have these too. So save some money and check there first. I'm a big fan of putting books on hold so I can just run in and pick up my pile. 

Easter,Easter, Almost Here!
A rhyming board book that talks about Palm Sunday. Great for the youngest of your bunch.

An Easter Gift for Me
An oversized board book that explains that reason for Easter. Again, perfect for your youngest.

The First Easter
Beautifully illustrated pages. Gorgeous! This story is more in-depth, great for elementary students.

The Light of the World
This was written by one of my favorite children's authors Katherine Patterson.

 Petook 

A proud rooster learns about new life on Easter morning. I love, love, love this book. Unfortunately is it out of print and used copies are outrageous online. In the meantime, I'll keep checking it out from the library and scouring thrift stores. 

Easter in the Garden

 The Easter story through the eyes of a little boy named Micah. 

The Story of the Easter Robin

The book tells the legend of why the robin's breast is red. I love this part... "I know this man," thought the robin. "All earth's creatures, except humans, recognized Jesus--the Creator-God come to earth." 

Then, of course you'll need to make some robin nests. See the full tutorial here (shredded wheat, coconut and chocolate).

 

Journey, Easter, Journey!
We love the rhythmic text of this book, which tells about Jesus' journey from birth to death and resurrection.

The Very First Easter

Beautiful illustrations, but the text is a too long for really young kids. I slightly abbreviate this one when I read it to my 3-year-old. Great one to read as family with older kids.

Humphrey's First Palm Sunday

Humphrey is back. My favorite camel of all time. You might remember me bragging on him at Christmas time. Well, this time Humphrey sees a man riding on a donkey who reminds him of a baby he met long ago. Buy it. Now. 

Do you have any book suggestions? Leave a comment.

St. Patrick Book

St. Patrick's Day is next Monday. You can learn more about this Christian saint here. We especially lovethis children's book by Tomie dePaloa. It tells the story of St. Patrick and then also about several legends and stories that surround him.

One story that I especially love is how St. Patrick used a shamrock to teach people about the Holy Trinity. One day, while he was teaching, the people were having a hard time understanding how the Trinity worked/functioned/existed. Patrick looked down at his feet and saw a shamrock. He plucked it up and explained that the Trinity is like the shamrock: each leaf represents one part--father, son and holy spirit--but they all share one stem are and are one being.

Books for Easter reflection

Lent begin tomorrow. For those of you who are interested in digging a little deeper during this year's Easter season, I suggest getting a Lent/Easter devotional of some kind. Here a few suggestions.

Reliving the Passion, by Walter Wangerin, Jr.  

I read this one last year. There is a short reading for each day, including a passage of scripture, some reflective thoughts and then a short prayer. I love it when when it's all laid out for me sometimes. Then, there's really no excuse not to do it! 

God is on the Cross, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the most well-known and beloved theologians of the twentieth century for a reason. The honesty, truth and depth of his words pierces a reader in a profound way. This book is a collection of 40 daily devotions from Bonhoeffer's letters and sermons. Each day also has a scripture reading. I really enjoyed Bonhoeffer's God is in the Manger during Advent.

Bread & Wine: Readings for Easter and Lent

This was the first-ever book I bought to read during Lent. It's not in a devotional form because there's not a specified reading for each day (with scripture, prayer, etc.). It is a collection of reflective and throught-provoking passages from writers, theologians, missionaries, etc. through the centuries. 

 I love these quotes from the introduction:

"It is at time to let go of excuses for failings and shortcomings; a time to stop hanging on to whatever shreds of goodness we perceive in ourselves; a time to ask God to show us what we really look like."

"Lent should never be morose--an annual ordeal during which we begrudgingly forgo a handful of pleasures. Instead, we ought to approach Lent as an opportunity, not a requirement. After all, it is meant to be the church's springtime, a time when, out of darkness of winter's sin, a repentant, empowered people emerges."

Do you know of other Easter deovtionals? Leave a comment. I'm always looking for recommendations. 

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