Will It Be a Baby Brother?

TITLE: Will It Be a Baby Brother?
AUTHOR:  Eve Bunting
ILLUSTRATOR:  Beth Spiegel
PUBLISHER: Boys Mills Press
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Little Edward is looking forward to the birth of his new sibling.  He is sure the little one will be a brother.  His Mom tells him whichever it is, the baby will be just what he wanted all along. 

This book would be appropriate for a family welcoming a new baby.  It would be enjoyed by primary aged children.

Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design

TITLE: Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design
AUTHOR:  Susan Hunt & Richard Hunt, Jr.
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER:  Moody Publishers
COPYRIGHT: 2013

 About the book:May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace." Psalm 144:12

Boys and girls, from 5 to 8 years of age, will love the fun world of Cassie and Caleb, two energetic and inquisitive children discovering the beauty of God's wonderful design. Through twenty beautifully illustrated short stories, followed by an interactive time between parent and child, your children will learn:

• The creational principle that "God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27) is extraordinary!
• That Jesus is in all of Scripture. The Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories; it is the one big story of the Triune God redeeming His people.
• God's Word is our authority and His Glory is our purpose.
• That when we belong to Jesus we belong to His covenant family, the Church.
• A Biblical framework for living and thinking.

The authors do not underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind of a child. This book intentionally uses the rich language of faith, and then builds meaning around the words and concepts as the stories proceed, providing children the words of life.

My thoughts:
This book caught my eye because of the title (since I have a son named Caleb) and because I thought the cover was cute. This book is enjoyable to read and is appropriate for a family with children in the 5-8 range. There are 2 page devotional thoughts followed by a page with a few questions and a verse.

Cassie and Caleb are inquisitive and seem to want to know more about God. They ask good questions that will make your own children think and ponder Biblical truths. I like the example of this family applying God's Word to all aspects of their life, not just something they talk about or read at church. As a parent this book gave me ideas of things from the Bible we can have discussions about with our son.

I thought the illustrations were very well done as well. They were colorful and added to the text of the book.

This book is available from Moody Publishers and will release May 1, 2013.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ebook version for my review.

Double Trouble Groundhog Day

TITLE: Double Trouble Groundhog Day
AUTHOR:  Bethany Roberts
ILLUSTRATOR: Lorinda Bryan Cauley
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Grampie Groundhog announces that he will no longer be handling the job of weather forecasting to someone else.  His twin grandchildren Gregory and Greta draw straws for the job which Gregory wins..  As Gregory sleeps with his alarm set for February 2, he has dreams about what will happen when he makes the prediction.  Will he be able to do his job?  His sister comes to help him out!

This is a cute book to read to your early elementary aged class for Groundhog's Day.  They will enjoy the pictures that go along with the story, and young children will be able to relate to the sibling rivalry as well.

What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best

TITLE: What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best
AUTHOR: Laura Numeroff
ILLUSTRATOR: Lynn Munsinger
PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This is two books in one! You can read one version to find out what sisters can do and then flip it over and read the same things that brothers can do. The illustrations of animal siblings doing things together are really cute.

My son and I thought this was a great book.

Mine, All Mine!

TITLE: Mine, All Mine!
AUTHOR: Claire Hawcock

ILLUSTRATOR: Chiara Pasqualotto

PUBLISHER: Boxer Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Little Squirrel finds a beautiful snowflake. He decides he doesn’t want to share his snowflake with anyone. He learns a lesson about sharing in this wonderful story. The illustrations are beautiful. Children will want to touch the sparkly, painted snowflake. I recommend this book for the primary school classroom library as well as your home library.

My son and I enjoyed this book together.