Seek-and-Circle Bible Battles ~ Review

Seek-and-Circle Bible Battles
By Alyssa Jones

From the BH Kids Editorial Staff

This is an activity book to help teach children about the armor of God and stories taken from the Old Testament. So get a dry erase marker and get ready to have a fun time while learning from the Bible. The Scripture references for this book come from Ephesians 6:10-19 (The Armor of God), Joshua 6 (The Battle of Jericho), Israel vs. the Five Kings (Joshua 10:1-15), Deborah, Barak, and Jael (Judges 4), Gideon vs. the Midianites (Judges 6-8), David and Goliath (1 Samual 17), and Judah Taken Captive (2 Chronicles 36). 

Now the Scripture is just referenced so you will need to have a Bible nearby so that you can read this before the search for the listed objects commences. Each story is pictured on nearly 2 pages with a list of items to look for. One of the items to be searched for is a piece of the Armor of God. There is a Christ Connection for each story showing how the Old Testament past of Israel was a glimpse of what Christ would be for the whole world. 

I'll admit it is fun trying to find all the objects and this would be a really fun family activity, maybe have different colored markers for each person to use and take turns finding the objects. However you decide to use this book it will be an enjoyable and educational time for all involved. Though I will admit some of the objects may be difficult to identify which is why reading the Scripture first is important as it offers descriptions of the people that may be helpful.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Seek, circle, 

and learn!

Maybe you’ve heard about the battle of Jericho and David’s battle against Goliath, but what about the day the sun stood still? Inside this book, explore six of the major battles from the Bible, filled with dozens of items for you to seek and circle! Every battle scene also has something to tell us about God’s plan for His people through His Son, Jesus.

For an added challenge, look for the six pieces of the armor of God as you explore each battle.

Use a wipe-on, wipe-off marker to seek-and-circle over and over again!

This BH Kids book includes a Parent Connection, an easy tool to help moms and dads (or anyone else who loves kids) discuss the book’s message with their child. We’re all about connecting parents and kids to each other and to God’s Word.

Big and Little Coloring Devotional ~ Review

Big and Little Coloring Devotional
Written by Rachel C. Swanson
Illustrated by Jacy Corral

Big and Little Coloring Devotional is a fun and relaxing way to spend time together with your younger family members. The facing pages go together one is a simpler design while other is more intricate. They are themed so that these two pages go together offering a verse of Scripture on both pages and corresponding devotional message on the big page.

The book is softcover so while it does not lay-flat it can get fairly close to it and is an excellent opportunity for parent and child to learn to work together if coloring at the same time. The pages are of a heavier weight but I'd recommend crayons or color pencils just to be sure the color doesn't bleed through to the other side.

One page pairing has the verse: Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. The parents are then offered a small insight - they are to lead their children in the Lord. The pages have a penguin family to color as you think on these things.

If you have more than one child you may have to come up with an alternating day coloring system or get a second book to double the enjoyment. This would also be a lovely visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house activity. Do you know someone expecting a new sibling soon - this would be a great big brother/big sister gift with the promise that there will still be a special parent time to come (unwinding de-stressing time for Mom).

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher BH with no expectation except that give my honest opinion ~ all opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Kids crave constant activities and attention. Adults crave quiet moments of refreshment. How can we achieve both? Big and Little Coloring Devotional engages adults’ minds with appealing biblical devotionals while providing a creative outlet through coloring to diffuse stress.

Let’s have fun with our children through coloring and facilitate their spiritual growth with Scripture. Big and Little Coloring Devotional will incorporate physical, spiritual, and emotional refreshment by providing authentic faith-filled devotionals combined with therapeutic doodling for both the adult and child.

About the Author:

Rachel C. Swanson is a dental hygienist turned author and speaker. She’s founder of the blog community RefineAndRestore.com where she pours out "R&R for the Heart and Soul." Her writing is featured on multiple websites worldwide. She’s been married ten years to her husband who loves her despite her love for coffee and often impulsive nature. They rear their tribe of identical twin boys and (nineteen months later) their baby girl ... and a Weimaraner (dog) who thinks she’s human. They reside in a wannabe country town just on the outskirts of the big city Los Angeles, CA. www.RachelCSwanson.com

About the Illustrator:

Jacy Corral (pronounced "Jackie") is an illustrator, hand lettering artist, graphic designer, wife, and mom. After enjoying an extensive career in corporate marketing and design, she traded fancy slacks for yoga pants to focus on the great privilege of raising her daughter, investing in her home and marriage, and creating artwork that helps people to connect and reflect. Jacy lives with her husband, daughter, and miniature poodle in West Los Angeles, CA. She shares her creations regularly on Instagram and at www.hyssopdesign.com.

Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 2 ~ Review with Giveaway and Trailer

Purple Turtle Graded Readers
Level 2
By Vanessa Black


Looking to help your child with their early literacy skills? Well, this delightful boxed book set is the perfect option. The box measures 14-3/4" wide x 9-1/2" tall x 1-3/8" deep.

The individual books measure 7" x 4-3/4" and in the box, the books are 3 across and 4 deep. The books are hardcover with a stitched binding. The books are just under 30 pages each. Each book has a story and is followed by several pages of activities that correspond to the story.

The books in the Level 2 collection include the following titles.

Too Many Clothes when Zing's closet won't close because of too many clothes Purple helps him out by sorting out what is used and what is not. Four fun pages of clothes activities follow.

Purple Goes on Holiday which is a week's worth of fun activity with Mama, Papa, and Purple trying out new things. Six fun-filled activity pages follow this adventuresome week!

Purple Visits the Zoo has Purple visiting the zoo with Mama where they discover a baby monkey is missing. They search for the baby monkey as they explore the zoo. Fun animal activities follow this story.

Biggy Breaks an Arm when Biggy breaks his arm while playing he is sad to learn that he won't be able to swim while he has a cast on his arm. Purple and the gang decide to cheer him up by helping discover that he can have fun even with a broken arm. Six fun activity pages that Biggy could enjoy follow the story.

At the Aquarium has the friends visiting the local aquarium and seeing new fish and sea creatures. There are fun counting and number activities.

The Art Banner Purple and Roxy create a banner for the new art center. But it takes a lot of work to get it just right.  Two fun pages of art-themed activities follow this story

Roxy Plays by the Rules When Roxy's cheating gets too much the gang decides to teach him a lesson about playing by the rules. Four pages of activities follow this story.

Ride to the City Purple and Roxy decide the go to a car show and getting to and from the city is an adventure all its own. Four fun activities add to this stories delights.

Who am I? Purple and the gang are stuck indoors because of the weather. When they come up with a new game they have to guess what they each are pretending to be. This book has six pages of various activities. Want to give this game a try yourself?

Roxy Gets Angry Roxy is making a gift for Purple but when Biggy accidentally breaks it Roxy gets angry. This book explores feelings and a couple activities that deal with feelings.

Wish Upon a Star finds Purple and Zing stargazing when they wish upon a shooting star. Purple's wish comes true and they find themselves on a rocket in space. Four fun space-themed activity pages follow this story.

Purple Goes to School Purple's first day of school has arrived and Purple isn't ready to go. But Papa and Mama were right - school is fun. Three school themed activity pages finish this book.

These stories and fun for young readers. Please be aware that there are a few words that use British English spellings instead of American English. (Examples include tyre instead of tire and colour instead of color). There are colorful images on each page that help with story comprehension. These would be a lovely gift for children or grandchildren who are in the beginning stages of reading - think Kindergarten or First Grade depending on the individual child.

I was provided a complimentary review copy of this boxed set with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Boxed Book Set Details:

Book Title: Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 2 (12 Titles)
Category: Children's Fiction,
Genre: Educational
Publisher: Aadarsh Pvt. Ltd.
Release date: April 1, 2017
Tour dates: Oct 30 to Nov 24, 2017
Content Rating: G (informative content intended for and available to children and their parents/educators to enhance and support learning. Suitable for: Family audiences with younger children.)

Boxed Book Set Description:

Welcome to a world of fun-filled learning with Purple Turtle. Purple Turtle Graded Readers by A1 Edutainment is an amazing new reading program that is ideal for emerging readers. The second level includes a set of 12 books with 12 interesting stories and several engaging activities that is likely to make learning an enjoyable experience. The book has a word count of 150-250 and is based on the ATOS and Lexile reading level system. This level is for readers who have just learned to read.

To read more reviews, please visit Purple Turtle's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Boxed Set: 

Amazon

Watch one of the book trailers:

Meet the Publisher:

Purple Turtle is India’s 1st International brand with its educational content in several languages sold in more than 30 countries including Russia, China, US and UK. The character of Purple Turtle has delighted children across the globe through beautifully created Purple Turtle books, rhymes, and videos available on YouTube.

Purple Turtle was created with the idea to spread education through a wide range of innovative books for children. To give them the experience of convenient online learning, Purple Turtle also brings both learning and entertainment on a common platform to give a wholesome learning experience to young minds.

Connect with the publisher: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends Dec 2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All is Bright ~ Review

All is Bright
A devotional journey to color your
             way to Christmas
Written by Nancy Guthrie
Illustrations by Lizzie Preston

Coloring has become the new activity of choice, but whether you are a new colorer or one who has never given up a favorite childhood activity All is Bright is the perfect addition to this year's holiday celebrations.

All is Bright can become a part of your Christmas family devotion time or a perfect way to celebrate the season on your own. All is Bright will take you from December 1 through the 31. There is a devotional study with the facing page one that can be colored and it corresponds to the day's devotion.

After the the 31 daily devotions there are 12 conversation starters with a Bible selection to read with questions to discuss the verse and a prayer. There are additional coloring pages that follow.

The pages are 9-3/4" x 9-3/4" and paper is a heavier weight and should take most coloring mediums with no fear of bleeding.  I'm personally a fan of coloring pencils and pastels and these work well with these books. Perfect for almost any age, this would make an excellent gift.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary review copy of this book with no expectations of a positive review ~ all opinions expressed are my own.

This is a sample of what can be found within these pages

~ colors were added using paint.net ~

·         Tyndale’s Inspire Creativity board on Pinterest has downloadable samplers and shareable coloring pages from their coloring and Bible journaling line, the Living Expressions Collection!

·         Check out www.livingexpressionscollection.com for the latest news and information on Tyndale's  coloring and journaling products.

About the Book:
The perfect gift for the creatives and coloring-book lovers in your life! Includes bonus activities and kid-friendly coloring pages for the whole family!This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of our Savior through beautiful design and devotion. Grab your colored pencils, cozy up with your favorite blanket and a cup of tea, and settle in for a night of peace and wonder with All Is Bright. For lovers of the Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest coloring books, All Is Bright is the perfect way to transform the Advent and Christmas seasons for your whole family, re-centering the holidays on the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Combining 31 days of rich content by the beloved and inspirational Nancy Guthrie with intricate designs that will reconnect you with the heart of Christ, this coloring book devotional journey reminds us all of what the season really calls us to: worship.

God Bless America ~ Reveiw

God Bless America
A Patriotic Coloring Book

This is a truly interesting coloring book with its patriotic theme.  There are quotes from well-known Americans and statements of nationalistic significance incorporated within the assorted pictures.  And in my opinion an even greater attribute is the back of the coloring page explains the importance of this statement or quote and credits the artist who created the scene.

Adult coloring has become an almost instant hobby, but this book can be even more than just another title on the list of to-color-books.  This would be an excellent addition to the American History class that is looking for a new way to garner student attention.

The level of coloring skill needed varies as there are pages perfect for almost any age while others would demand a greater attention to detail with the fineness of detail portrayed.  The statements are taken from the Bible, the Founding Fathers, and persons of more recent history (such as Neil Armstrong and  Rosa Parks).

This would be a delightful peak of American history to give as a gift or explore yourself.  Enjoy a quiet afternoon reveling in the joys of coloring.  This paper is a heavier quality that should take most coloring mediums and the pages are perforated so removing them is not an impossible chore.

I was provided a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
Return to simple pleasures and simpler times.
Enter the pages of this coloring book for adults, and you will find a peaceful way to reflect on what makes America a truly amazing country: our values of equality, opportunity, faith,family, character, generosity, justice, and perseverance. Each coloring page features an original design from one of nine different artists, illustrating an inspirational quote from one of the Founding Fathers, an historic document, a patriotic hymn, or another of America’s heroes.

Slow down, quiet the noise, and express creativity as you color your way through history.

So grab your colored pencils or markers, find a comfortable spot to relax, and spend some time celebrating America. To help set the perfect patriotic mood, a link to the “Coloring America” playlist is included inside.

#COLORINGAMERICA

Draw-a-suarus ~ Review

Draw-a-suarus
By James Silvani

Kids love dinosaurs and what better way to spend those hours of free time than learning how to draw them.  This book will teach skills that can be used for drawing more than dinosaurs.

Do you have a favorite dino?  Fans of the Land Before Time series can have fun picking out their favorite and learning to bring them to life with their own paper and pencil.

T-rex? Triceratops? Stegosaurus? Parasaurolophus? Pteranodon?  Learn to draw these dinosaurs and many more.  With more than 150 pages of dinosaur drawings and facts you will soon be an expert when it comes to dinos.  First attempts may be a bit rough and even humorous but in no time at all (well, there will be time expended) you will see an improvement in both your technique and abilities.

Kids (and adults) will learn to visualize shapes as they rough in their drawing, learning to define and detail it as they progress.  Textures are part of the fine-tuning process that are taught in the later part of the book.

Need a something for the kids or grand-kids to prevent boredom?  Want an activity that doesn't involve hours on the computer?  Want to spark their creativity and imagination?  Draw-a-saurus may be just what you're looking for.

Another plus with this book is if you have a reluctant reader who loves to draw or loves dinosaurs this book may give them an added push towards the scary land of the written word.  And when you can learn to master a dinosaur with a pencil words are not so scary.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
About the Book:
This in-depth yet accessible dinosaur drawing guide combines humor, creativity, and the latest dino research to show artists young and old how to breathe life into drawings of their prehistoric favorites. Prehistoric Pencil Power!
Even though they lived some 65 million years ago, dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles continue to rule today. From movies to comics and cartoons, these ancient, giant beasts are everywhere you turn. Of course, who wants to just read about or watch these dinos when you can learn how to use pencils, pens, markers, and more to draw your very own? Cartoonist James Silvani combines easy-to-follow art exercises with the latest, greatest dino-facts to help you create fun and cool dinosaur doodles all by yourself. With lessons on old favorites like T-rex and stegosaurus, as well as lesser-known (but still awesome) creatures like the massive argentinosaurus,Draw-a-Saurus has everything the dinosaur fan could ever ask for (outside of their very own pet dino!). 

Want to learn more? Check out the following:

More Info (there is a neat video you have to see)
Author Bio

Bible Stories Painting Book 2 ~ Review

Bible Stories Painting Book 2 

By Juliet David

Illustrated by Simon Abbott

Bible Stories Painting Book 2 is a perfect way to share Bible stories with your children.  Each page has a picture on both the front and back and the pages are perforated so that they can be easily removed for display or for painting.

As your child paints you can read the matching Bible story from your favorite Children's Bible. The stories that you and your child (or grandchild) can enjoy include Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, David and Goliath, Jonah and the very large fish(from the Old Testament).  The New Testament stories include the Nativity story, several miracles of Jesus including the feeding of the crowd, and the Resurrection.

In all there are 16 pages to paint - 8 from the Old Testament and 8 from the New Testament. There is no need to buy watercolors as they are included on both the front and back cover of the book.  All you'll need to supply is the paintbrush.

Share favorite Bible stories with your children, grandchild, Sunday School class, or VBS class.  Children love to paint and this the perfect summer afternoon activity.

I was provided a copy of this book by Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bible Stories Painting Book 2 is a fantastic painting book that is easy to use with no mess involved!

Book has sixteen scenes from the Old and New Testaments with a simple line of text explaining the picture. Simply dip your brush in water, wipe over the paint pallets on the inside covers and fill in the illustrations with bright, bold colors!

My Very First Noah's Ark Playtime ~ Review

My Very First Noah's Ark Playtime
Activity Book with Stickers
by Lois Rock
Illustrated by Alex Ayliffe
Published by Lion Children's Books

This is a cute book to share the story of Noah's Ark with your little ones in an educational yet fun way.  There are stickers to place  throughout the book some of which are able to be used as a game to take the animals to the ark.  There are counting activities.  There is a fun activity where you make gingerbread and form it into an ark shape.

This little activity book packs a lot of fun into 16 pages.  Have it on hand for a rainy day, a long road trip or when your little one is home sick in bed.  This would also be a great for VBS or Sunday School.  But be sure to read an account of this story from the Bible to your little ones so that they get the full story as this story is very simple.

I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publishing in exchange for this review.