Tag Archives: God

The Stories of the Bible: An Inspiring Christian Storybook for Kids by Durand Loy (Book Review)

Step into the timeless tales from both the Old and New Testaments in a way that captivates young hearts and minds. This enchanting children’s storybook is meticulously crafted to engage with little ones, making it the perfect tool for parents to introduce the richness of the Bible and the love of Jesus Christ to their family.

Within these pages, cherished narratives unfold with vibrant illustrations and accessible language, inviting children on a journey of faith and discovery. From the bravery of David facing Goliath to the miracles of Jesus calming the stormy seas, each story is presented with care and reverence, ensuring that young readers not only learn but also feel the profound messages of hope, courage, and love woven throughout the scriptures.

As parents turn the pages of The Stories of the Bible with their children, they’ll find themselves immersed in an experience that transcends generations, fostering a deep connection to the teachings of Christianity. Whether shared during bedtime, family gatherings, or quiet moments of reflection, this beautifully illustrated storybook is destined to become a cherished treasure—a timeless gift that ignites the spark of faith in young hearts and minds.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

The Stories of the Bible: An Inspiring Christian Storybook for Kids by Durand Loy revisits some of the Bible’s most memorable stories. Like the Bible, it starts with creating animals, land, sea, and light. Readers met our world’s first humans, Adam and Eve, in the notorious Garden of Eden. Depending on your reader’s age, they might be familiar with some of the mini-stories such as “Noah’s Ark,” “The Birth of Jesus,” “The Three Wise Men,” and “David and Goliath.” There might be several new stories that kids are less familiar with: “Deborah the Prophet” and “The Mustard Seed.”

The Stories of the Bible: An Inspiring Christian Storybook for Kids is a beautifully illustrated book tailored for children but can reach and be loved by readers young and old. If you feel the Bible is too confusing or has too much to digest but still want to learn about biblical figures, I recommend you read the illustrated version first. It breaks down key moments in the oversized book into one-paragraph stories and offers the biblical location for further exploration. For example, “The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus” can be found in Mark 10:46-52.

Each story summarizes key events like “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” and “The Ten Commandments” pretty well. The passages do not go in-depth but leave room for open discussion. For instance, kids might ask what happened to Joseph after his brothers “sold him.” What was God’s plan for him? Depending on the audience’s age, they might inquire about the other commandments not listed in this book. A child might wonder if a whale can ingest a person, as portrayed in “Jonah and the Whale.” Due to a whale’s narrowness of their esophagus, many scientists say no. But ask your children or class their opinion on this matter. 

The Stories of the Bible: An Inspiring Christian Storybook for Kids is a great first Bible for young readers. Its vibrant illustrations brought the stories to life. Every reader will have their favorite scene; mine features the whale spitting out Jonah. The sea animal appears to be wearing a toothy smile as if he enjoyed spitting the man out of its large mouth. 

The Stories of the Bible: An Inspiring Christian Storybook for Kids would be an excellent addition to any Christian-based school or home. It would also benefit VBS (Vacation Bible School) and Sunday school classrooms. 

 

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Meet the Author

Durand Loy is committed to crafting literary experiences for children of all ages. He draws inspiration from his Southern roots and as a devoted husband and father of two young boys. With a passion for instilling strong values in children, he specializes in creating faith-based children’s books.

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God’s Promises: Wildlife Gray-Scale Adult Coloring Book & Journal by Stella Fanbosi (Book Review)

Enhance your spiritual growth and be inspired through meditation on Bible verses that feed the hungry soul, while adding color to illustrations of God’s beautiful creations. 20 amazing illustrations of wildlife nature in realistic, hand-drawn, gray-scale images, will capture your imagination and enlighten your spirit.

While coloring your favorite pages, meditate on inspirational Bible verses of God’s promises to His human family. Framed scriptural verses are located on the opposite page of the illustration for your convenience.

Use paint markers, gel pens, or colored pencils to bring the images to life with subjects such as animals, flowers, mountains, and waterfalls, all in gray-scale format and framed for a realistic finished masterpiece. Display your amazing finished works as home decor on your walls or on social media to show your skills to friends and family.

In addition to the adult coloring book features, journal pages are added for you to jot down your own thoughts, memoirs, or even drawings that leave a legacy to share for years to come. All journal pages are dotted for even spacing and guidance.

“God’s Promises: Wildlife in Gray-Scale Adult Coloring Book & Journal” includes the following:

◆ 20 breathtaking illustrations in gray-scale format for realistic imagery

 Single-sided pages to avoid bleeding into another image

 20 timeless scriptural verses in a decorative font to uplift your spirit

◆ Increase your knowledge, faith, and wisdom through God’s infallible Word

 dotted journal pages for adding your own memoirs, thoughts, or drawings

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Coloring books are not just for children anymore. More and more adults are unwinding with coloring books. I see them all over the market, but none match the artistry level of Adeela Zahid (credited on the copyright page). Their realistic, hand-drawn, gray-scale images will amaze you, impress you, and you’ll almost hesitate to mark them with any color. That said, I’d be cautious when applying any color to the page. The artist creates textured images but, in the process, makes it difficult for the average person to “color” the pictures without certain focal points turning into a big blob. Mainly, I am speaking about the trees, stems, leaves, fields, and water. 

When I first glanced at the stunning drawings, I envisioned how to style these portraits. I’m not an artist, but I noticed enough white open areas allowing an amateur artist to add a pop of color to every picture—for instance, the bunny chewing on the leaves of a batch of wildflowers. Using a colored pencil, I could make the petals come to life. Same for the frog sitting on the lily pad. Depending on your skill level, you can shade in some or all of the coloring sheets. 

God’s Promises: Wildlife in Gray-Scale Adult Coloring Book & Journal also includes uplifting bible scriptures and dotted pages to journal your thoughts and feelings. People of faith will love reading the bible verses. They’ll warm a reader’s heart as much as the lovely drawings. In addition to the above-mentioned components, Stella Fanbosi (author) breaks down “How to Become a Citizen of God’s Kingdom,” citing the bible in multiple locations. Customers will also learn a sinner’s prayer. Since no one is without sin, this prayer is worth reading and reciting daily. 

No matter your skill level, grab a colored pencil, gel pen, or paint marker and bring the wildlife images to life. “Display your amazing finished works as home decor on your walls or on social media to show your skills to friends and family.” 

God’s Promises: Wildlife in Gray-Scale Adult Coloring Book & Journal would make an exceptional gift for any Christian. 

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Meet the Author

My love for art and spirituality began early in childhood. I remember my mother saying that if I wanted to live happily ever after, I should regard the Bible as sacred and learn from it. Here I share a simplified version of art & spirituality without the confines of religion or dogma. 

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I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle (Book Review)

This book is a reprint of “I Will Always be Me (Blue),” created for girls to enjoy. “I Will Always be Me” teaches children that God loves them more than they can ever begin to imagine.

The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable. Someone thought of and chosen from eternity: Someone called and identified by name. -Pope Saint John Paul II

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle is a reprint of “I Will Always be Me (for boys),” created for girls to enjoy. The after credits say the first part of this book is an actual conversation between the author and her three-year-old son. After being assured of his unique and unchanging identity, he smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll always be me.” The synopsis states that the story was created for girls to enjoy, but the message isn’t limited to one gender. It lets all children know that God loves them just as they are. He’s with you at every point of your life. When you cry, he cries, and when you smile, he smiles too. 

The author quoted Pope Saint John Paul II: “The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable. Someone thought of and chosen from eternity: Someone called and identified by name.” I agree; we possess unique talents or qualities that set us apart. Even if you are a twin, triplet, etc., there are some attributes that only you have. 

The little girl, the star of the story, was adorable. Her smile lit up the pages. Kids will not miss the illustrations. They’ll welcome seeing a little real child on the pages, having fun outside as they do. They might even remark that they have gone through a tunnel like that or have a similar swing in their yard. 

I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle is a Christian-based children’s book that warms a person’s heart and fills a soul with love. At 24 pages, this sweet story is perfect for children with limited attention spans. It is ideal for religious homes, Sunday schools, or Christian schools. 

I recommend I Will Always be Me for readers up to 2-7. It’s a quick read that will bring endless hours of joy. 

 

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Meet the Author

I am a Catholic homeschooling mother of seven. I love creating picture books with my family! My first book was illustrated by my husband, and my oldest son illustrated the next three. I wrote my most recent book, Journey by the Sea, while watching my children play on the coast of Cape San Blas.

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Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe by Tim DeRoche (Book Spotlight)

 Grades 1 – 12

 

If your moral character is flimsy
Or your wit be rather slow,
Oh dare not read these tales of whimsy
For often do they end in woe.

Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe is quite possibly the most dangerous book of poetry ever written. Do you dare? It’s so good it will make you sneeze. What becomes of a girl who absolutely detests the color green? What about a king who joins a punk band? And the little boy who calls up God on the telephone? Monsters, bears, wizards, and talking vegetables―This book has something for everyone. Winner of the prestigious Baldersquash Medal, which honors the very best in highfalutin nonsense.

Tim DeRoche and Daniel González, author and illustrator of the best-selling Ballad of Huck & Miguel, return with a book of verse that will delight anyone who loves Lemony Snicket or Shel Silverstein.

 

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Meet the Author

tim - candid

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Tim DeRoche emigrated to California to attend Pomona College, where he studied English literature. His first book, The Ballad of Huck & Miguel, was featured on CBS Sunday MorningNPR, the LA Review of Books, and the Mark Twain Forum.  It was also selected by the Pasadena Public Library as the “One City, One Story” book for the Summer of 2019.

He has served as executive producer and writer of the children’s science series Grandpa’s Garage, produced by Turner, and is a graduate of the PBS Producers Academy at WGBH in Boston.

Tim lives with his wife Simone and three young kids in the La Crescenta neighborhood of Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

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Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn (Book Review)

A socially underprivileged rose witnesses unpleasant events and behaviors that threaten Her inner peace and is determined to set life and love aside in order to find Her true, pure and moral parts of character.

30 petals of MOOD and STATUS.

A society full of INJUSTICES and UNFAIRNESS.

A ROLE She doesn’t want to play.

A RAGE. A RAVE.

A PAST that leads to HATE.

A RARE SOUL.

A wishful CHANGE of HEART.

She AROSE and She ROSE.

From IGNORANCE to STRENGTH.

A FUTURE that should lead to LOVE.

But can there be LOVE?

A dark fantasy magical realism poetic novel that endures urban social issues and inequality, and challenges self esteem, self help, self improvement, self development, healing.

I never knew how to have
I’ve learned to live without love
And I can’t change all of a sudden
Something’s got to happen

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)

 

Reading Rose: Future Heart was like riding on a merry-go-round that never stops. You go up (I want to love and be loved) and down (love escapes me, no one will ever love me). 

Jazalyn’s poetry speaks of love in different intensities, which usually piggyback on jealousy, tears, pain, feeling of shame and humiliation, and reasons why love eludes them. They speak of not becoming a lover until they find their “perfect fit” (“No Lover”). There is no perfect fit; we all have flaws. You might see these flaws as you date or move in together. Eventually, the imperfections will surface. Saving yourself for perfection is a goal that’ll be difficult to obtain.

The author discusses other reasons they can’t have intimate relations: OCD, mysophobia, and germophobia. I have OCD and am a germophobe, but “mysophobia” was new to me. Upon a quick internet search, I discovered it meant having an extreme or irrational fear of dirt and contamination. They feared disease entering their body. I get that, but unless a person with mysophobia wants a sexless life, they need to seek counseling for this condition.

 

Favorite poems:

“Entertainment Made Me Love Like That” – People indeed use many forms of creative outlets to help them cope with internal and external pain. I hope writing brings the author comfort and peace. 

“Sleeping Beauty (Life Back)” – I thought it was interesting writing about what’s going on inside the mind of the sleeping beauty. I’ve watched the movie many times, and not once did I stop and wonder what she was thinking or dreaming about. 

 

Overall impression: The collection was not my cup of tea. I was going to score it two, but upon reflection, I decided to score it based on how it would be received by others who struggle to find or retain love in their life – for those who are looking for their “perfect someone” to make them whole. 

 

Heart Rating System:
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About the Author

With 150,000+ engagements and 20,000+ followers that grow more and more across 7 social media platforms, Jazalyn is among the most-promising newcomers authors-poets.

Her books have sold in 4 Continents and have been featured on best-seller category-based lists on Amazon US, Amazon UK and Amazon AU. Soon she will expand in every corner of the Earth.

Jazalyn attracts all cultures and traditions with an audience from all walks and stages of life as a consequence of the universal atmosphere that encircles her themes.

Her innovative and versatile writing style stemming from abstraction and absurdness captivates mystery and suspense with words swimming in surrealism and magical realism.

Her imaginative and inventive narration unites the philosophical with the psychological and the scientific elements of both fantasy and fiction that create and solve riddles and puzzles.

In what results as a contemporary genre of cinematic (epic) poetry in slice of life-vignette expression which provokes thinking and eyes new horizons.

Her latest books vViIrRuUsS, Rose, Hollow signify Jazalyn’s transition towards literary magnificence.

 

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