Author: cvegnad

February 27, 2019

The Children’s Illustrated Bible

About The Children’s Illustrated Bible

Written in conjunction with educators, scholars, and religious advisors, this retelling of favorite Old and New Testament stories retains the original feel and poetry of the Bible while appealing to contemporary young readers. DK’sChildren’s Illustrated Bible features some of the best-known Bible tales, including, the Birth of Jesus, Jacob’s Ladder, Noah’s Ark, and the Resurrection, written especially for children in a clear, easy-to-understand tone. A “Who’s Who in the Bible Stories” section and quotations from the King James Bible, listed by chapter and verse, add even more value to this unique resource.

My Thoughts

A Bible is a truly special gift that you can give to someone important in your life. I have the Bible given to me at my Baptism in a keepsake box along with another Bible given to me at my Confirmation. It is an important part of my faith and learning about our faith.

For children, it is so important for them to understand and relate to their faith in a way that makes sense to them while still staying true to the original stories. They need to be able to see pictures and have the stories told to them in a manner that they understand.

The Children’s Illustrated Bible does this perfectly. It is hardcover and roughly letter sized. There is around 310 pages of stories, pictures and facts that help to bring the stories to life. It contains many of the most loved stories from the Old and New Testament, including Noah’s Ark, The Sacrifice of Isaac, The Prophet Isaiah, The Birth of Jesus, John Baptizes Jesus and so many more.

The stories are beautifully told with illustrations that are respectful and appropriate for the content. It is easy to read out loud if you are reading to a young child as well as being easy for an older child to read on their own.

As we head into the season where many children will be receiving their First Communion, this is definitely a book to keep in mind to gift them. It is definitely a special keepsake, that they will be able to cherish for years as they learn more about their faith and the community that they belong to.

You can purchase a copy of this Bible on Amazon and Indigo.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 27, 2019

Explore Nature’s Deadliest Creatures

Come face-to-face with 150 of the world’s scariest killer creatures, from the lion and great white shark to the tarantula, anaconda snake, golden eagle, vampire bat, and even the fierce ant!

About Nature’s Deadliest Creatures

The book profiles every kind of animal–mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, and arachnids. Chapters are arranged according to how these dangerous predators kill. Do they use jaws and claws, venom, stings, traps, tricks and cunning, or mass invasion?

With more than 200 spectacular photos in the book, every page has a stunning image of the animal in action, with data files giving a visual guide to its size, distribution, diet, and habitat, as well as a rating of its “scare factor.”

Each profile features bite-size text that will appeal to all readers. Discover key facts about how the animal lives (is it solitary or a pack animal?), intriguing anatomy (the platypus is famously one of the few venomous mammals, but did you know that the venom comes from the hind leg on the males only?), and of course, their method of attack (such as chasing prey to exhaustion, launching an ambush, or paralyzing with poison).

My Thoughts

With two boys at home who love animals and all things scary, this book was bound to be a huge hit. We watch so many documentaries around the scariest, most dangerous animals that they couldn’t wait to read more about these terrifying creatures. What I wasn’t expecting was just how much we would learn.

The book is hardcover and just slightly smaller then letter sized per a page. The contents of the book are broken down into the following categories: muscles/jaws/claws, venomous bites, stings/poisons, trapped, deceivers/tricksters, deadly numbers, skills/tactics/cunning and disease/destruction. You can jump to a specific animal or section or read the book from start to finish, the choice is really yours. You can start one section, come back the next night – it would make a great nightly read just before bed time as well. The book also contains a danger factor scale rating from one to five for each animal.

There are few animals that you expect to find on the list (great white shark, tiger, wolverine, black mamba) but there are a few that surprised me like the leopard seal and humpback whale. Our youngest immediately jumped to the black mamba but then we began to explore the rest of the animals that we were not familiar with. We learned a lot about new animals, like the Sydney funnel web spider, hooded pitohui, antlion larva and the flower crab spider just to name a few! I loved the name of the flower crab spider, it sounded so pretty!

Each animal has at a minimum one page dedicated to them where we learn about their size, range, diet and a history on them. Some pages even include special facts about the animal, for example, I learned that the newt lifts its head, legs and tail to flash a yellow underside when it feels threatened. The pictures are bold and full of colour, capturing and demanding attention.

This is an excellent book for young children who will love spending their time learning about deadly creatures that roam our planet. They will learn about the familiar animals to them and so much more. It is the perfect gift for the child who loves animals, adventure and the exploring the world around them.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Chapters.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 27, 2019

DK Eyewitness Books: Bible Lands

Take a journey through the Holy Land – learning its history, geography and people.

About Bible Lands

From the early ancestors of the middle stone ages to the Greeks and Romans in 40 BCE, countless civilizations and people have lived in the eastern Mediterranean area known as the Bible Lands. Discover the story of the Holy Lands and the people who lived there before the time of Christ in DK Eyewitness Books: Bible Lands.

Learn what kind of jewelry and pottery the Canaanites traded with Egypt and see armor from ancient Assyria. Explore the different gods and goddesses each civilization worshiped, how the people of the Bible Lands defended their cities, and more.

My Thoughts

I am a huge history buff – I can spend hours reading books, watching documentaries and in museums. I love learning about the past, the culture, the beliefs and the people themselves. I could not wait to learn more about the Holy Land which is a land rich in history and mystery for me.

This beautiful hard cover book is a history lover’s dream with page after page of bold images and insights into the Holy Land. We learn about the people that lived during this time period and what they wore, what they ate, what they created and so much more. It contains a fantastic blend of photos, information and points of interest.

The book starts off describing the lands of the Bible, with a large two page map that really helps give a better understanding of the lands, rivers and areas they will be discussing in relation to each other. We then immediately jump into early ancestors and the patriarchs, learning about the times they lived in, the items they used and some of their cultural beliefs. We then jump into Middle Bronze Age in Egypt and the Philistines and Canaanites. We are re-exposed to stories we may be familiar with (the parting of the Red Sea in the Hebrew Exodus) and learn new facts and aspects of daily life. I loved learning about the artifacts from pots to dippers to jewellery to plaques, the book covered a lot of different angles of every day life. As we continue on in the book we dive into the Israelites, the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persons, Greeks, Romans and King Herod! While some were familiar to me, learning about the Assyrians was new and I enjoyed learning about that kingdom and their culture.

This is a great book for children, young adults and parents to read with their children as they learn more about the civilizations that lived during these time periods in the Holy Land. While we learn so much at a young age, we never learn enough about the culture and the day to day lives of these people, so learning about what they ate, what they wore, who they worshipped is an important part of our faith and understanding. A great read from start to finish!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

Rating: 5/5

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 19, 2019

Sesame Street: Celebrate Family DVD Giveaway

February is the month of love and what betters represents love than a family? Unconditional love, kindness, caring and respect, everything you can find in a family and more. Sesame Street: Celebrate Family will be on DVD February 5th for all families to enjoy.

About Sesame Street: Celebrate Family

Sesame Street: Celebrate Family includes five stories for curious preschoolers and their families. First, Abby’s family has dinner at Elmo’s house, where she learns that even though families do things in all different ways, they can still have fun working together to make a meal. Then, Cookie Monster realizes he’s forgotten to get a gift for his mommy for Mother’s Day—what should he do? For Father’s Day, Rosita wants to make a video for her dad, but she needs some help from her friends. Next, we meet Rudy, Abby’s new step-brother! Finally, Hooper’s Store is throwing a special party for kids and their grandparents.

Bonus Features:

Full length episode: Siblings
Elmo’s World Families
Sesame Studios: Marvie’s Song for Dad

Our Thoughts

Family is the most important thing in life. It is important for children to learn how families can be the same and different. Every family can have a different make up, different traditions and all should be celebrated and embraced. Children can learn about family, sharing, having fun and celebrate everything that makes a family special. This is a beautiful, fun and special collection of shows that the whole family will love.

Download fun Sesame Street Celebrate Family printables here.

This DVD has a running time of roughly two hours.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Official Trailer

Disclosure: I received the DVD above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 15, 2019

Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully

Begin to discuss the important topic of bullying with your child using Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and friends.

About Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully

Anna Pierri’s Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully is a strong introduction to the concept of bullying through easy-to-read rhymes and vibrant cartoon-style illustrations. In this first book of the series, the reader is introduced to the hero, Buster – a young mouse who’s large for his age and has “a heart that’s as big as a huge Redwood tree.” When trouble (a.k.a. old Rocky Ratnik) comes knocking for his trusty sidekick, Just Billy, Buster learns that dealing with a bully by acting like a bully is not the answer.

My Thoughts

“Because you are bigger and have strength and have might, you should use it for good – not to bully and fight” – Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown

That quote sums up this story for me perfectly. It is a fantastic, rhyming story for young children that addresses size, bullying, standing up for yourself but also using our size for good not just to intimidate. Your child will love the rhymes and bright, bold illustrations and you as the parent will love the lessons that they are learning.

We hear a lot about bullying and fighting in schools (and in general) and I know most schools put a lot of effort in to anti-bullying but sometimes the messages just don’t seem to go through. Some kids use their size to intimidate others or force them to do something they want them to do. While others may use their size to try to stand up for the weak but this can be just as wrong. Children have to learn to find that balance but also be confident in themselves to stand up and use their voices for change.

This book follows Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown (we had so much fun with his name!), who is a mouse that is large for his size and has four sisters. He has a good and kind heart and wants to protect those around him, something to be admired! He meets Just Billy (his new best friend), who is quite small for his age, intelligent but worried he is not as strong and who tends to get picked on by the larger students. Together they make a plan to stop Just Billy from being picked on but it doesn’t quite work out as planned as Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown appears to be the bully to the school teacher after pushing the real bully to the ground (and very kindly apologizes for wanting to hit the bully, which so many children can relate to!).

This is a wonderful book for you and your child to read together and begin the process of talking about bullying, peer pressure and how to stand up for ourselves. It gives them tools but also allows you to talk to them about what is going on in their own lives and help guide them in their own reactions. This will be a great resource and starting point for parents and children.

You can purchase a copy of this book here.

About the Author

ANNA PIERRI calls Caledon, Ontario, home, where the local wildlife, and especially the mice, give her daily inspiration for her writing. An avid storyteller from a young age, Pierri realized her dream of becoming an author with the Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown series. She is also the founder of Ruby Two Shoes Publishing Inc.

About the Illustrator

STEVE SLAWICH’s vibrant and animation-style artwork in the Buster series draws from his years of cartooning experience and working with licensed children’s products for companies like Nelvana and Disney Studios, where he had a six-year, full-time stint drawing another famous mouse. Slawich currently lives with his wife and son in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.