Book Review Friday: God Gave Us Love and Ballet Stars

God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren, with pictures by Laura J. Bryant (WaterBrook Press) is a solid pick in children's literature.  The artwork is outstanding and captivating for little ones.  The story focuses around a fishing trip taken by Little Cub and his Grampa.  Little Cub finds himself annoyed by the playful otters who scare away the good fish.  Grampa uses this experience as a jumping off point for teaching Little Cub about how God wants us to show love even to those who do things that annoy us.  Grampa explains the difference between the kinds of love that moms and dads have for each other and other kinds of love too.  Most of all, he explains that love is a gift of God.  The story uses simple, easy-to-understand words to explain love.  However, I found the pictures to be a bit more concrete than the story itself.  Although the story is told in dialogue, I found myself wanting there to be a little more action in the story (not just in the pictures).  I think that more action-oriented stories tend to draw the attention of little ones a little better.

For some reason, I've found it hard to find good Christian picture books.  This one is a solid pick, with excellent illustrations.  I liked the sturdy board book format as well.  Recommended.  3 stars out of 5.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group .  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Ballet Stars (Step into Reading) by Joan Holub, with illustrations by Shelagh McNicholas (Random House Books for Young Readers) is sure to be a hit with the 3-6 age range of little girls.  The book releases in June of this year, but I had a chance to preview it as a book blogger.  I was delighted with the beautiful pictures of a typical ballet class (something every girl I know in this age range is dying to get into, including my daughter).  The text utilizes rhyming beautifully and even adds some unexpectedly creative lines ("Twirl like snowflakes.  Sway like trees") to describe the movements of ballet.  This one is a definite winner that your little girl will enjoy again and again.  Great for early readers as well.  Highly recommended.  4 stars out of 5.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Random House Books for Young Readers.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”