The Hand of God by Alistair Begg*

 Finding His Care in All Circumstances

My friend let me borrow this book. When I found that I was itching to underline some sentences, I knew I should purchase my own copy. It is one that I would reread if I would be studying the life of Joseph in a Bible study or at church.

Mr. Begg follows the life of Joseph and his responses to his circumstances to encourage us to trust in the Sovereign God. He offers analogies and examples to which readers can relate.

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan*

 After a family member was in a serious accident, a friend from church dropped off this book for us to read. The truths in this book greatly encouraged us and aligned our perspective to God's Word. Mr. Morgan focuses on  Exodus 14 & 15 to point out how we can trust God and how we can glorify Him in our current crisis. He combines scripture and stories from other Christians in crisis to create his entries. 

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

Pauline Baynes text set

 I had never heard of illustrator Pauline Baynes until Waxwing Books announced its latest publication, Painting Wonder, How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien. Upon looking at our set of Narnia books, I discovered that we owned books illustrated by her. I am glad Ms. Katie Wray Schon choose to investigate this illustrator's life and celebrate her contributions to the literature and art world. Of course I wanted to read more books Ms. Baynes illustrated and borrowed all that our library system owned. I think I like the illustrations Ms. Baynes created in the Narnia series and for J.R.R. Tolkien best. The illustrations in the picture books were not in a style that I found appealing.

Below are the three I read (plus Ms. Schon's biography)-

1. Painting Wonder by Katie Wray Schon-available April 1, 2025 (I preordered so my copy was shipped a few days early!) Whimsical illustrations with unusual and clever layouts *Highly recommend.

2. The Coat of Many Colors by Jenny Koralek illustrated by Pauline Baynes

A retelling of Joseph-some events told in the Bible are not mentioned  Borrowed from the library.

3. The Cobweb Curtain A Christmas Story by Jenny Koralek illustrated by Pauline Baynes -Based on a legend by William Barclay--When sharing with your child, make sure they understand it is a legend. Not much of this account is found in the Bible. It may be confusing for young children to discern what is true and what is not when hearing this legend. Borrowed from the library.

4. The Smith of Wootton Major by J.R.R. Tolkien (illustrated by Pauline Baynes; a short story)

An immersive short story (sixty-one pages) about a boy who swallows a star from Faery and how it affected his life. *Highly recommend. Borrowed from the library.

Long Ago, on a Silent Night by Julie Berry illustrated by Annie Won

 A mother shares the story of the miracle of her son's birth along with the story of Christ's birth.  Although I love how the story celebrates human life and retells Christ's birth, I did not enjoy the dual storylines.For younger readers/listeners, it may be challenging to keep the two stories separate. Ms. Berry does change the font to make each story distinct. The illustrations also have the three wisemen coming to visit the modern baby boy . . .humorous yet not at the same time. On the other hand,  I love that a book recently published celebrates the miracle of human life and what a joy it is to have children! Of course, having Christ's birth retold is wonderful too.

The illustrations are luscious and bold. 

-Borrowed from the library.

Near -Psalm 139 by Sally Lloyd-Jones illustrated by Jago*

 Ms. Lloyd-Jones has created a board book that reveals to our youngest readers how God's presence and love knows no boundaries.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Warrior by Francine Rivers*

 Sons of Encouragement #2

Through Caleb's narrative, readers experience the exodus from Egypt, the journey to the Promised Land, the forty years of wandering, the Battle of Jericho and the battles for the land allotted to them. This book reinforced the importance of obeying the Lord with my whole-heart and caused me to ask myself numerous times, "Do I fear Him or do I fear man?". 

I wish I had remembered this series earlier this year so I could have read aloud one to my sons. A few times sexual encounters were mentioned (nothing explicit) so I would not feel comfortable handing it to them to read independently.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from my church's library.

Go and Do Likewise-The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus by John Hendrix

 Through unique lettering and artwork, Mr. Hendrix shares a variety of Christ's parables.  He clearly states in his author's note that this book is "neither exegetical nor hermeneutical".  It is a retelling for children.

-I own this book.

Curious Kid's Guide to . . .

My sister-in-law, who has a curious preschooler,  told me about The World Jesus Knew.  I then saw the same author-illustrator team had recently published The World of the Old Testament.  
These books are full of interesting facts and will bring the Bible and its setting and culture to life.
In The World of the Old Testament I found a couple of points with which I disagreed.  The author states that mankind has lived for more than 10,000 years.  He also categories the first few chapters of Genesis as myths (or that they contain mythical elements).
Fascinating facts, but be aware of maybe differing views/beliefs.
*I just viewed on Amazon that on July 7, 2020 this team will have a new book out-The World of the First Christians! Definitely one I will be trying to find!
-Borrowed from the library (*The World of the Old Testament I borrowed via Inter-Lib. Loan.)

Meet Me at the Well by Jane Yolen and Barbara Diamond Goldin illustrated by Vali Mintzi

Ms. Yolen and Ms. Goldin both have a Jewish heritage.  They focus on amazing women in the Old Testament and tell their stories.  Each featured woman's story is shared plus extra information  from rabbis and historical accounts.  After the Bible narrative, the authors' imagine how the woman may have felt and offer her point of view in a brief first person narrative.  A poem about each woman is also included.
Women featured: Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel/Leah, Miriam (& Jocheved and Zipporah), Deborah/Jael, Hannah, Naomi/Ruth and Esther.
-Borrowed from the library.

Noah's Ark adapted by Linda Falken

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
From Genesis, Chapters 6-9
Words are from the King James Version of the Bible
Beautiful art by various famous artists enhance the words.
-Borrowed from the library.

Victory on the Walls A Story of Nehemiah by Frieda Clark Hyman

My eleven year old read this to himself to build schema before we study this part of history.
Bani, Nehemiah's nephew, relates the story of Nehemiah and how the people of Judah rebuild Jerusalem's walls.  The narrative takes children to this time in history and brings it alive.
Strategies: character traits, character change/development
We own this book.

The Longest Night A Passover Story by Laurel Snyder illustrated by Catia Chien*

My eight year old read this story to himself during reading to support our study of the Exodus. 

Told from the perspective of a slave girl in Egypt, she laments the difficult labor they must endure and also narrates the occurrences of the ten plagues, their escape and crossing the Red Sea.  The rhyming text in couplet form make this book appealing to young readers.
Wonderful vocabulary for young readers too (trudged, unraveled, nudged, cistern, matted, whirring, scrambling, throng, hurtled).
The author is Jewish.
Strategies: figurative language/inferring 

*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

The Story of Passover by David A. Adler illustrated by Jill Weber

With colorful, whimsical illustrations, children will enjoy this version of the Exodus account.  A page at the end shares how modern day Jews celebrate Passover.
A wonderful retelling!
My eight year old read this book to himself to support our study of the Exodus. 
-Borrowed from the library.

The Passover Journey A Seder Companion by Barbara Diamond Goldin illustrated by Neil Waldman**

I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book.  Ms. Goldin retells the account of the Israelites leaving Egypt and then in the second section also explains how modern day Jews celebrate the Passover.
I learned a lot and am eager for my ten year old to read it to himself to reinforce our study of the Exodus.
Both the author and illustrator have a Jewish heritage so their depictions are reliable.
**Highly, highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

Exodus by Brian Wildsmith

With his distinct art, Mr. Wildsmith recounts the Exodus story, beginning with the Hebrews as slaves in Egypt and continuing until the Israelites reach Canaan. 
My eight year old read this during reading to support our study of Moses this week.
I like how the end pages display the 10 Commandments.
-Borrowed from the library.

The Flood of Noah by Bodie Hodge and Laura Welch illustrated by Bill Looney*

An interactive book (lift the flap, spinning wheels, pulling tabs, mini books etc.) reveal that many nations have flood legends on every continent except Antarctica.
Teaching idea: We read this as part of our homeschool curriculum.  Each day the boys picked a legend which I read.  Then they checked off the elements the legend shares with the Genesis flood on a chart I had created.  The completed chart reinforces how the whole world flood legend is part of many cultures.
*Highly recommend.
-We own this book (bought it at the Creation museum).

The True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley illustrated by Bill Looney*

A beautifully illustrated picture book that accurately depicts the ark (which is not a boat but translated from Hebrew it means box!).
My seven year old and I took turns reading aloud this book together for our history curriculum.  Although this book is a picture book with lavish illustrations, the vocabulary and sentence structure is sophisticated.
I liked how a chart adds up the days Noah and his family were inside the ark.  Also, a fold out panorama that expands to over three feet offer an breathtaking view of the inside of the ark.
A CD is included (but we have not listen to it yet).
*Highly recommend.
-We own this book (bought it at the Ark Encounter in KY).

Miracle Man The Story of Jesus by John Hendrix**

**Highly, highly recommend.
Through rich, insightful illustrations and powerful stories of Jesus, Mr. Hendrix shares his love for the Savior and how His miracle of eternal life continues.
The illustrations contain symbolism so be careful to examine.  My third grader noticed aspects to the illustrations that I missed as I focused on reading aloud the text.  This is a book to be relished, reread and shared many times.
The author's note is a must read too.
A Master Piece!
We own this book.

In the Garden by Caralyn Buehner illustrated by Brandon Dorman*

Mrs. Buehner begins the account of the first Easter with Jesus having the Passover meal with his disciples.  She focuses on the agony He experiences in the garden before His death.  Throughout the book she quotes scriptures from the Gospels to help share the story.
Update 2024-Someone who uses my blog to guide her read aloud selections to her grandchildren pointed out to me that this book is published by the Mormons. It does not share how Christ rose from the grave and is in heaven with God the Father. A Christian can still read this book to their children and impart truths about Christ, His life, and the forgiveness of sins.
*Highly recommend.
*Borrowed from the library.

On That Easter Morning by Mary Joslin illustrated by Helen Cann

Beginning on Palm Sunday, the author recounts Jesus' last week before His death, His death and resurrection.
Lovely illustrations.
*Borrowed from the library.