A DOZEN GREAT PICTURE BOOKS 25% OFF — AND A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL (this week only)

With no extra cost we can get books to nearly anywhere in the US in a few days,  by Christmas if you order now.

These are all at a great discount. 25% off  THIS WEEK ONLY.

Sale expires December 24, 2016.

While supplies last.  The family prayer book Teach Us to Pray is excluded from this offer.  Sorry, no discount on that one.

After December 24, 2016 all items mentioned are 10% off. 

Keep in mind that we’ve got the 12 days of Christmas coming up, and some folks give gifts then, especially on Epiphany. If the Wise men gave gifts that day, well it makes sense, eh?

Some nice picture books that would make sweet presents to little ones you love.

Why Am I Here.jpgWhy Am I Here? Constance Orbeck-Nilssen, illustrated by Akin Duzakin (Eerdmans) $16.00 Eerdmans is one of the world’s premier theological publishers and a personal favorite. There children’s publishing plan is interesting: they acquire the rights to particularly provocative, always artsy, sometimes award-winning books from Europe (and other places overseas) and re-do them into English. Why Am I Here?, for instance, was an important WHY AM I HERE page spread.jpgchildren’s book in Scandinavia and although it doesn’t seem particularly religious — and the artwork is edgy and modern — it is asking a huge question: why me, why here? Even young children can imagine that they might have been born elsewhere and this playfully gets at this profound curiosity. “What if I lived somewhere completely different — in a city with millions of people, perhaps, or a country where the fighting never ended?”  There are some unpleasant questions but the child’s wonderings end nicely, that he is loved wherever he is, and, for now, he is at home.  Very thoughtful.  One reviewer explained how the book can teach empathy.

You Belong Here M.H. jpgYou Belong Here M.H. Clark, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Compendium) $18.95  I like this for a number of reasons. The handwritten text and the very lovely, if slightly modern, drawings work together to create a poetic and serene story about various creatures and where they belong — whales in the ocean, bears in their caves. And the theme is that “you” — the child to whom it is being read — “belong here.” It is about acceptance and love and being in the place one belongs.


Oh my, you could give this to your grown kids, too, for that matter…Sweet.you_belong_here page spread.jpg
















Refuge- The Timeless Story of Christmas Anne Booth .jpgRefuge: The Timeless Story of Christmas Anne Booth & Sam Usher (Little Brown) $15.99  I am so glad we found this simple, small book as in its nearly understated telling of the nativity it highlights the part about Mary and Joseph needing to run for their lives as they became refugees in Egypt. It isn’t too intensely told but it is a key part of the Biblical story.


The pen and ink washes include a little pastel giving this a quietly moving look. Refuge supports refugees with the publisher donating money from each copy to UNCHR: The UN Refugee Agency.  Very nicely done.


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Christmas Love Letters from God – Bible Stories Glenys Nellist, illustrated by Rachel Clowes (ZonderKidz) $16.99  Perhaps you will recall our celebrating the fantastic big book Love Letters from God which not only has whimsical and expert drawings and great art, but a little tipped in envelope that can be opened, with a little letter, from God, to the child.  What a great idea this was, a great children’s picture Bible, made personal with this feature, something even better than the popular lift-the-flap trick.

christmas love letters page.jpgThis one is a holiday version of the earlier one. Children can open and read their own personal Christmas letters from God as they experience seven stories surrounding the birth of Christ. At the end of each engaging story, children will find their own letter from God written especially for them, in the same nifty little envelope that opens up. Brightly done, great Bible teaching, heartwarming. I love this, and your kids will do.


The Plan- How God got the World Ready for Jesus.jpgThe Plan: How God got the World Ready for Jesus Sinclair Ferguson illustrated by Angelo Ruta (Christian Focus) $9.99 I loved how this started, saying that to be ready for something, one has to have a plan. True. And that for this great plan of God to redeem the world, God had to get several people in the right place at the right time. This text heavy story shows that Caesar had that census, the shepherds guarded their flocks, the wise men rode camels through the desert as they followed the star. Those who trust the Reformed accents of this good Scottish Presbyterian preacher will be glad for this book. The pictures are colorful if not spectacular.  The story ends with modern day people — some oddly at the beach, some at a picnic in the woods — hearing this Christmas story with an invitation for children to receive Christ as savior and be assured of His love and their part in his plan. 

The Lord's Prayer- Words of Hope and Happiness Rick Warren.pngThe Lord’s Prayer: Words of Hope and Happiness Rick Warren, illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson (ZonderKidz) $16.99 This is a beautiful, beautiful book with fairly traditional, lush children’s illustrations by a renowned artist. It goes through the lines of the Lord’s Prayer with each phrase nicely printed over a picture and then a simple explanation along the side in a handsome graphic. This is really nice.  Here’s one heads-up: the book was released previously, went out of print, and has been re-issued with a brand new cover. The artwork on the cover is fabulous, I think, just great, although the art on the inside is more vivid than the classy cover indicates.

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This is a great book — highly recommended.













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The Priest with Dirty Clothes R.C. Sproul, illustrated by Justin Gerard (Reformation Trust) $18.00  This, too, is a wonderful reissue of an older book, now made expertly with sturdy end papers and wonderful artwork.  The style seems a bit like contemporary children’s movies, which I mean as a compliment — very well done. The story is fascinating, a rather obscure Biblical episode about Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3:1-5. What does it mean that our Great Prince can offer “new clothes for the heart” if we trust Him? Believe it or not, this is a kids book about the theological doctrine of imputation (that some say is at the heart of the biblical doctrine of justification.) What an imaginative way to get at this inner transformation — “the great exchange” — where we are given newness as a gift. 

Books Do Not Have Wings Brynne Barnes.jpgBooks Do Not Have Wings Brynne Barnes illustrated by Rogerio Coelho (Sleeping Bear Press) $16.99  Those who know quality and often playful children’s picture books esteem Sleeping Bear and this book will certain underscore their reputation — it is so imaginative and playful and fascinating. It includes intricate watercolor illustrations of wild boats and machines and phenomenal stuff — saying that a book (only if it is read) can be nearly anything, taking you (as the old Reading Rainbow song put it) “anywhere.” What an outrageous way to remind young readers of the power of the imaginations, guided by the printed page.

Kwame Alexander, 2015 Newbery Medal Award Winner says of it, “This is not just a book. It’s a loony look. A clever, rhythmic, rhyming, rollicking, magical celebration of whimsy and words that soar off the page. But, if this were a book — with incredibly inspiring illustrations — it would surely hook young readers.”  

Radical Book for Kids- Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith Champ Thornton.jpgThe Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith Champ Thornton (New Growth Press) $24.99  This is a truly extraordinary book, unlike anything we’ve seen come out this year.  The hardback cloth cover has ink over it in a texture like an old school silk screen, giving it a very retro/hipster feel. Edgy cool parents will dig the graphic appeal of the cover, even the inside cover pages has artful lines giving it a very hip design feel.

The inside itself is less edgy, but it is utterly colorful, lots of graphics and full color pictures and drawings and random fonts. It’s a visual spectacle but not so much that it becomes a distraction.

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And that’s a good thing because there is more Christian — even theological  — content in here then almost any kids book I know. There’s a lot of random facts and historical stuff, but the theological stuff is classic and solid.

Here’s what it says on the back:

The Radical Book for Kids is a fun-filled explorer’s guide to the Bible, church history, and life for children 8 and up. Vibrantly illustrated and chock-full of fun facts and ideas, this engaging and interactive book communicates big truths about life while stimulating children’s natural curiosity and sense of adventure. 

Blurbs on the back are from respected conservative theologians like Michael Horton, Timothy Paul Jones, and the brilliant John Frame.

Their Great Gift- Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land John Coy,.jpgTheir Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land John Coy, photographs by Wing Young Huie (CarolRhoda Books) $19.99  CarolRhoda is known for respected nonfiction books for young readers and this is a stunning collection of photographs and stories — arrival stories, at first. With nearly lyrical text and the thought-provoking photos, this is a book about the experiences of immigrants in the twenty-first century. It focuses on the lives of children, children who have come to America from many different parts of the world and from very different circumstances. This is a beautiful reminder of the goodness of our land of freedom and diversity.  The photojournalism is superb and valuable for anyone although the text is sparse, for younger children, I suppose. There is a great piece in the back about how the two men became friends (twenty-five years ago!) when they met on the basketball court. Nicely done.

Parachute Danny Parker.jpgParachute Danny Parker, illustrated by Matt Ottley (Eerdmans) $16.00  Originally published in Australia, kudos to Eerdmans for picking up this quirky, clever book.  It is going to be beloved for some kids who just might relate.  In this simple story, the boy has a parachute which he carries as what we sometimes call a “security blanket” (although it is not named as such.) The scene of him needing it when he crawls out of his bunk bed each morning is wild — you’d think his bed was a tower twenty stories high. And so on. Place by place he needs this parachute to keep him safe. (You never know when your going to need one, after all.) The pictures — it took me a minute to figure this out — are from his point of view, with “Jack and the Beanstalk” sort of heights, swinging bridges and parachute page spread.jpgladders and ropes. Eventually (I won’t spoil it too much for you) he uses the thing and it works. Slowly he realizes that maybe he doesn’t need it all the time.  Know any kid with a banky that they just won’t give up? Kids with excessive fears? Who knows, maybe this wild and fun tale that takes that seriously just might help.


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Teach Us To Pray- Scripture-Centered Family Worship .pngTeach Us To Pray: Scripture-Centered Family Worship Through the Year Lora Copley & Elizabeth Vander Haagen (Calvin Institute on Christian Worship/Calvin College Press) $29.99 This new book is a very handsome but very big paperback — it’s 9 x 8 inches and almost 2 inches thick!  It hefty because it is arranged with a two page facing spread for each day of the year. It guides families through family devotions in a richly liturgical and ecumenical way that I don’t think I’ve ever seen done so well. It is geared to the church year, starting, of course, in Advent. There are some hymns and songs in the back.

Each day starts with “Preparing” — there is something to do or say, and for a few of these you may need to lose some inhibitions.  Then there other one-word “headlines” with a sentence or two describing what to do. The headlined portions of each day’s devotion follows the same daily pattern; after preparing there is inviting, stilling, singing, Bible reading, dwelling, praying, and blessing.  There is a nifty icon/logo symbol for each one along the margin.  There are good ideas but it isn’t too extravagant. It is child-friendly but not silly. The authors are both ordained CRC pastors and active mothers. (Lora Copley works on the Navajo Nation in NM and Elizabeth Vander Haagen is in Grand Rapid, MI.)

Listen to what Peter Choi of City Church in San Francisco, says:

Teach Us to Pray reminds us that prayer involves both discipline and delight. Copley and Vander Haagen have poured their hard-earned wisdom as pastors and parents into these pages, inviting us to pray as a way of re-narrating our lives into the story of Scripture, as modeled in the Christian calendar. They have found a way to do so with grace, simplicity, attention to a wide range of human emotions, and passages from every book of the Bible. To use this resource is to be led by wise pastoral guides into daily, active devotion as well as unexpected moments of sweetness in friendship with God. My family and I will be reaching for this cherished book every day for many years to come. 

BookNotes

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SALE EXPIRES DECEMBER 24, 2016

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