Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle

5/5

When you have an 18 month old you are always on the look out for good board books.  You just never know what is going to hold a toddler's attention for more than a few seconds.  Some books will only make it two sentences before they are thrown back onto the shelf, never to be read again.  But occasionally, when the story, pictures and words are just right, a book will make it all the way to the end, only to be re-read again!  Such was the case with Little Blue Truck.  This gem is written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry.  It was given to us as a gift from a relative and is currently the first choice every time we read.  We have read it over 10 times today...he obviously loves it!

Little Blue Truck is a sweet story about a cheerful truck who helps a preoccupied dump truck learn the value of making friends.  It is the perfect length, long enough to be interesting but short enough to hold even the smallest of attention spans.  The words are wonderfully lyrical, evoking a song-like quality.  The reader gets to mimic animal sounds and truck sounds, rhyme along (my son can already say some of the words at the right time in the story), and learn a valuable moral lesson.

The illustrations are also lovely and we are still finding new things to look at on each page.  My son is captivated by the little truck, shouting out "beep" every time we turn the page.  And as soon as it is over, he asks me to "peese" read it again.  Of all the books we own, this is my favorite.  It does not sing songs, make noise, flash lights, pop-up pictures, have touch and feel pages, or fluorescent coloring.  It is just a special story.  That is what makes it perfect.

my first Hands On Bible - Tyndale Kids

4.5/5

My first Hands-On Bible was produced by Tyndale Kids with the hope that preschoolers can "experience the fun!" and "live the truth!" of the Bible.  I have to say that I am very impressed.  I currently have a 1 1/2 year old little boy who loves to read books and flip pages. Although he is too young to sit still and read through the bible stories with any consistency, he is captivated by the pictures and activities that are included in this Bible. 

What truly makes this product unique is that it is the only preschool Bible with actual text from the Bible.  It features the New Living Translation. I have always had issues with preschool Bibles because they tell stories about scripture but do not include any Scripture text!  This Bible not only has NLT passages that are age appropriate, but it indexes them with both the biblical chapters and verses.

My first Hands-On Bible also includes many activities, prayers and picture lessons to engage your child in learning while they are reading.  An example is the story of Jesus as a Boy in the Temple, taken from Luke 2:41-52.  The scripture in this Bible is interspersed with colorful hand-prints that lead to an activity you can do with your child.  The story includes activities such as dancing at the festival, hiding a toy and playing hide and seek (to mimic Mary and Joesph searching for Jesus when he disappeared), and making worried faces.  All biblical passages conclude with what they call "The Jesus Connection" and offer suggestions for further learning, such as going on a church walk, building a special fort, or saying personal prayers.

This is a wonderful Bible that I look forward to sharing with our family.  The hard back cover and thick glossy pages make it very sturdy and easy to handle.  If I have any complaints about My first Hands-On-Bible, it would be that some of the things included might go over the heads of preschool aged children and might be more appropriate for ages K-3.  However, I appreciate that they did not make the Bible too simplistic and take away from the truth of the stories and the power of reading actual scripture to your children.  I believe that My first Hands-On Bible would be a wonderful addition to any family's prayer and devotional time.

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.