Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The Easter Storybook from David C Cook Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

My family had the privilege of reading The Easter Storybook from David C Cook for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

David C Cook is a ministry that publishes and distributes discipleship and worship materials for local churches to help bring the word of Christ around the world, globally. These products include: music, books, curriculum, Bible studies, and resources for adults and children alike. Proceeds from purchases also help with their global outreach efforts.

The Easter Storybook contents.

The Easter Storybook is one of David C Cook's books for children. This book is written by Laura Richie and illustrated by Ian Dale. It contains 40 full-color, beautifully illustrated stories that are about how Jesus' life, starting from His time as a boy in the Temple to His resurrection. Each story includes a Bible passage and a conversational question to engage the readers and get them thinking and discussing as a family about the true meaning of the Easter season. This is recommended for children ages 4-8.

Zari reading The Easter Storybook.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

My daughter Zari and I read this book together. She is 9 years old.

We love the full-color illustrations. They are wonderfully done and the people in the illustrations have a more authentic Middle Eastern feel to them, which I like. I also like all the detail in them.

Each story has the same layout. The length of each story is about a page which is perfect and not too long. The chapter(s) that the story comes from in the bible is listed at the top under the story title. It has a bible verse from the English Standard Version (ESV) at the top of each story that goes with the story. At the bottom of each story there are open ended questions to ask and answer. The opposite page of every story has a whole page illustration.

Format of the stories.

If you follow the 40 days of Lent these stories would be good for that because this book has 40 stories and they are each labeled Day 1 - Day 40. You can read one each day of the Lenten Calendar, although this would also be fine to read at other times in the Easter season as well. 

The stories generally go along with the bible and what it teaches. It does take on some liberties though. There is a recurring theme in the stories that basically says that after the garden of Eden people could not love and that people were broken until Jesus came. To quote one of the instances in the book (page 12), "John told everyone that people are broken and can't love, but the Messiah was coming to help people love." I am not sure what to think of this statement. If they had left this out I think that it would have made the book better and that it would then follow the bibles teachings more. Because of this I feel that this is more of the authors interpretation more than what is actually written in the bible.

I am going to just leave my review there and you can make the decision yourself from it whether or not this storybook might be for you and your kids. Take it or leave it, I guess it is up to you.

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Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for The Easter Storybook by David C Cook...
The Easter Storybook {David C Cook Reviews}

Monday, March 23, 2015

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season Book Review and Giveaway

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season Book

I received this book free from FlyBy Promotions to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season from Plough Publishing is an anthology of short stories for the Easter season. This softcover book is filled with 27 classic tales that are from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, Anton Chekhov, and Walter Wangerin and others. The pages throughout the book are illustrated with original woodcuts.


Easter Stories Woodcut Illustrations

This book is perfect for Lent where we reflect upon Christ. These fables, tales, and stories capture the true meaning of Easter. They have great moral quality and spiritual value. 

These stories are easily read because they are not too long. They can be read individually or altogether. My older kids enjoyed reading them. I thought most of the stories were a bit deep for my younger kids. My favorite stories were The White Lily and Robin Redbreast.

I love this wonderful collection. The book has great lessons that are told. This is a fabulous treasure to have in the home to read during Easter.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to FlyBy Promotions for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this blog app and giveaway. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter by Emily Belle Freeman Book Review

I received this book free from Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You might have heard already how some of the traditions of Easter tie into Christ. The egg can be likened to the resurrection tomb, Jesus' death can be likened to the sacrificial lamb of the Passover as Jesus is often called the "Lamb of God", Lilies were growing in the where Jesus went to pray His final days in the Garden of Gethsemane, bunnies are a symbol of renewal and new birth, and the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus. These are some of the main Christian symbols of Easter and their meanings.

Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter: Seven Traditions to Lead Us Closer to Jesus Christ by Emily Belle Freeman is a great book for the Easter holiday! As a follow-up book to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas and The Peter Potential, it helps us remember that Jesus Christ should be the center of the Easter Holiday. The author, Emily Belle Freeman, shares her insights by retelling the stories of the followers of Christ during the time surrounding His crucifixion and resurrection. Each chapter has a brief first-person narrative from the perspectives of Jesus, Mary, Lazarus, Simon, Mary Magdalene, and others. Also there are wonderful traditions to symbolize each of these stories. You will discover the meaning behind the wheat baskets, the forget knot, the red egg, and other traditions to add to your festivities. At the end of this short, but sweet, book you feel as if you know each one of these important people even more deeply and you also come away with seven Christ-Centered Easter traditions that you can apply to your own Easter celebration.

With only 96 pages this small book is a treasure to be had. The author has a gift of storytelling that brings the thoughts, emotions, and character into seven disciples in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. These people have life breathed into them by the author. A scripture is placed at the beginning of each chapter with a black and white line art illustration of the tradition to go with each beautifully woven true story. At the end of each is a tradition with a hymn to play or sing, the scripture passage to read with questions to ponder, the description of the tradition to try, and words that sum up the lesson. These stories and traditions exemplify Easter and all that is so holy about it. The symbols are enriching and help us bring back the true meaning of Easter and make it a "High Holy Day" of celebration in each of our hearts and homes.




About the Author:
Emily Belle Freeman is a coach's wife, a mother of four, an author, and a sought-after inspirational speaker. She coauthors a popular blog putting religious teaching into practice: www.multiplygoodness.com.


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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.