A Treasury of Modern Mother Goose Rhymes

A Treasury of Modern Mother Goose Rhymes
by Lillian Rose Jensen

Written by a visually impaired mother and grandmother, presumably of Native American descent as deduced by the back cover description of her home on a reservation in Wisconsin.  Whether this is supposed to make the reader like the book more, I am unsure.  My props to anyone who writes and has a book published, as it is an accomplishment. I am, however, not so sure this one should have been published for mass readers...

Overall, not impressed with this book.  The only color in the book is on the cover.  For that matter, the only illustrations in the entire book are on the cover.  Not a book that is engaging for children in the least, the only draw to the book is the words, which offers a very small draw if any. 

The "modern" nursery rhymes seem to focus on flying around the moon in a space ship or some version of that, mixed in with Mother Goose and many other made up characters.  Each page is its own "nursery rhyme", and some only 2 verses long, leaving a very white and empty page behind.  The rhymes themselves feel forced, words being placed only because they did rhyme. 

A nice effort and a sound idea which could be fun and entertaining, but lacking in illustration, color and general reader interest.  Sadly, this book only gets one start out of five from me.

You can find a copy of this book at: http://dorrance.stores.yahoo.net/treasofmodmo.html or see what else Dorrance has to offer at: http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?dorrance+7XZRvv+index.html

 I received a complimentary copy of "A Treasury of Modern Mother Goose Rhymes" as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.  I was in no way compensated for this review or required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Pink Sequin Holy Bible

Holy Bible, Pink Sequin

by Thomas Nelson

An adorable Bible written in the International Children’s Bible® translation, it is perfect for any little girl, most appropriate for ages 5-12.  Written in a transation that is easier for children to understand, this Bible offers an added draw to young girls with its fabric covered front in bright cloth with floral print.  Embelished with sequined flowers and hearts that stand out from the rest of the cover, this is sure to be a hit with the little girl in your life.

Enclosed in a sturdy bible box to keep the cover nice, it is easy to wrap up and give as a gift.  Within the bible are dedication pages among other little extras.

While adorable in cover, it is still a paper/cardboard cover and prone to bending fairly easily.  It may not hold up in the long run with sequined embelishments at risk of falling off.  Even so, it is still a very nice bible and one that will likely create discussion between your little girl and those around who admire her new Bible. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Regret Free Parenting

Regret Free Parenting:

Raise Good Kids and Know You're Doing It Right

by Catherine Hickem

A seemingly insurmountable task... raising good children without question of doing it right.  Catherine Hickem gives 7 applicable principles in her book to help parents raise their child and know they are doing a good job.  Based on the idea that a parent must have a goal and a plan all along, Hickem provides stories and ideas to help.  With chapters specifically geared for each major age group and it's challenges, including adolescence, the reader can begin with an infant and use this book for years to come as a reference, guide and encouragement.

A well written and easily read book.  Geared mostly toward mothers, the content is mostly intended for women and seemingly more even for those who stay home, although not stated.  Fathers can also glean bits of information from this book and use the ideas and principles along with their wives.

A concept that seems overwhelming and homework like at first, Hickem relieves the pressure by encouraging readers that one day at a time with goals and plans in mind make it easier.  While the principles seem good, as the book covers an entire childhood, it is difficult to say if they are successful for others as they were for the reader.   A good read with plenty of thought filled parenting ideas, but in the end, a book, not a fix it plan. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

ABC Sing-a-Long

ABC Sing-a-Long

by Gloria Seymour

Sad to say, this book is a worthless piece of junk.  I have never received such a poor representation of literature!

A simple run through of the alphabet with a phrase that rhymes with the last letter stopped at, and poorly rhymed at that.  Silly and ridiculous. Example: "DEF  I see and elf"  What?  For being a sing-a-long, there is no indication as to how to "sing" this book, no notes, comparison song, etc. to even give indication as to the tune.  How, then, can it be used as an educational tool?

This book is 8 pages long.  All pictures are very elementary in design, most likely word art or some simple computer graphic already pre-formed, not illustration or art to be sure.  Pictures are black and white - absolutely no color in this book outside of the cover.  A paper back, very flimsy and cheaply made.  The price tag is $8.00, I would not pay $.10 for this at a garage sale.  

Absolutely boring and of no use.  Very disappointing since it was written by an educator who specializes in children with special needs.  With my own personal background in the same area, I would NEVER use this book with this population, or any other students for that matter.  There is no interest, no attention grabbing, no fun... nothing that would help a child with learning difficulties.  Extremely disappointing!  This book is heading to the trash  bin.

You can find a copy of this book at: http://dorrance.stores.yahoo.net/abcsingalong.html or see what else Dorrance has to offer at: http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?dorrance+7XZRvv+index.html

 I received a complimentary copy of "ABC Sing-a-Long" as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.  I was in no way compensated for this review or required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

God Gave Us The World

God Gave Us The World
by Lisa Tawn Bergren
illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

A sweet little book for elementary aged children, teh story walks a child through the ideas of why God made us all different an why there are so many places to live in the world.  It addresses the idea of taking care of the world God has given us as well.

Through a trip, Little Bear and her family discover different kinds of bears, the places they live, and the things they eat.  Each differs from Little Bear in some way and she is curious about why there are differences among us. THe concept of creation and discussion of God's love for us and our differences encourages children to appreciate our differences and to make friends with others even though they are not the same.

Themes of responsibility for our planet and acceptance of diffeences in ethnicity are addressed in a non-confrontational way that a child can understand and transfer into their own lives.  Illustrations are soft colored and friendly.

The story flows well, but lacks some development in that the illustrations jump from location to location, not really flrowing well with the words of the story.  Some pictures depict what is being discussed while others do not seem to fit real well.  The story is a bit wordy at times and could  be simpler while still getting the point across.  Also, a little deep in concept for younger children.  While geared toward younger children, older kids will better understand the lessons involved in the story. 

Overall, a 3 out of 5 stars for me.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated for writing this review.

Pujols

Pujols: More Than The Game
by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Most definitely a book for the baseball fan.  Pujols is an inspiring story about one of Baseball's most famous names currently.  A story of redemption and truth, a true testimony of faith.  Chock full of statistics and baseball references, this book is geared toward true fans of Pujols and the game of Baseball, though anyone looking for a good read will find reward in reading this story.

From his disbelief in God as an Atheist to his strong faith and testimony of God's impact on his life,  Pujols shares his story  all while throwing in the baseball facts and stories.  Through his story, he gives glory to God and attributes his success to God's presence in his life. A little tough in the start up for non-statistic driven readers, it does take some time to get into this book.  Once past the wealth of statistics and into the book a bit, the story does pick up and becomes very interesting.  Overall, a good read, though most definitely more so for the baseball fan who enjoys the daunting statistics.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”