Book Club: Review of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls

I received a copy of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls from Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) for this review. This post is sponsored by Zondervan.

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is truly a beautiful book! It comes with a slipcover to protect the leathersoft book cover that is pink with silver polka dots. In the front of the book is a place to inscribe who you are presenting the Bible to and there is a space for the date or occasion of the gift. What a wonderful gift this would make for a young lady!

Inside the 1,456 pages are 500 verses intended to be colored. The verses chosen are ones you may wish to memorize or they may draw your attention to a part of the Bible that is unfamiliar to you. These have been drawn by ten artists (you can find their names and the pages where their work appears at the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls). During the review period, I picked two different books of the Bible to color: Nehemiah of the Old Testament and the Gospel of John of the New Testament.

No matter what part of the Bible you are reading, this book lays flat on your desk or on your lap. I love not having to make sure to place something over to keep it open. So whether I am reading about Joseph being sold by his brothers or reading one of the letters of John, I do not worry about the Bible closing before I choose to close it.

I love how this Bible lays flat while you are reading it or coloring the verses. 

In addition to the verses to color, there are also lines in the margins on which readers of the Bible can make notes or add their own illustrations or drawings. I love that there is space for me to try my own hand at Bible Journaling.

My husband purchased me the NKJV Beautiful Word Bible in 2016 for Christmas. My edition is not a coloring Bible so I was very pleased to see how the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls was different. The quality of the book is the same: excellent. There are some differences in illustrations due to them being different translations but I could see each edition being a valuable resource to read the word of God. Zondervan produces beautiful books!

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is recommended for girls 8 and up. I would say anyone that enjoys coloring and wants to move closer to God could thoroughly enjoy this edition from Zondervan. Our own daughter, who is only four, thinks it is a beautiful Bible. We will probably gift her with one of her own in a few years.

I really think this would make a lovely Christmas gift for a young lady in your life. With the easy-to-read black letter 8-point text, it is perfect for young girls who are just starting to read the Bible on their own. And the lovely ribbon will help them mark their place in the Bible for when they need to take a break from reading or coloring.

Read my review of 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan

Do You Want to Learn More?

Coloring Bible – Zondervan 

If you are interested in trying your hand at coloring a few of the pages from the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls, you can check out the free downloads here.

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Book Club: My Very First Body Book Review

I received a FREE copy of this book from Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Our younger children and I were given the opportunity to read and review the Usborne My Very First Body Book by Matthew Oldham and Tony Neal, courtesy of Timberdoodle. This 30-page hardcover book is full of bright, colorful illustrations that takes a look at the different systems of the body as well as other key features related to learning about one's body. My Very First Body Book is available through Timberdoodle as part of their PreK Curriculum kit. This book was designed by Alice Reese and received medical advice from Dr. Kristina Routh.

Our daughter was very excited when our hardcover copy arrived in the mail. As she is just learning to read books beyond basic sentences, she was happy to challenge herself with the text and facts in this book.

The characters inside the book are colorful people illustrated without any clothes - much like a simple cloth doll. They are mostly gender-less - although I would hope the older person illustrated is a grandfather and not a grandmother as he has bushy white eyebrows.

I like how the book addresses the parts of the body—like labeling the bones of the skeleton to an extent that children can understand the names. The same two pages discussing strong bones also point out that certain foods help bones grow and wearing appropriate sports gear protects one's bones when being active. So the book also contains reasonable advice for children to take care of their bodies.

Some of the other ways My Very First Body Book talks about caring of one's body includes:

• Exercising, both body and mind 
• Staying clean 
• Getting enough sleep

My daughter's favorite part of the book is looking at the all of the characters and what they are doing on each page. For example, she likes making up stories about the characters on the first two pages who are in a park. There are children playing basketball with bystanders cheering them on saying, "Good shot," and there are people going down a slide and going around a merry-go-round. She also enjoys examining the pages about "Sensing the world" and seeing what everyone is doing to explore the world around them with their five senses. For example, there is a parent holding a child with a dirty diaper saying, "Eww! What a stink." She finds this quite funny.

The only reservations I have about the book is in regard to the pages on breathing. The image illustrating the person breathing is sitting in a yoga position with hands positioned in a particular way. Personally, I would rather the person was just sitting or standing with their hands at the side or in their lap rather than in a yoga position.

Some parents may not appreciate the page illustrating how waste is formed and passes through the small and large intestines. (Our daughter did not really like this page either but disposing of waste is necessary for a healthy body.) 

I think the book looks quite lovely on our bookshelves. It has a bright orange spine which helps it stand out and makes it easy to find. This is always useful when children want to find specific books quickly. If you are looking for a nice, hardcover book to add to your homeschooling preschool and kindergarten lessons about anatomy and the body, I can recommend My Very First Body Book.

Read more Timberdoodle Reviews: 

Dice, Decks, and Boards: Zig Zag Puzzler Review

Creativity in Your Homeschool: A Review of Mixed by Me Glow Thinking Putty® Kit

Top Ten Favorite Kids Toys for Ages 2-4

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Are you shopping for a preschooler or toddler? There are so many choices on the shelves and online when shopping for young children that it can be a bit overwhelming. With the help of our two younger children, I have compiled a list of our ten favorite toys to go along with our list of stocking ideas.

Fisher Price Little People

These make for fantastic toys for children. They come in a variety of types from Disney Princesses to people of various careers. Over the years they have changed from the ones I had when I was a child to larger plastic ones today. They even changed the design a bit from when we first started collecting them for our son to when our daughter was born.

Thomas Toys

There are a variety of toys that are geared for younger kids in the Thomas the Train line. While the wooden and metal trains may be better for kids a little older, there are larger plastic trains based on the television show characters.

 

Board Games

Many board games are geared towards children ages 4+ or older but we have found that we can easily adapt some simpler board games for our younger daughter. Those that are easier for her to understand (and to play as a 3- and 4-year-old) include Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Raccoon Rumpus, and Koala Capers.

Blocks

Wooden blocks make for excellent toys for younger children. You can purchase alphabet ones to work on educational goals or just simple ones for them to build and create cities. Or you can purchase a set of plain wooden blocks like Brain Blox. These allow for a lot of creativity since they are not painted and do not have a design on them.

Lego Duplo

All kids love to build with Lego and their Duplo line is perfect for little hands. They come in a variety of sets from ones with instructions on how to build as well as just sets to allow your child's imagination to roam free.

Plushes

A great toy for younger children is a plush. Because they are soft, they can be played with at most any time. They make for the perfect companion for a car ride or for when they are not feeling well (although I recommend ones that are washable for those sick days).

And if your child has one favorite plush, I recommend buying more than one of the same in case it gets lost. We are lucky that our two younger children have tons of favorite plushes but every time they want to bring with them on a road trip, I worry about them losing a favorite toy.

Crayons & Paper 

Even at very young ages, children enjoy coloring and drawing. You can provide them with just scrap paper or pick up coloring books for them. Our children have moved from wanting to color in coloring books to drawing their own pictures on plain paper.

Balls & Outdoor Toys 

Getting to spend time a lot of time outside is a bonus for us since we are homeschooling. There are a variety of toys that are great for playing with outdoors—like balls, hula hoops, chalk, and bubbles. Some of these might require more help and supervision to enjoy than others but most younger children enjoy using them on a sunny day.

Books 

For younger children, board books might be the way to go. The pages won't tear and the books tend to be sturdier for rough hands. And there is such a wide selection of board books! You can pick ones that have actual stories or ones that just teach words, colors, or numbers.

Indoor Tents & Tunnels 

Another way to encourage fostering imagination and creativity is to provide them with indoor tents and tunnels. Your children can pretend they are camping outdoors in the woods or the outback. If you can connect lots of tunnels, they can create their own 'underground' home.

Do your young children have any favorite toys they would add to this gift list?

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Book Club: Review of When You Love a Prodigal

I received a free copy of When You Love a Prodigal from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

When You Love a Prodigal: 90 Days of Grace For the Wilderness by Judy Douglass is a new paperback book from Bethany House Publishers to "remind you that God walks beside you every step of the way" as you travel with your prodigal. The book includes a foreword, introduction, message from Judy and Josh, resources, and is divided into ten chapters:

• Love
• Grace
• Time
• Rest
• Trust
• Prayer
• Promise
• Hope
• Spirit
• Gift 

Judy Douglass introduces her prodigal, Josh, in the opening pages. He is in a courtroom awaiting information regarding his arrest. The author then shares with the readers how Josh entered their life as an eight-year-old boy who needed a foster home. Eventually Josh would become adopted by Judy and her husband but his first eight years would continue to weigh upon them all.

Across 90 readings (one for each day), we learn more about Judy and her relationship with her prodigal as well as see how God walks alongside us and our own prodigal on the journey. There are a lot of specific examples provided in When You Love a Prodigal that take readers back to the Bible. References include how God provides grace to both us and our prodigal. Guidance on how to gain trust and hope on the difficult journey is given, as well. 

Each day's section provides a brief reading and ends with two questions. For example, on Day 38: Trust and the Glory of God, readers learn the Hebrew word kabod which means glory and read how we can see God through Jesus. 

Day 38 closes with two questions for reflecting upon viewing the glory of God.

I do not have a prodigal in my life. I am very thankful that no one currently in my life has any addictions that control their lives. So even though the examples of a prodigal did not personally touch me, I found many points that I found useful. I made lots of notations as to points I want to review as well as opened my Bible a lot to read and re-read further the scriptural references Douglass was making in When You Love a Prodigal.

I would recommend When You Love a Prodigal: 90 Days of Grace For the Wilderness by Judy Douglass for those who enjoy Christian non-fiction, those with a loved one who could be defined as a prodigal, or those in need of encouragement. Judy Douglass has an excellent way of helping one to open their eyes to the love and grace God gives us all. 

Book Club: Raising Worry-Free Girls by Sissy Goff

Note: I received a free copy of Raising Worry-Free Girls from the publisher in return for my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I was very excited to read and review Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by Sissy Goff for Bethany House Publishers. I suffer from anxiety and—probably like any mom with anxiety—I worry if my daughter will follow in my footsteps. While our daughter is only four years old and the book is written with 6- to 18-year-old girls in mind, I have seen some behaviors in her that concern me that she may be a worrier like me. I was very pleased to read very helpful suggestions, tools, and tips to not only potentially help our daughter but also with my anxiety.

Raising Worry-Free Girls is divided into three sections (Understanding, Help, and Hope) with two appendices to help parents learn about the different types of anxiety and to also beat the bedtime blues. The paperback is 221 pages in length with chapters also containing Key Points to Remember and questions entitled Understand Yourself and Your Daughter Better. Finally, there are notes at the end of the book if you wish to look up the references to articles and books for yourself.

What Did I Think? 

I found the organization of Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by Sissy Goff to be excellent. If you are looking for a specific piece of advice, you can skim through the pages to find just what you need. Or you can read the book cover-to-cover as I did and glean all the helpful information. (And if you have read Raising Worry-Free Girls, the set up allows you to go back and refresh your memory with helpful chapter titles, headings, and questions.)

While Sissy Goff presents lots of references to a variety of books, websites, and articles, she also presents scriptural references and Bible quotes. This is in keeping with her desire for girls to find "God's strong, safe love for her and the confidence she needs to thrive." So even though the book is Christian and emphasizes that God provides a safe, strong love to help our daughters build confidence, I didn't feel overwhelmed with Bible quotes. There were just enough for me to pull out my copy of the Bible to read the quotes in a different translation. (There is a whole chapter, Overcomer, with Bible quotes to help you and your daughter.)

I highly recommend Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World. I found myself stopping to take notes, to speak with my husband about what I read, and even to try some of the suggestions with our daughter as I was reading Goff's book. One of the things that I have started with our daughter is the 'square breathing' as outlined in the fourth chapter. While I haven't incorporated the breathing with our daughter, I have asked her to 'draw' a square or flower on her leg when she is in the middle of a meltdown. On some occasions, this simple act of having to refocus has helped her calm down more quickly. As she gets older we can add in the breathing technique part, too. I love that Raising Worry-Free Girls has already provided me with one workable solution in our family.

If you are on the lookout for a book to help you better raise your daughter or perhaps you want to even help overcome your own worry and anxiety, I encourage you to check out Sissy Goff's Raising Worry-Free Girls from Bethany House Publishers.