God Gave Us the World

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa Tawn Bergren

and the illustrator:

Laura J. Bryant

and the book:

God Gave Us The World

WaterBrook Press (January 11, 2011)

***Special thanks to Staci Carmichael, Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, Doubleday Religion / Waterbrook Multnomah / Divisions of Random House, Inc. for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She makes her home in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.


Visit the author's website.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Visit the illustrator's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (January 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400074487
ISBN-13: 978-1400074488

Also Available:

God Gave Us You
God Gave Us Two
God Gave Us Christmas
God Gave Us Heaven
God Gave Us Love
God Gave Us So Much – a limited three book treasury


AND NOW...THE FIRST FOUR PAGES...press the pictures to better view them:

God Gave Us the World by Lisa T. Bergren and Laura J. Bryant is the most recent entry in the wonderful God Gave Us series. In this book, Little Bear and his family visit a museum where he sees other bears from around the world, and he wonders about their differences and just why God made them that way. Mama Bear carefully explains God's care for creation to her curious little cub. I truly love this series by Bergren and how she uses these bears to explain difficult concepts to children in a way they can easily understand. From love to Heaven to Christmas in previous books, to Creation here. The lesson here is that God is our Creator, and He has made each of us different for a reason, and we need to appreciate each other as special and important to Him. Even though we may look different or act differently, we are all a part of His plan. Bergren also points out that it is important to care for the world around us as well, in respect to the Lord. Bryant's artwork is charming and will draw children's interest in, while Bergren's easy conversation between Mama Bear and Little Bear will keep them turning the pages. I look forward to see what is next for Little Bear and his family in the next book.

Normally this would have been a Mia & Mommy Book Blog, but she's got a touch of the flu! So please say a prayer for my own Little Bear.

God Gave Us Love & Christmas

Welcome to another addition of Mia & Mommy's Book Blog!

God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren & illustrated by Laura J. Bryant is a wonderful addition to the Little Cub polar bear series. First Mia's review: I love the book so much!! It's very cool, and my favorite page is the one with the group hug. Group hug, everybody! I liked the part that said that Jesus loves us, even when we do something wrong, no matter we do. Now my review: This book couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Mia has been struggling with some self-esteem issues, so the message that God loving us no matter what was a timely one. Often as we read the book, she asked the very question that Little Cub asked and had it answered on the next page. One small quibble: the spelling of Grandpa/Grampa is not consistent throughout the book. This is a fantastic addition to a terrific series.

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren & illustrated by David Hohn is a holiday addition to the Little Cub series. Mia's review: I love Christmas! I love God too! and I love this book! My favorite part was when Mama Bear was tickling Little Cub, because it shows without speaking how God loves us. The Northern Lights are so pretty in this whole book! Now my review: The artwork in this volume is truly stellar bringing every scene to life. Mama Bear takes Little Cub on a journey to show him God and the real meaning of Christmas. Mama Bear keeps the focus on God rather than Santa without dismissing the icon. Bergren & Hohn use nature to demonstrate God's love and presence in the world in a way that young readers can easily understand. A top notch addition to the series.

Mia wants me to let you know that she has another loose tooth! One of her top ones. I'll keep you updated as to its status.

I'm giving away this pair of books to one lucky reader! If you'd like to win, just leave a comment on any of my posts this week or send me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 3rd. I'll post the winner here on Friday. Good luck!

How Big Is God?

The news have swept through the online Christian community, so forgive me if you've already heard. Stephen Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter Maria, who just turned five a couple weeks ago), was killed in an automobile accident on Wednesday night. The Chapman's have been very active in supporting international adoption, even forming a foundation to help other families afford it. He wrote the song Cinderella for her, and she was a beautiful little girl. As the mother of a five-year old girl myself, I can't begin to imagine their loss.

Since reading this story on Thursday, I've been paying attention to the small things that my life is made up of, but so often get ignored in the busyness of life. Our school is holding Bible Boot Camp this summer. Kids accumulate points through attendance, bringing their Bible, doing the homework, etc; that they can use for prizes. She came home the other night with a set of dogtags and a miniature Bible. She was so proud of the Bible, she had me read her several passages before bed and then fell asleep with it in her hands. Talk about treasuring God's Word! After Molly took a shower last night, she asked me to French braid her hair. Because of the RA, I can't do it often, but I try to do it whenever she asks. She tucked into the bed by me, and while I braided her hair, she read my book (Rene Gutteridge's Skid) aloud to me. After a few minutes of her reading, Doogie wandered in with his book in hand (Angie Sage's Physik) and plopped down on the end of the bed. I finished her hair, but she kept reading until the end of the chapter. Before she could leave, Doogie thrust his book at her and offered her a backrub (she absolutely adores them) if she would read some of his. So while Mia slept quietly next to me, Molly read to us, and Doogie listened happily. It was a blessed moment.

How Big is God by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant is a wonderful, new hardcover children's book that tries to answer kids' toughest questions about God. The story is told through a conversation between Mother and son as he asks how a big God can be so tiny as to fit into his heart. As the mom talks about God, the setting switches from mountaintop to outer space, all in beautiful illustrations. The book doesn't deny that God is too big to understand; instead it embraces the seeming contradictions. God can be with the son in school, but also with every other child in every other school in the entire world, all at the same time. In the end, the son is comforted with the knowledge that God is everywhere at all times, but especially in his heart. My daughter also loved the message. We lingered over each page, and as soon as we finished, we had to go back and read it again. Bergren has been very successful with her God Gave Us You books (I can't read the book at all without crying. We own it, but someone else in the house has to read it to Mia), and this promises to be another terrific book for children and their families to grow in their relationship with God and each other.

I'll be starting a new book contest on Monday, and I'll give you a hint as to the title: I mentioned it once in today's blog. First person to guess it correctly and leave it in the comments section wins a copy. For more details, come back on Monday!