Friday, November 19, 2010

Review: Care for Creation

imageTitle: Care for Creation
Author: Christy Baldwin
Illustrator:  Shelly Draven
Genre: Children’s book
Publisher:  Tribute Books
Physical Description: 32-page hardcover; also available as an eBook
List Price: $16.95
ISBN:  978-0982256565
 
Synopsis:
Care for Creation helps children to foster an appreciation and respect for nature. They learn to protect the environment through recycling, home energy conservation and neighborhood clean-ups. Through accompanying Bible verses, they are encouraged to be responsible stewards of God's creation.
About the Author:
Writing has been a passion of Christy’s since she was very young. As a child, she loved to write stories for her grandfather and poems just for fun. She lives in Mason, Ohio with her family and is active in church, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts and volunteering with various organizations. Christy has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Cedarville University and a master's degree in Special Education from the University of Scranton. She is a stay at home mom who enjoys spending time with her kids and being involved in their schools.
What I Liked:  If you’re looking for a children’s book that addresses environmental issues from a Christian perspective, this is it!  Colorful action-filled illustrations (based on the author’s children) attract the child.  Bible verses make the case for environmental responsibility.  Practical explanations and ideas help the child realize HE can make a difference.
 
Incidentally, my daughter says her favorite part of the book is “Adam and Eve” – she’s somehow made the connection between the children in the illustrations and the original caretakers of our world.
 
As a home educator, I like the interactive guide at the end, with suggested activities and discussion questions.
 
I’d say this probably would be suitable for most kids in the 4-8 age range.
 
What I Didn't Like:  I’m a little leery of making my 3yo daughter the environmental police.  I guess there are some things I need to focus on myself, like unplugging my appliances and electronic devices when not in use… :)
 
As with all environmental books, I’m never sure I agree with the emphasis placed on certain issues.  For instance, this book talks about preserving natural habitats for our animals, but omits references to animal slaughterhouses.  I think that is just the nature of the topic, though, and overall I found the book to be reasonably balanced.
 
Thanks to Tribute Books for the review e-copy of this book.  If you’d like to win a copy of Care for Creation, check out the giveaway at Tribute Books – a winner will be chosen December 1, 2010.

2 comments:

Tribute Books said...

Jane, thanks for sharing CARE FOR CREATION with the readers of Mozi Esme. We appreciate your support of the book and for participating in the blog tour.

I always love when moms include the feedback from their children - so thanks for sharing your 3-year-old's thoughts on the book. I'm glad that you were able to enjoy it with her.

Best wishes,
Nicole
Tribute Books

Christy Baldwin said...

Jane- Thanks for blogging a review of this book. I am so excited to hear that you liked it. I want to let your readers know that I am hosting a contest for all bloggers. Contact me at mandcbaldwin78@gmail.com with at least one idea of how you plan to use the book with your family or students and I will put your name in a drawing for a free autographed copy of the book.