Review/Giveaway: Benny’s Angel

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Esmé loves books, loves stories where animals can “REALLY” talk, and loves books about God, so I figured Benny’s Angel by Laura Allen Nonemaker would be right up her alley.  And it certainly has led to interesting conversations with our little theologian…

Title:  Benny’s Angel:  A God’s Secret Garden Adventure
Genre:  Religious children’s fiction picture book
 
Synopsis:

Who stole the flowers in God’s Secret Garden?

When Ella Eagle discovers that the flowers in God’s Secret Garden have wilted, she alerts Mayor Benny Bunny. The main suspect in the case is evil Count Slime, who is jealous of the joy the animals have in the garden. Mayor Benny calls in Oliver Owl, the captain of the Owl Force Wisdom Watchers, but the owls have not seen Count Slime during their patrols of the garden. Mayor Benny suggests the animals pray for an answer. God hears their prayer and sends Marietta the angel to help them solve the mystery.

This delightful tale uses animals, nature, and a visit from an angel to teach children the importance of prayer and the value of trusting God.

About the Author:

Laura Allen Nonemaker’s desire to write took root as a child in Bermuda. Since then, Laura has written in a variety of genres and her work has appeared in Essence Treasury: Celebrating the Season, Alive! and Kentucky Monthly Magazine.

Laura has been involved in short-term missions, including trips to Russia, Poland, and the University of the Nations in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Three years ago, her interest in the arts motivated her to join the planning team for Artful Missions, which conducts juried art shows and donates to outreaches in the U.S. and India to rescue women and children from human trafficking.

Author’s Blog:  Digging in God’s Garden
List Price:  $8.99
To Purchase: Tate Publishing
For More Info (and some fun kids' materials):   http://godsgarden.tateauthor.com/

4yo Esmé’s Synopsis:

How come we can’t see angels?  All the animals could see Marietta!

Why did Marietta [the angel] have to pray?  She could just talk to God!

How does Count Slime know where God’s secret garden is when it’s a SECRET garden?

I know!  The Secret Garden is everywhere – in the fields, our yard, our house, everything that’s gardeny-like!  It’s a secret to humans, but not to princesses or children of God.  If you’re trustworthy, then you’re God’s little child…

[The lesson]  If they acted happy, then they would start to feel happy.  And Count Slime would leave because he saw his tricks were not good enough.

[Starts to sing]  “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.”

The part I liked most was when the animals were being joyful even though the flowers were dead.  That’s what we should do, too.

What Mom Liked:

• Unique introduction to theology.  Esmé had scads of questions as she tried to differentiate between fact and fiction.  Lots of similarities to the serpent and the garden of Eden, but lots of differences, too.  We discussed the concept of an allegory and I think she was satisfied with her conclusions at the end, though I had to reign them in a little to keep them from getting too far out there.  For a kid who is constantly trying to put puzzle pieces together in her picture of God, this was a uniquely fresh conversation starter.
• Interaction between God and angels.  The respectful interaction between God and His angels was one of my favorite sections of this book.
• Fun read-aloud.  With lots of animal parts, this is a fun book to adopt pitches and accents for each character through the book.
• Cute animal characters.  As I mentioned, talking animals are always a big plus for Esmé.  Count Slime (aka the serpent) is an object of fascination for her, and the book did a good job balancing the relationships between the snake, the animals, and the angel.
• Bright illustrations.  Colorful pictures keep your child engaged throughout the story.

Grand Prize Giveaway!!!!

• 1 Vivitar Camcorder with Camera and 2X Zoom
• 1 Benny's Angel Picture Book
• 1 Benny's Angel 3-D Book
• 1 Benny's Angel Coloring Book
• 1 Benny's Angel Audio Book
• 1 Benny's Angel T Shirt
• 1 Benny Christmas Ornament
• 1 Marietta Christmas Ornament
• 1 96-Count Crayola Crayons

To enter, leave a comment on this post.  If you are a follower or subscriber, leave a second comment for a second entry.

US addresses only.  One entry from this post will be randomly selected on December 8 and sent to the giveaway host for winner selection. 
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Thanks to Kathy Carlton Willis Communications for coordinating a review copy of this book for us.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.