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Review: The World’s Greatest Stories

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I’m a bit perturbed with Miss Esmeralda* at the moment.  I have been looking forward ALL YEAR to listening to my awesome collection of Christmas music.  Yet whenever I try to stick in a Christmas CD in the car, the little miss says, “NO!  Put in the BIBLE CD!”  And when she follows up with “The Bible is always the BEST thing to listen to,” I can’t really argue, and she wins every time.

Seriously, this product probably is Esmé’s absolute favorite review item of 2011 (followed closely by her rock star costume).  We have Volume 1 – The Prophets, which has some of her favorite stories (three about Daniel and his friends, as well as one about Elijah and one about Jonah).  The other volumes are most definitely on her wish list.

* NOT HER REAL NAME.  Since using kids’ middle names is so passé, I simply lengthen the missy’s name whenever she is being a pill.  The length signifies the degree of pillyness – “Esmeraldina-belle-oney” means she is is REAL BIG trouble.

Synopsis:

The World’s Greatest Stories are an award winning series of Bible stories that make the actual words of Scripture leap off the page into the hearts of children of all ages.  Children love the stories and listen to them over and over again, often memorizing the entire CD.

Actor George W. Sarris brings to life in the mind's eye the characters and events of some of the most treasured stories in all of history. The texts of all of the stories are taken directly, word for word, from the Bible. They are told, however, using the art of a dramatic storyteller, incorporating carefully chosen music and sound effects. The result is a very exciting story that comes straight from the words of Scripture.

The current audio series contains a total of 23 individual stories on six CDs or cassettes. The stories are recorded in both the King James Version and the New International Version. Each volume is approximately 1 hour long.

Recommended Age:  Geared towards ages 4-12, but can be enjoyed by all ages. 
Price:  $7.95 per volume; Six volumes currently available 
For More Info/To Purchase: http://www.worldsgreateststories.com/
For More Reviews: TOS Crew

What Mom Liked:

• The text. It’s all straight from the Bible.  We have the NIV version, which is easy for Esmé to understand.
• The dramatization.  Can I confess a prideful moment?  When we first put the CD in, Esmé stopped me partway and said, “Why does this man sound like you when you read?”  Now, I love livening up read-alouds with various voices and such, but rest assured George W. Sarris sounds NOTHING like me.   He has memorized the entire text and thought through all the nuances ahead of time (unlike me who keeps mixing up characters and swapping voices halfway through a sentence).  In addition to music/sound effects, he does an awesome job jumping between various characters’ dialogue, as well as adjusting narration to fit content (fast/slow, loud/soft).  The stories come alive!
• The selection of stories/text.  The stories are exciting.  They flow naturally.
•  It keeps my 4yo’s attention.  She’ll listen to it over and over and over and over and over and over and over...  I love that she is soaking up scripture in this way.
• The CD format.  We spend a lot of time in the car, so this works for us perfectly.
• The price.  Very affordable for HOURS of entertainment; the price has been kept down as a ministry for listeners.

VERY highly recommended by the four-year-old in this house.

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Thanks to The World’s Greatest Stories for providing a CD for review, and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Review: Vintage Remedies for Kids

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Did you notice we were missing?  The little Miss and I have been out for the count – with all manner of cold and flu and bronchitis and such.  Perhaps we needed to discover this product a little sooner?  :)  Or at least skipped ahead to the “When I Get Sick” chapter…

Seriously, food has been a topic of struggle in our house ever since four-month-old Esmé was BEGGING for solids while I stoically ascribed to conventional wisdom of starting them at six months.  She won the battle when her teeth came in early.  Today, I’ve got a carb-loving kiddo who is way too picky for my taste – I mean, what kind of kid doesn’t even like fruit?  This book is just perfect for our household!

Synopsis:

Based on the popular Vintage Remedies for Girls and Guys curriculum, this edition is perfect for younger siblings! Vintage Remedies for Kids helps parents teach  healthy and natural living to boys and girls ages 2-6. This new workbook is packed with projects covering every aspect of natural living including wellness, nutrition, immunity, natural body care, and the conservative use of valuable natural resources - in terms they will understand and remember!

This curriculum helps you teach little ones how to choose healthy foods, how to prepare some fun and delicious snacks, how to establish prevention based habits, and how they can participate in your family's natural lifestyle. The workbook is flexible and can be used for playgroups or as a fun family project. Children at this age learn best with active lessons, so this isn't a sit and read style picture book! It's a guide for parents that is packed with hands on activities that are perfect for little hands, but fun for all ages. Each of the 18 chapters includes a brief age appropriate lesson on the topic that parents can use to discuss with little ones while they are preparing for the projects, a featured project to teaches the lesson, additional instructions for parents to include these lessons in the family's lifestyle, and a selection of additional projects on the topic for additional fun. The book also contains sample schedules for preschoolers and convenient shopping lists for each project, complete with a resource guide and tips for parents and leaders.

Recommended Age:  Ages 2-6; books also available for ages 7-13 
Price:  $25.00
For More Info/To Purchase: http://www.vintageremedies.com/
For More Reviews: TOS Crew 

What Mom Liked:

• The subject. It lends some authority and easy logic to the “eat your vegetables” commands when you can talk about the nutrients involved and why they are good for you.  Or to the “wash your hands” commands after you’ve discussed different types of microbes.
• The read-to-me section.  This isn’t a picture book.  I was a little concerned about how a kid Esmé’s age would take to the simple reading in each chapter, but an interactive approach – reading with dialogue – suits her fine.  If you do have a wiggle worm, you could easily fit the reading in during meals or bathtimes.  
• The age range.  I haven’t seen many health curriculum options targeting preschoolers.  This is easily adaptable for the whole age range; in our case, I expanded on some of the readings in terms of vocabulary, etc.  It is easy for kids to relate to the examples given; e.g. ladybugs and fireflies as an intro to the chapter on “bugs.”
• The hands-on approach.  Each chapter has some practical projects.  Esmé isn’t one who is more likely to eat something if she makes it, but the rest of us have benefitted from her cooking endeavors!  I figure the more exposure she has to REAL food, even if it’s just the making, the more likely she’ll come to her senses some day?
• Suitable for vegetarians.  The emphasis is very much on a plant-based diet; non-dairy alternatives were given in many cases.
• Holistic approach.  This is much more than a nutrition book – it encompasses a whole lifestyle and deals with cleanliness, herbs, natural remedies, stewardship of our world, and more.

Another highly recommended product being used in our household – it’s educating both Mom and daughter! 

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Thanks to Vintage Remedies for providing a book for review, and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Review: Artistic Pursuits

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I am not an artist.  I’ve always said I LOVE kiddie art with Esmé because it is so forgiving.  Tempera paint and stick figures all the way for me!

Enter Artistic Pursuits.  Esmé is learning what quality art looks like.  Esmé is learning the importance of using quality art materials.  And I’m learning that art isn’t so very complicated.

Artistic Pursuits has a variety of books to choose from.  The book we reviewed is Grades K-3 Book One:  An Introduction to the Visual Arts.

Synopsis:

The ARTistic Pursuits approach to teaching art is a welcome departure from typical art instruction books. This award winning homeschool art program meets the specific needs of homeschoolers at home. A variety of fun art lessons teach both the expressive and technical aspects of art while allowing children to make choices about what and how they will draw, paint, and sculpt.
 

Books at the K-3 level introduce children to the visual arts and view art through history. Colorful illustrations, art appreciation, and projects designed for young hands and minds delight students and appeal to their interests. Non-consumable. One set serves your entire family!

• Written to the student - NO teacher preparation is needed
• Complete art history - Examining works of the Great Masters
• 32 projects in each book include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and more!
• Easy organized system for handling materials
• Sharp color images printed on bright heavy-weight paper, soft bound

Recommended Age:  Books available for Preschool to High School
Price:  $42.95 for Grades K-3 Book One
For More Info/To Purchase:  http://www.artisticpursuits.com/
For More Reviews: TOS Crew

What Mom Liked:

• The reading. Each lesson starts with a reading section that introduces the child to another aspect of art.  Our book was broken out into three sections:  What Artists Do, What Artists See, and Where We Find Art. 
• The examples.  The lessons include photos of a “professional” work of art and a student example.  This combo exposes the child to real art and motivates excellence, while also providing a work the young student can relate to.
• The projects.  The assigned projects are conceptual rather than specific instructions.  They get the student thinking like an artist, identifying subject matter, seeing shapes and colors and edges.  They give exposure to different art materials.  I love the freedom the child has to create, and so does Esmé!
• Ease of use.  Once you’ve acquired the list of materials, the curriculum is super easy to use.  No prep time; just read and go.
• Material recommendations.  If you’re a tempera paint kinda gal, the price on some of these might be a little shocking, but I quickly learned they are so worth it.  I tried to do the oil pastel work with some kiddie pastels I had on hand, and it was pathetic.  Having the right brush, pencils, paper, etc. makes all the difference.  Watercolor crayons were a big hit for us.
• Student enjoyment.  While Esmé is fixated on the first chapter about different types of arts (she is a “ballerina artist,” thank you very much), she does enjoy visual art as well.  This curriculum has given her great practice in perseverance - FINISHING her artwork…

Overall, we LOVE this product and highly recommend it if you are looking for an art curriculum.

This review wouldn’t be complete without a few examples of Esmé’s first projects, would it?

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Thanks to Artistic Pursuits for providing a book for review, and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Review: Name That Dinosaur

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Esmé did a unit study on dinosaurs a while back, and we got in some handwriting practice using “Name That Dinosaur,” a printable ebook with 40 dinosaur names for copywork.  It offers a choice of traceable manuscript, traceable cursive, and/or blank lines.  A tiny dinosaur picture is shown for each name, so your child can picture the dinosaurs while writing and learning their names.

What We Liked:  This was an edifying experience for Mom, too!  I have never heard of most of these dinosaurs, and I got to learn how to spell their names along with Esmé

Esmé is not a huge fan of handwriting practice, so it was nice to have a short-and-sweet handwriting option on a topic Esmé enjoys, with the added challenge of trying to figure out how to say the words she was writing.

It’s also nice to have the block, cursive, and blank writing options – we may pull this out again when we’re in need of cursive practice.

What We Didn’t Like:  Mom could’ve used some pronunciation help with these names! 

Rating:  Overall, this gets a 5 out of 5 – a fair price for a straightforward product.

Thanks to Heart of the Matter for coordinating the review file of this product.

You can currently acquire a PDF version of this pack through CurrClick for $1.50.

Moments to Remember

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This week, we focused on Tweety-talk as our second language.


And then we practiced NOT talking as part of our Zechariah day for Truth in the Tinsel.


Bubble-mouthed Zechariah disappeared from the table.  Esmé hung him up in her own private corner to remind her “to believe God,” she tells us.


For handwriting, we worked on 40 Christmas cards for kids.  Way too many!  So we reverted to stickers and stamps and created our own tattoos when Mom wasn’t watching.


Mom discovered Bountiful Baskets…

…and fruits and veggies all over the house as Esmé practiced hospitality with her animals.

Esmé discovered pomegranates…

…not bad in small quantities.

And subsequently decided to take over the cooking chores…

…much to Mom’s relief.  Though she still refuses to eat most of what she cooks.  And doesn’t wash any dishes.

With her new-found expertise, Esmé has declared chocolate to be a vegetable.  So we all rejoice and are exceeding glad.
 
Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as homeschoolers and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember.  Click on the button to link up or find more memories.

Giveaway: My Favorite Bible

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Esmé has recently taken to carrying my Bible around – it’s got a carry case, and she loves the ease of handling it.  Her own Bible with carry case is definitely on her wish list this year.

I’m pleased to share a Bible storybook with one of you this month!  Baker Publishing Group has generously offered to give a copy of My Favorite Bible to one of our readers.

Synopsis:

With the vibrant illustrations and engaging text in this Bible storybook, you can enjoy sharing the best-loved stories of the Bible with the children in your life and encourage a life-long love for the Word of God. My Favorite Bible is a book of exciting Bible stories and activity pages that guide children through the foundational truths of Scripture.

Each story is fully illustrated and includes a simple narrative full of things kids love: repetition, rhythm, and energy, along with a key biblical theme, a key Bible verse, and discussion questions to help adults introduce children to the Bible.

The colorful illustrations will capture the imaginations of children ages 4–8, and the stories will help adults to pass along the most important truth in life—the Gospel. Families will cherish this time as they read, listen, learn, and love, growing closer to one another even as they grow closer to God.

About the Authors:

Rondi DeBoer sold her first series at age fifteen and now has more than 430,000 copies of her books in print. After graduating from WSU in Elementary Education and studying at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, she went on to become a classical Christian teacher. Now she spends her time homeschooling her three daughters and eagerly awaits the arrival of a fourth daughter from China. She and her husband, Brian, live in Washington with their family.

Christine Tangvald has been writing for children for more than 25 years, with nearly 100 titles to her name and almost 3.5 million books in print. After earning her Elementary Education degree, she worked with children for more than 20 years. Her passion is to personalize God and make him real and alive to small children. She lives in Washington with her husband Roald.

List Price:  $16.99
Publisher: Revell
Recommended Ages:  4-8

To Enter the Giveaway:

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

Open internationally!  Giveaway open until December 12.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.
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Thanks to Baker Publishing Group for providing the giveaway copy of this book.  We have not received a copy and are simply passing on information from the publisher to our readers.

Fashion Friday

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And we’re b-a-a-a-ck!

Sometimes I wonder where my little girl has gone.  Total teen attitude going on in this one.

Then I’m reminded that she’s as monkey-like as a 4yo could possibly be…

Or is it duck-like?

Or just off-the-wall silly with her creative use of packaging materials?

On a sideline topic, is every 4yo girl already planning her wedding on Pinterest?  Some classic posts by Miss Esmé on her Wedding board…

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.