Randisbookbag Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblogArchive for Children's Books
The Beauty Book (The Lily Series) by Nancy Rue
This book is a beauty manual for Christian tween girls. It does a good job of balancing, on the one hand, the natural desire of young girls to look their best with, on the other hand, the importance of teaching girls to value their whole selves as God’s creations.
A growing interest in feminine matters (clothes, skincare, etc.) is a normal part of the maturation process for most girls in early adolescence. So is, unfortunately, insecurity about appearance and body image. In this book, Nancy Rue (author of the popular “Lily Series”) attempts to help girls think about these aspects of their lives in a healthy and God-honoring way. The language is a little too cutesy for adult tastes (for example, frequent references to “your you-nique you”) but will probably appeal to its young readers. Each chapter includes quizzes and activities, as well as sections designed to guide tween girls in thinking Christianly about that chapter’s issue (“How is this a God thing?”) and praying about it.
The book’s beauty tips are sensible and age-appropriate for early adolescence. The emphasis is on encouraging readers to take care of their bodies and enhance their God-given unique beauty in a way that respects themselves, their parents, and God. Rue consistently defers to parents on such issues as whether a girl is old enough to wear makeup, shave her legs, etc. She gives advice about how to apply makeup appropriately, shave legs, choose modest and flattering clothes, and so on — but with the caveat that parental approval must be obtained first. Rue explains that parents have good reasons for not wanting their daughters to grow up too soon, and that a girl should honor her parents’ decisions on these matters.
The only quarrel that I have is not with the book itself but with its promotion by its publisher, Thomas Nelson, which suggests that the book is appropriate for girls ages 7 to 11. I’m no expert, but I’d say a more accurate age range would be about 10 to 14. My daughter is 8 1/2, and although she enjoys choosing her clothes and doing her own hair, most of the issues covered in this book are well beyond her interest or understanding. I plan to hang onto it, though, and give it to her in a few years, once she’s old enough to be concerned about whether she’s allowed to wear makeup, what to do about her pimples, and when her breasts are going to finally grow in!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins, Illustrated by Tim O’Connor
100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins, Illustrated by Tim O’Connor
As the mother of a five-year-old, I am very impressed with this Bible story collection and 2-CD set. As the title implies, the book contains 100 Bible stories, each paired with a children’s song or familiar hymn that relates to the story. I estimate that the set is appropriate for ages 3-8. I was pleased to see that many of the songs are recognizable from my own childhood, such as “Noah’s Arky Arky” and “I Love Him Better Every D-A-Y.” (Printable lyrics are available from a website.) The stories themselves are well-written, and each is accompanied by a brief (2-sentence) biblical truth that the child can take from the story, as well as a 1-sentence “Life Action Application,” such as “I will listen to God” or “Jesus loves me and I will love others.” A minority of the “stories” are not really stories per se but rather are impressively concise, kid-friendly explanations of biblical truths from passages such as the Psalms, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Epistles. The one drawback I can think of for this anthology is that the stories are so brief that they may not satisfy kids and parents who want more detailed, involving stories – those parents may prefer individual Bible storybooks or other collections. But my family is finding this set to be a helpful, enjoyable, and well-crafted devotional guide, and I highly recommend it to other families.
