Homeschooling families with daughters of all ages, take note! Amy Puetz has written the quintessential dress-up guide for girls – Costumes With Character - who want to add a multi-dimensional, living element to their study of history. Through the use of a simple dress as a base (pattern not included, suggested resources listed in appendix), Puetz has developed a huge selection of patterns for accessories, head-coverings, and removable clothing pieces to use along with the basic dress to recreate historical costumes from eleven time periods.

Covering Christian apparel from the Pilgrims through to the turn of the 20^th century, Puetz’s patterns are simple enough to encourage even a bumbling seamstress such as myself to turn my hand to them. The patterns as written are designed to fit sixteen-year-olds, but a mathematical formula and variances are provided to alter the patterns to fit girls from four on up. The patterns themselves must be enlarged before using them, as only reduced versions are included in the text. For me, this does seem a bit daunting (but I’m an extraordinarily inexperienced sewer), but the patterns are so simple, but look so impressive when assembled together in an ensemble that it’s impossible to resist their appeal. The patterns themselves are clearly organized and are easy to understand.

The outfits Puetz plans are always modest, historically accurate and fun. Many of the pieces are versatile and are called into use in multiple time periods as appropriate. Purses, hats, fans, and parasols are included in several costume arrangements for example, decreasing the number of pieces necessary to build an entire historical wardrobe. The use of a simple dress with add-ons is also an incredibly economical solution to acquiring historical costumes, eliminating the need to purchase or make several complete outfits.

To effectively convey what a gem Costumes With Character is, let me share a few examples of how Puetz’s plan works. In the Civil War time period, the basic dress is paired with the following accessories: collar, hoopskirt, handkerchief, parasol and bow that you will need to sew from the provided patterns. A bonnet, fan, and handbag from other time periods are also called into service once again. Complete instructions are given for wearing and assembling the costumes, just in case you’re not entirely sure what to do with that hoop skirt you’ve just made. Other periods are simpler, such as the Puritan, which includes only a: collar, apron, cuffs, and a lawn cap (head covering).

Puetz’s passion for history is evident throughout with history trivia quizzes, quotes from primary source documents, and scripture verses that loosely embody the period. Suggestions for planning a tea party are also included along with patterns for fabric invitations, snack ideas, etc. Colourful photographs are included throughout, both of young women displaying the assembled costumes, and of other bright, inspiring images. Some of the images are somewhat pixilated, but in general the layout and quality of the book are highly professional.

Costumes With Character can be used as an ideal, hands-on supplement to enliven existing history studies, pull together home-economics and history, or serve as an outline for a course of study. Puetz’s list of books and movies (with an emphasis on primary sources and living books) in the recommended resources section could easily serve as a jumping off point into a unit study covering the included time periods. However family’s choose to use this wonderful resource, it’s sure to inspire as history is brought to life.

Costumes With Character is available for download through Amy Puetz’s website, CurrClick, or The Old Schoolhouse Store.

Daisy the Dalmatian will never take out the garbage, she will never clean her room, and she will never do her homework - not in a million years. Instead she would rather write the greatest book of all time, and win the Tour-de-Daisy bicycle race. Perhaps you have a little one who is likewise reluctant to complete the daily chores required for a successful life. Our family certainly has a few, and even some big ones who often resist undertaking the necessary but unavoidable tasks of daily living.  Like ours, your home may benefit from a visit from Daisy and her mother in No, Never!

Multi-published children’s author and illustrator Sally O. Lee has released another of her brightly illustrated, whimsical picture books. Like her gentle tale of unconditional friendship – The Rabbit and the Snowman - Lee incorporates a moral within the text itself that requires no supplemental commentary by parents or fable-like concluding statement. The simple text guides children through Daisy’s stubborn refusal, through her mother’s gentle reasoning and explanations, and on to the accomplishment of her grand dreams and goals.

While Daisy’s mother does succeed in reaching Daisy with her argument for completing the more mundane tasks of life in order to accomplish her grand ambitions, this message may be lost on audiences young enough to appreciate Lee’s style. My own three-year-old certainly can’t comprehend such lofty ideals, but she did find the story very funny. My six-year-old comes closer to understanding the book’s message, but is already on the older side of the spectrum; she sat through the book, but found the simple text geared for young listeners a bit dull.

The whimsical illustrations are executed in thick, vibrant oils on textured paper. The vivid palate evokes the joy and full-throttle emotional force of childhood. As Daisy makes her emphatic refusals to participate in her daily tasks, one can’t help being swept away in the all-to-common passion of childhood. I read Daisy’s passionate refrain of “No, Never!” aloud with all the gusto I’ve heard my own pre-schoolers muster up when confronted with clean-up time. Where the watercolours in The Rabbit and the Snowman created a soft, sympathetic mood, the bold, opaque paintings create a punchy delivery for the story.

Generally each full-page painting – some with fully painted backgrounds, others feature the main character and surroundings on a white page — is accompanied with a facing page of text along with some abstract designs, backgrounds or several repeating elements found in the illustration. For example, a painting of Daisy taking out the trash with a bright pink bow atop her head is faced by a page of text with a scattering of large bows across the top and bottom of the page. The rendering of the paintings is for the most part quite professional, but on several pages the shapes and repeating elements on the pages of text suffer from pixilation around the outside edges of the images.

One of Lee’s signatures is the creation of unique, one-of-a-kind fonts for her picture books. The squiggly style employed in No, Never! is appropriately named “Daisy”, and is somewhat reminiscent of the thick, wiggly writing of a new printer. As an adult I read it with ease, but new readers will likely struggle with readability issues. The wavy lines and jagged edges contribute to a sense that the letters are not all sitting on an even line. It’s quite possible that those with any form of reading difficulties will find the text exceedingly difficult to decipher.

A bright, charming book, No, Never! is well positioned to capture the interest of young children when read aloud to them. Daisy is easy for us all to relate to, as much as we might wish to deny it. I can certainly sympathize with the poor dear - more easily than I can my own children when they shout “No!” in fact. She serves as a lesson to me to faithfully put the necessary tasks before my lofty goals and to extend a bit more grace to my little ones - hopefully they’ll also catch that vision themselves.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

I’ve never been one to laugh easily. Jokes slip off me like jello on a greased dinner plate, but sometimes, just sometimes one hits me smack-dab in my funny-spot. When that happens, watch out. I don’t just giggle, I guffaw, snort, wheeze, and at times collapse to the floor. I don’t technically roll-on-the-floor-laughing-out-loud, I adopt more of a hunched-over-slapping-the-floor-and-howling technique. Author Debora M. Coty’s devotional for frazzled moms – Mom Needs Chocolate - didn’t quite take me to the position of prostrate hilarity within it’s first few chapters, but it did come very close.

Having been through the trenches of motherhood and come out the other side with two grown children, Coty digs deep and pulls from her personal experiences, shortcomings, and growth. The result is a compilation of frank, and almost embarrassing episodes that illustrate the realities of mothering while pinpointing the areas many of us need work on. The 60 short, devotional chapters are designed to bring joy and spiritual insight into the lives of frazzled moms.

Each of the chapters is short enough to read during the valued reading time each mother cherishes - the five-minute bathroom break. Most entries come in between three and four pages in length including three “Faith in Action” questions for you to ponder throughout the day, or complete formally in a journal if you are able to eke out some personal time for study. The light-hearted tone of frank sharing would also lend itself well to gatherings of friends for a fun study.

As brief as each of the stand-alone devotional segments are, Coty has a knack for hitting moms in the areas where they are likely in most need of refinement. After softening unsuspecting mothers up with her funny stories, she delivers a swift one-two punch in the questions section, delivering a healthy dose of conviction. Of course, knowing that Coty herself has struggled in these areas – road rage, misplaced priorities, nutrition, and so on – helps to soften the blow so that it never comes across as high-handed.

What I most appreciate in Coty’s approach is her bracing honesty. There’s no vision of perfect domestic bliss presented here for us to attain, just encouragement to keep seeking the Lord on our continuing journey and a sister to laugh and cry along with. By book’s end I felt like I knew Coty to a certain extent. After all, in her own words, she’s baring it all:

“Hey, I even hit a few girls-only, whisper-behind-the-hand subjects like excessive boobage during pregnancy, fashion faux pas, menopause and – gasp! – bodily functions. (Ain’t nothin’ sacred after poppin’ out a baby in front of a dozen pubescent boys in lab oats!)”

So, be prepared. In truth, Coty won’t gross you out too much, unless you find descriptions of a cat with an exploding abscess unpalatable, or admissions of cellulite horrifying. She draws upon the everyday misadventures of mothering to concoct humorous teaching anecdotes from her own life, but doesn’t delve into the truly disgusting.

Like its chocolaty namesake, Mom Needs Chocolate makes a great gift for moms young and old in need of a bit more lift in their lives. While reading it the names of other mothers I could bless with this resource came to mind. I’m looking forward to sharing my chocolate with others.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK, AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

As a first-time homeschooling mother of a young scholar who’ll be officially entering grade one this fall, I sometimes wonder when all the various language arts skills will pull together and ‘click’. We do phonics, spelling, reading practice, copywork, read-alouds, among other sssubject mattters, but when will they all merge together into a comprehensive whole? When will my daughter realize that not only can she consume the written word, she can also create it? When will she grasp a vision for what literacy truly means? I’m certain that I’m not the only homeschooling mother with these questions running wild through her mind as she considers her child’s academic future. Thankfully, I believe I’ve found a key to the answer, and though I may not know ‘when’, I do know ‘how’ I can begin drawing these elements together into a cohesive whole.

If you’re a homeschooling parent of a youngster between kindergarten and grade two you should be perched on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about this wonderful new resource that models writing skills, involves reading fun picture books, and making hands-on publishing activities (also known as crafts made from your child’s writing). Published by WriteShop, the same company which brought homeschoolers the oft recommended classic WriteShop writing program for junior and senior high students, WriteShop Primary is a carefully structured, gentle, easy to use program for introducing writing to primary students. It’s also the missing piece of my homeschooling puzzle.

The WriteShop Primary series will eventually include three books.Primary A is now published, Primary B is about to launch, and Primary C is still in development. The three titles are designed to be completed before the end of grade two, and sample schedules are provided based upon when your student begins with Primary A. Kindergarten students are scheduled to complete one book each year, completing one of the ten lessons every three weeks. Students starting the series in grade one complete one lesson every two weeks and work through the series in two years. Finally, students beginning the series in second grade are scheduled to complete all three books in one year, working through one lesson each week. The child-friendly, hands-on approach and fun illustrations may be considered rather childish for older students, so it’s best to stick to the recommended ages and progression through the course.

Course author Nancy I. Sanders makes everything easy for first-time homeschooling parents such as myself through the use of clear supply lists, schedules, scripted writing activities with forms that repeat through each of the ten lessons in order to achieve a sense of familiarity in young students, and co-coordinating worksheets in the reproducible Activity Set Worksheet Pack. Evaluation forms to mark your young learners progress – not tests – are also included in the Worksheet Pack. Everything is clearly organized with an appendix that includes lesson-by-lesson supply lists, picture book suggestions for each lesson and a full index. Once your writing station is well stocked (wonderful suggestions are included for supplies to keep on hand), just grab your non-consumable Teacher’s Guide, your student, and you are ready to go!

Each lesson revolves around a theme of interest to children such as animals, friends, trains, colors, rhymes, and so on. Each of the ten lessons includes a series of eight repeating activity sets that are completed alongside a parent as a new writing concept – the lesson focus – is introduced. Guided writing practice is included in each writing activity, and is accompanied by picture book reading, games, brainstorming, composition, editing, worksheets, publishing the writing (craft), and evaluating the students work. Though these may seem like daunting concepts, particularly for pre-writers, they are incredibly accessible and child-friendly, free of any feeling of intimidation on the part of the child or parent. The focus of the lessons move through such teaching concepts as title selection, punctuation, rhyming words, and ordering stories chronologically.

Lest the program sound overly structured, parents are free to customize it for their children and suggestions are given within the text. What I most appreciated is the option to ease pre-writers into writing activities through parental modeling and the gentle sharing of writing time together as a parent-child dyad. This is one of the key features that make WriteShop Primary such a blessing to parents seeking to tie all the loose threads of their literacy program together. These guided activities can see children through from pre-writing to confident writing skills.

My daughter adores this writing program, and so do I. The gentle nature, hands-on activities, professionally illustrated worksheets, and the opportunity to work with mom make an irresistible combination for her. As a teaching parent the ease of use, clear schedule and supply lists, and team-based approach to learning mark the program as a winner.

Available in both print format and as an e-book, the price difference is minimal, so unless shipping is exorbitantly expensive (as for international purchasers), the print edition is likely the most economical choice. Home printing costs for a 186-page book will likely render the slight difference in cost between the versions insignificant.

A downloadable scope and sequence, lesson sample, and worksheet sample are available online at the WriteShop website.

Additional reviews of WriteShop Primary Book A can be found at The Old Schoolhouse Homschool Crew review blog.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE TEACHING GUIDE OR THE WORKSHEET PACK AT AMAZON.COM!

Babies of all species hold a nearly universal appeal, whether our own tiny, bright-eyed bundles of joy, tiny kittens or even sweet young porcupettes. However, you won’t find juvenile porcupines at the local petting zoo, and in fact it would be a fortuitous sighting indeed to come across one in the wild. Although our family lives in a very rural area we only spot adult porcupines from time to time. I hate to admit it, but I only recently realized that they are prodigious tree-climbers after spotting one aloft as we drove home from town. That’s what’s fascinating about the Nature Babies series, young readers are transported into the daily lives of young animals that are rarely seen on nature walks. They also learn at a much younger age than I did that porcupines spend much of their time in trees.

Created by husband-and-wife team Aubrey Lang and Wayne Lynch, the couple heads out into wilderness areas to snap photos and share the hidden world of infant wildlife with young readers. Written with children ages from two through seven, the straightforward text, which is written by Lang, accompanies vivid, true-life photographs of animals in their natural setting, taken by Lynch.

In Baby Porcupine the couple follows a three-week-old female porcupettes through her daily rounds in a forest in Minnesota. The book opens with a charming note to young readers that briefly explains the process by which the couple was able to photograph the adorable little critter. Understanding the couple’s endurance of mosquitoes they could not swat away for fear of scaring the baby porcupine adds a sense of realism to the work.

The vivid, well-lit photographs so clearly capture the essentials of porcupine life, my husband initially thought they were carefully arranged with a porcupette model. Indeed, the shots showing the little one climbing a tree, eating raspberry leaves, exploring a cave, and interacting with her mother are only a few that crisply portray the fabric of the porcupette’s life. Some of the wildlife that lives alongside the porcupine family are also included through photographs and are woven into the story. A ruffed grouse, raccoon, mouse and owl make appearances, but none is so exciting as the attack of a fisher on the porcupette.

A “Did You Know” section in the back of the book provides additional facts, and an index allows for topical searches. Nursing for example is woven into the story on pages 18 and 28. This integration of facts into the living story of the porcupette’s life is much more palatable, and indeed, digestible, for young readers. This natural presentation of information creates much better retention and a sense of personal involvement in the life of the animal.

My children’s interest was so piqued and drawn into the woodland life of the porcupette that they were reluctant to emerge from it again. Indeed, their only complaint was that we were left wanting more when the book came to a close. Not only is the Nature Babies series an excellent starting point for young naturalists, it’s also incredibly adorable and engaging with its emphasis on young animals. Parents and educators seeking to foster an interest in and love for wildlife in young children should certainly invest in the series.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

Time to ‘fess up – I am not good at witnessing to individuals with a pluralistic worldview. Though it was less than a scant three years ago that I found myself embroiled in the same beliefs, since being born again I’ve found it immeasurably difficult to put myself in the shoes of unbelievers and to see the world from their perspective. When I encounter those who profess multiple paths to God or enlightenment I find myself crying out in strident tones John 14:6. Now there are some who feel I should take a softer approach, seeing these misguided souls as individuals who I can relate to before lambasting them with scriptural quotes.

Matthew Raley is such a one. On a mission to encourage evangelicals to engage without defensiveness The Diversity Culture: Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Baristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hipsters, Political Activists and Everyone in Between, he has penned a brief, though provoking, volume. In it he explores a Christ-centered model Christians can use to interact with the growing numbers of postmodernists at large in our culture. Integrating examples from modern media that exemplify the thought processes of the diversity culture, examples from Jesus’ life as related to us in scripture as he reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well, and a fictional interaction between a woman who represents the collective concerns of modern un-believers and a Christian seeking to move into relational conversation with this woman, Raley explores his premise at a brisk pace.

Raley’s lively writing brings the cultural backdrop of New Testament times into sharp focus and brings the scriptural narrative of Jesus’ encounters with unbelievers into sharp focus. Diving for pearls he seeks out principles for relational communication and the techniques that Jesus used to pierce the hardened hearts of his listeners. Of course, Jesus had a distinct advantage that we do not – He is God and knew just what to say — but as always we can learn from Him in all that He does. In his segments exploring hot topics for folks hailing from the diversity culture, Raley delves into a variety of topics that typically and invariably make evangelicals either tremble or rage: transgendered toddlers, same-sex marriage, and so on, encouraging believers to offer real help and guidance from scripture rather than drawing battle lines.

Though Raley’s language seems to target a distinct group of believers termed ‘evangelicals’, anyone with a heart for reaching the lost should consider investigating it. It would seem that the evangelicals Raley refers to are really any Christian holding to an orthodox understanding of salvation and a desire to reach out into a dying world for Jesus. With post-modernity sweeping across all of Western culture and Christians finding themselves increasingly alone in their worldview, this title is incredibly timely and relevant for believers.

I greatly enjoyed The Diversity Culture and fairly blew through it. I’m keeping it up on my shelf for another read through because as of yet I’ve been unable to move from my ideological battle position to a relational stance of building bridges of friendship and understanding. I can catch a glimmer of what he’s driving at, hear a faint echo in my heart, but for now I’m still counting on John 14:6. Keep growing a heart of compassion in me Lord, keep growing it.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK OR AMAZON!

Robert Munsch is one of Canada’s most well known children’s authors, and is in fact Canada’s 78th most famous Canadian in history according to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). He is particularly beloved by parents and teachers for his works read-aloud appeal and repetitive phrasing that encourages children to join and engage with his stories verbally. My own elementary school memories are filled with enthusiastic chanting along with the repeated choruses and boisterous laughter that accompanied the reading of his stories. It was with much delight that I encountered a juvenile biography of Robert Munsch written by Frank B. Edwards.

Edwards traces Munsch’s life from birth into a large Roman Catholic family through high school, a Jesuit novitiate, college, daycare work, teaching at the University of Guelph, and into his career as a full time-storyteller and into the present. Filled with photographs from Munsch’s own collection readers young and old are treated to an overview of the author’s life.

Written in a light and simple style, readers will easily enter into the personal world of a favourite author. Glimpses into the inspiration for several of his most-loved books include such titles such as The Paper Bag Princess, Thomas’ Snowsuit, Love You Forever, and many others. Edwards successfully draws out both the serious, quiet aspect of Munsch’s personality when in the presence of adults, and his zany, boisterous, and fun-loving side when interacting with children. His life-long love of literature, storytelling, and children is an ongoing thread throughout his entire adult years and is still present in the personal interaction and frequent school visits that Munsch conducts on his own dime.

All the major periods of Munsch’s life are explored in enough depth to give readers a level of knowledge of his life and career far beyond that of the casual fan. A timeline of Munsch’s life, index, and list of published works are included for easy reference. Edwards hits the high points while not becoming bogged down in needless detail and overwhelming young readers. Little ones will be excited to read of Munsch’s early love of books, adopted children, and interaction with pint-sized fans. Adults will be intrigued by his unconventional policy on school visitation and his anthropological approach to children’s stories that results in tried and tested stories long before publication.

As Canada’s bestselling author (over 30 million copies to date), it’s about time a biography of this caliber has been written for Munsch’s fans both young and old. Robert Munsch makes an excellent introduction or conclusion to a period of time spent reading through Munsch’s works, though some prior familiarity with his books adds to the pleasure gained by acquiring knowledge of the author as a man.

Whether introduced formally to begin or end an official period of study, or casually incorporated after a passion for Munsch’s stories had been developed, readers young and old alike will delight in the additional knowledge that makes Robert Munsch seem even more of a friend than ever before. Personally, I was captivated by the insights into his life, it will be a few days yet before I’m able to stop sharing tidbits from Munsch’s life with my family.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

First let me hasten to assure you that while the cover of Love’s Pursuit features a woman with a head-covering, this is not Amish fiction; it is Puritan fiction, a much less developed genre. With the glut of Amish fiction in the CFBA (Christian Fiction Blog Alliance) marketplace, I rarely, if ever, venture into that particular sub-genre. Actually, I rarely delve into the entire historical romance genre. A healthy interest in Puritan culture combined with a piqued interest in author Siri Mitchel – the result of reading rave reviews for her earlier historical novel A Constant Heart led me to engage her latest release. I’m glad I did.

The rather stereotypical cover and minimal promotional copy on the back cover seem to point to a rather formulaic novel, a safe comfortable read with a foregone conclusion. What I found however was a skillfully penned tale contrasting freedom and bondage, grace and religion, love and duty, while drawing mystery, romance and, yes, a bit of history into the mix.

Susannah Phillips is young woman on the verge of marriage, considered an honorable woman who will surely make a competent goodwife by her peers in Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, a settlement consisting solely of Puritans. Internally she is deeply aware of her sinful nature and personal shortcomings; though she follows the rules and regulations of Puritan living she has yet to have a conversion experience and become a member of the church.

Into this strictly regulated community comes Captain Daniel Holcombe, an outlandish figure to the Puritans with his big hair, big boots, dashing manners, and shocking affiliation with the Church of England. Responding to fears of attack by natives, he has been sent by the Governor to train and establish a militia. Of course being almost promised to John Prescotte (though not in word) and with Simeon Wright the local millwright apparently interested as well, Susannah’s heart should have nothing to fear.

Now as a love story, one would think the direction of the tale can be easily determined, and it part it can be. What sets it above the norm however is an understated villain made all the more frightening by his common tyranny, and a passionate hero who has clearly been cast as a type of Christ. A deeply moving parallel story between the town blacksmith Thomas Smyth and his wife Small-hope add poignant depth, hope, and renewal to the novel as well.

Mitchell’s writing itself is a joy to read. True to period detail, even the thoughts of our heroine Susannah are rendered in a charming, long-ago cadence and rhythm.  I’m certainly not an expert on 1640’s dialogue but the turns of speech and trains of thought ring true and are consistent throughout.

Though Susannah and I do not ultimately agree about the inner workings and change experienced following conversion, and enough premarital intimacy was shared to make me reluctant to recommend this title to unmarried young women, I was deeply touched by her journey. The Christ-typing of our hero results in a deeper, subtle under-current throughout the story, delivering a spiritual payload that flows naturally from the text.

Lovers of historical fiction should definitely add Love’s Pursuit to their shortlist; it’s unexpected depth, beauty, and quality of prose set it far above the crowd. I look forward to reading more of Mitchell’s work in the future.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK, AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

The voyage of Noah’s ark is one of the most often retold stories in the history of mankind. This tale of God’s judgment upon unrepentant mankind holds a place of endless fascination for young and old alike, with the echoes of the event being retold in myths and legends throughout many cultures. In The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud, Jenny L. Cote approaches this event from early history (found in Genesis 6 – 9 of the Bible) through the eyes of the creatures called by God to board the ark.

The first in a new series aiming to retell major historical events through the eyes of Max - a Scottish Terrier, and Liz - a sleek French feline, and their respective mates Kate and Al, Cote sets the stage for the continued involvement of these animals throughout history and establishes their characters. Adopting the commonly utilized simplification of animals coming two by two to the ark, God gathers animals from every continent and nation, which strangely coincide with modern geography and foreign languages perfectly. The story of Noah and his family is recounted alongside to the journey of the animals following God’s beckoning presence in the fire cloud – though the animals’ point of view is dominant.

Though Cote’s unique retelling is light-hearted and fun-filled, God’s glory, honour and righteousness are always front and center, contrasted with the lies, deceit and self-interest of the enemy who makes his presence felt upon the ark. The importance of a personal relationship with God is illustrated through Max’s need to set himself aside and full rely on his maker.

A full-length novel at 476 pages, this series debut seemed longer than the plot warranted. Though I succeeded in reading through the work aloud to my young ones - and they were duly entertained by the comical carousing of Al, the plump orange tabby, throughout - I wonder if many readers in the targeted age range of 9 – 12-years-old will make it through. A huge amount of character development, background and detail was included that seems to only puff up the page count rather than truly contributing to the storyline.

While landing firmly in the realm of lengthy chapter book, a handful of illustrations are provided by Rob Moffitt, one at the beginning of each part. These black and white line drawings are adorable, bringing the boxy terrier and his friends to life. Additional drawings in the mix would have been enchanting.

Though a generally enjoyable read, I was disappointed to find several of the doctrinally important occurrences following the landing of the ark rewritten to be ‘pet-friendly’. The sacrifice made by Noah and his family, resulting in God’s pleasure and his promise of the rainbow is glossed over, and God’s ensuing promise and new commands for life in this post-flood world are entirely rewritten and inaccurate as well.

From an author who claims to “stay true to the facts and events that God gave in His word, and the facts known from eyewitness accounts in history” I find this deeply disappointing. I truly enjoy Biblical fiction, but firmly believe that the basic facts as laid out in scripture should be clearly incorporated within storylines to avoid confusion - particularly in writings for young children. As a result of this omission of facts that could have been easily included in the story, I’m unable to recommendThe Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud to potential readers. Perhaps future installments will provide more in step with scripture.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK, AMAZON.COM OR AMAZON.CA!

Some readers may be wondering where the weekly installments of the Christian Book Carnival have disappeared to.  I was running the weekly carnival, but there didn’t seem to be much participation from book bloggers, and to be honest, I didn’t have the time to adequately dedicate to promoting the carnival.  If there is someone who would like to pick up the ball and run with it who has time to contact bloggers and acquire review links, please contact me - I’d be happy to pass on the torch :).