Yesterday, it was my pleasure to be interviewed by radio host Care Baldwin for her program, The Wednesday Bookmark, a weekly show that celebrates books. The interview aired April 19th, 2023 at 4:30 EST on Family Radio CHRI 99.1 fm, a Canadian Christian family radio station. Thank you, Care, for being such a great host! I had a wonderful time chatting about MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. Here’s the link for the radio interview. And we also recorded for youtube which you can access there as well! How fun is that. Enjoy!
Interested in purchasing a copy of this or any of my books? Check out my Books tab!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with book news, inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
My newest book, MY TENDER HEART BIBLE, introduces littlest ones to twelve of my favorite stories from the Old and New Testament rendered in poetic rhyme which both individually and together point to God’s redemptive love. The book is inspired by memories of sitting with my own children when they were little to read or re-tell (in my own words so they could understand) Bible stories so they could grasp just how much God loved them.
Each retelling is accompanied by a Bible citation, a beautiful illustration by Sandra Eide, and a Heart Moment of prayer. This four-part design is intentional with rich opportunity to explore and learn. With that in mind, here a five ideas to help caregivers and their little ones get the most out of each spread.
Tip #1: Before reading each story, take a moment to ponder the title and the illustrations. Using just those clues, can they guess what the story might be about? Do they recognize anyone or anything?
Tip #2: Next, take a moment to note the Bible citation. Maybe even open your own Bible to that part and have it there alongside you as your read the story so that little readers make the connection that the story comes from God’s word.
Tip #3: As you read, pause to think about each part of the story. Maybe see if your children can spot the action that is being described in words somewhere in the illustrations. Don’t rush. Instead, encourage your children to explore the illustrations, listen to the words, and ask questions.
Tip #4: After reading, reflect together on the retelling as a whole. What was their favorite part? Did they learn something new about God? What?
Tip #5: Finally, see if your little ones can locate the “Heart Moment” at the bottom right corner of each spread. Explain that this is their chance to respond to God’s loving word with a prayer. Then read and pray it together.
BONUS MATERIAL: Paraclete Press has also created an activity kit to go with MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. It includes printable memory verse cards, printable greeting cards to color, and printable stickers. Instructions for downloading that can be found here: https://mytenderheartbooks.com
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with book news, inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
One of the joys of having a new book out is getting to chat about it in meaningful and fun ways. This week I have three special interviews to share with you. First up, on February 22nd at approximately 9:45 am, I had my first ever LIVE tv interview. The lovely Colleen from Catholic Faith Network interviewed me as a part of their morning show. Here’s the segment. It’s just under six minutes and I hope you are keen to take a peek. =)
Next, that very same day, I had an early afternoon chat with author and interview host Valerie Fentress over on her Instagram page. Valerie does monthly interviews with Christian authors and asks really fun questions. (And in the super fun department, I will be hosting her on my blog later this month with Five Fun Facts about her Easter book, so stay tuned for that.)
BOOK SALE! Finally, now through Easter, my publisher is offering a special price for both MY TENDER HEART BIBLE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. When you order through them, use the code SASSI! to receive 20% off either title on the Paraclete Press website.
Is it possible to teach toddlers about God? I first had this question as a college senior when the children’s ministry coordinator at the small church I attended asked me if I’d be interested in teaching the toddler class. “Aren’t they too young to understand anything?” I asked. Her answer has stuck with me all these years. And now as a mom, author, and long-time Sunday School teacher, I know she is right. And what was that response? “Their hearts are ready.”
With all this in mind, I have a special guest here today. No, it’s not that children’s ministry coordinator from all those years ago. My guest today is Cathy Dudley, an author with a heart for sharing faith with toddlers and preschoolers. Her two books, TODDLER THEOLOGY – CHILDLIKE FAITH FOR EVERYONE and FAITH, FAMILY, & FUN – MONTHLY LESSONS TO COLOR AND CONNECT WITH GOD do just that. Today she is joining me with tips and reflections on sharing about God with littlest ones. Without further ado, here’s our interview with my questions bolded.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in this beautiful faith-sharing endeavor.
My name is Cathy and I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with my husband, Gary. We enjoyed raising our three children on our farm, Joyful Noise Acres, and just celebrated our 50th Anniversary. We’re now loving retirement travel and being Grammy and Grandpa to our six dear grandchildren.
I believe God can use anyone to do anything. I didn’t intend to become an author, but God started preparing me when I was born into a wonderful Christian home. I never knew anything other than Jesus loves me. My mother was the pianist in Sunday School, and I’d sit on the bench beside her. As a little girl, my dream was to become a missionary nurse. This modified over the years, and I earned a degree in physical therapy, specializing in working with children with disabilities. I just always loved children … and the gospel.
When I retired, God started putting things together. I decided I wanted a new bible and bought one entitled “The Grandmother’s Bible”. It’s really neat. Sprinkled all throughout the scripture are devotions by famous grandmothers, reminding the reader of how important it is to pass down our faith to the next generation.
The next thing I knew, God gave me the desire to write the good news of the gospel in a new way, using simple language and concepts little people can understand. That book title is TODDLER THEOLOGY – CHILDLIKE FAITH FOR EVERYONE. I can’t tell you how much I love sharing it, usually as a vendor and wearing one of my hats!
Skeptics might say toddlers are too young for faith chats. What would your response be?
I think toddlers and preschoolers are of the perfect age for faith introduction. Yes, they usually have short attention spans and aren’t capable of abstract thinking, but they’re also curious, eager to learn, and trusting. I think these are the characteristics of children Jesus was talking about when He said, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God”.
Little ones know nothing yet of Jesus and have everything to receive. So their childlike faith is accepting and trusting ~ waiting to be filled up. This is the kind of faith Jesus is looking for.
Since we know children’s minds are like sponges, ready to soak up whatever knowledge the adults they love present, what better time to plant simple faith seeds? Tell them Jesus is their special friend and that He loves them. Then, as they grow and questions come, they’ll have a firm foundation for understanding even greater truths.
What would be your top three tips for sharing faith with toddlers through preschoolers?
Keep it simple. Use simple words and ideas they can relate to and also incorporate simple faith sharing into their daily routine. Examples: On a walk, talk about God being our father in heaven. He made the trees, the birds, and everything in the world. When helping your child get dressed, remind them that God and Jesus love him (her) and think he (she) is very special. At mealtime or bedtime, teach them that prayer is the way we can talk to God and Jesus. Show them how to fold their hands, bow their heads, and say the words after you. Young children learn through experience and will be happy to imitate this as they like copying what they see.
Use fun songs with motions. Singing makes one happy, the lyrics linger in the mind, and this age group loves to move. Examples. “Jesus Loves Me” with sign language. “Hallelu! Hallelu! Hallelu! Hallelujah!” with big arm movements and standing up / sitting down
Read picture books. Select simple books that depict the message you’re sharing. They are loved by God … and Jesus … and they’re very special to God and Jesus. Toddlers – preschoolers love to be read to and have the same story retold. So repeat the favorites over and over.
Tell us a little bit about each of your books?
I’ve written two Christian books for children and their families.
TODDLER THEOLOGY – CHILDLIKE FAITH FOR EVERYONE won a children’s literature award, the Purple Dragonfly. This sweet little book is the good news of the gospel in a nutshell, told in the friendly voice of Jesus and using simple language and concepts young children can understand … including the very special job God gave Jesus at the cross. You may have heard this story many, many times, but you’ve never heard it explained like this! Jesus tells us how much He loves us in an unexpected way that makes sense to children. TODDLER THEOLOGY makes the perfect baby shower or baptism gift … and is also great for birthdays and holidays.
FAITH, FAMILY, & FUN – MONTHLY LESSONS TO COLOR AND CONNECT WITH GOD is a delightful devotional, activity book designed to be used by families. There are 14 unique lessons that connect every day life with faith. Each lesson begins by describing an experience the child has probably had in their own life, like moving to a new city or having a sleepover with cousins. This situation is pictured in a black and white caricature drawing that can be colored. The story then transitions to the spiritual message and links to a complementary Bible verse, prayer, activity, and talking point. This book makes it super easy to spend meaningful time with your children, focusing on Jesus. Now this is something to celebrate!
Where can readers learn more about you and your work?
Thank you, Laura, for this opportunity to share with your reader friends. If any of your readers would like to know more about me or are interested in getting any books, please check out the following:
Also, on my website, you’ll see listed various specialty stores across the United States that have been gracious enough to stock my books. If one is close to you, please support them.
Thank you forjoining me today, Cathy. This has beena blessing to me and I’m sure to others as well.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with book news, inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
Are you looking for a way to observe Lent with your littles ones and introduce them to God’s grand plan for redemption? Nothing too pressured and very flexible — but wouldn’t it be neat to set aside 12 “Bible Heart Moments” with them between now and Easter to read 12 stories that point to God’s redemptive love and culminate with the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ on Easter morning?
Here’s a map for doing just that with MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. Sweet blessings to you all!And it starts next Wednesday so you have time to order your copy. NOTE: I’m also sharing this over at Big Books, Little Ears as part of a bigger guest post with tips for reading Bible story books with multiple ages. Here’s the link. Thank you, Kristin, for having me as your guest.
March 1, 2023 Creation Joy Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
March 5, 2023 God’s Garden Genesis 3:1-24
March 8, 2023 Star Promise Genesis 15:1-6
March 12, 2023 Great Escape Exodus 14:10-31
March 15, 2023 Tasty Blessings Exodus 16:11-18
March 19, 2023 Brave Queen Esther 14:13-17
March 22, 2023 Welcome, Jesus Luke 2:8-19
March 26, 2023 Dove Love Matthew 3:13-17
March 29, 2023 Precious Children Mark 10:13-16
April 2, 2023 Worry Cure Matthew 6:25-33
April 5, 2023 Donkey Parade Luke 19:35-38
April 9, 2023 Easter Joy Matthew 28:1-10
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with book news, inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
Did you know that MY TENDER HEART BIBLE, which released earlier this month with Paracete Press, is part of a series? The second book MY TENDER HEART PRAYER BOOK will release this coming fall. And in the super neat category, my publisher Paraclete Press has created a special website for the series: https://mytenderheartbooks.com
It’s your go-to spot for all things MY TENDER HEART starting with oodles of fun stuff related to MY TENDER HEART BIBLE including:
The link to the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE story time which aired with Paraclete Press last week
A downloadable activity kit for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE which includes:
Printable Bible verse “Tender Heart Moment” cards
Printable Greeting Cards for Kids to color and give on special days
Printable Tender Heart Stickers
A special preview of My Tender Heart Prayer Book – coming this Fall!
Easy links for purchase from a broad array of vendors
The beautiful book trailer produced by Paraclete
A regularly updated listing of all my events
An “About the Creators” section
A contact tab so you can reach out to me or them
And this LOVELY endorsement from best-selling author Crystal Bowman:
The title says it all! My Tender Heart Bible is a sweet Bible storybook, just right for little hands and little hearts. Written in rhyming verse and paired with adorable illustrations, this collection of favorite Bible stories will help young children learn about people and events from the Bible, while reminding them of God’s unconditional love. I need it for my grandkids!
Crystal Bowman—award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children including, Our Daily Bread for Kids
I hope you will bookmark it for easy reference. (I’ll also include on my website’s designated book page for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.)
This week it was my pleasure to be interviewed by podcast host Terrie Hellard-Brown. Her podcast, Books that Spark, reviews children’s books that spark imagination, emotion, questions, and discussion leading to teachable moments with our kids. Her podcast posts each Tuesday morning.
Terrie has interviewed many authors including Crystal Bowman, Annette Whipple, Glenys Nellist and more. Recent topics include Teaching our Children to Pray and How to Disciple Our Children. And in our podcast we chat about Helping Children Delight in God’s Word.
Here are a couple of visual nuggets to whet your appetite. And here is a link to the podcast. And here’s a link to the transcript if you prefer to read. Enjoy!
VALENTINE’S DAY INVITATION! You and your little ones are invited to a special Valentine’s Day Book Launch Event for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE this coming Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 3pm Eastern. Hosted by Paraclete Press, the event will include:
An introduction to My Tender Heart Bible
A little chat time with the author – me!
A reading of THREE of my favorite stories from the collection
A Q&A
The unveiling of some awesome free resources to go with the book
I hope you will join us! To sign up, press here. It will also run on on Facebook so you can check here for that.
And if you want to order a copy for your church, school, or home library… or to give as a gift, check here for easy links.
And, just in case you haven’t seen the book yet, here is the book trailer:
Will you help my new bible story book make a BIG SPLASH when it releases next month by pre-ordering your copy today? Published by Paraclete Press, MY TENDER HEART BIBLE is a collection of 12 of my favorite bible stories, retold in rhyme with a simple prayer “heart moment” for each. Presented in 24-page board book format, it’s perfect for birth through about age 6. The publisher’s website offers a great description of the book as well as a sneak peek at three of the spreads which give a very good sense of the book. Here’s the link for that: https://paracletepress.com/products/my-tender-heart-bible
I didn’t realize with my first two books just how important pre-orders can be in capturing the attention of readers, booksellers, reviewers and more. As I have now learned, those pre-order sales get included in the sales numbers for the first week of the book’s release. High numbers can influence how many runs a book has, whether it makes a best-selling list and more. All good and fun stuff!
So, if you are thinking of purchasing MY TENDER HEART BIBLE (perfect for Easter, birthdays, baptisms, baby showers etc), I would be delighted if you would consider pre-ordering it from Paraclete Press, Amazon, Christian Book or your favorite vendor.
Or. if you want SIGNED copies, my local book store has a special deal for you! If you PRE-ORDER my new book from The Town Book Store in Westfield, NJ, any time between NOW and February 7th (the book’s release day), owner Anne Laird is offering a 10% discount off the retail price. Simply mention that you want the “MY TENDER HEART BIBLE DISCOUNT”.
If this interests you, please call the store. Be sure to explain that you would like to have the book signed by the author and pass along the names you’d like included. They will take the order and do the transaction. I will then come in and sign the book or books. Depending on where you live, you can either pick them up in-store at no extra charge, or have them mailed. There will be a shipping fee to cover the cost of mailing, but they can give you those details.
You can reach The Town Book Store at (908) 233-3535. You can also email the owner, Anne, at anne@townbookstore.com. Either way, remember to ask for the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE discount.
Thank you, The Town Book Store, for making this possible and thank you, readers, for supporting my books!
NOTE: If you are long-distance and prefer to order from the vendor of your choice, I’m also happy to make arrangements for a signed book plate to be sent to you by sending me a SASE. Just let me know and we can make that happen.
MONDAY JOY! I have bible story board book coming out in February 2023 with Paraclete Press and the cover is just starting to pop up on the web, so I thought I’d share it here too.
The book is called MY TENDER HEART BIBLE and it’s something I was working on this past spring. It was the joy of each day. Hasn’t illustrator, Sandra Eide, done a marvelous job of capturing the wonder of meeting Jesus?
Here’s the scoop from Paraclete Press:
With sweet, rhyming text and whimsical illustrations, this sturdy board book, My Tender Heart Bible, offers a collection of the most loved and classic Bible stories for beginner readers. Simple yet creative paraphrasing of Old and New Testament re-tellings are paired with a “Heart Moment” for families to read aloud and act out. Scripture references are noted with each story that tell of God’s redemption plan.
My Tender Heart Bible:
• Makes the Bible memorable and accessible for young readers
• Helps kids think deeper about what the Bible says about God’s creation, His plan for humanity, and His love for all of people as His children
• Is perfect as bedtime reading for your toddlers and little ones, especially during the holiday season
• Offers details in the artwork for little ones to enjoy and find for “point and learn” discovery
• Serve as a base for introductory Bible discussion
• Includes an inviting padded cover and sturdy pages for little hands
• Makes a great gift for Easter, new baby, christening, baptism, baby showers, new grandchildren, curious toddlers, and boys and girls ages 0 to 4 years old
From Creation to Abraham to Moses and Jesus, God’s story of redemption is told through each individual story and as a collection. Look in the mirror and thank God for making you unique—what makes you different from others you see in your neighborhood? Can you count the stars and make your hands twinkle? Flap your arms like the dove that appeared when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. How many coats and blankets can you spread out for Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem? Let’s read the stories and celebrate God’s perfect plan from the marvelous beginning of Creation through Easter’s glorious hope made known by Jesus’ resurrection.
Thank you, Paraclete Press, for bringing this one into the world. I can’t wait for it to release.
If you are thinking of adding this to your own collection or giving it as a gift, will you take a moment to pre-order a copy of MY TENDER HEART BIBLE today and/or mark it as “to-read” on Goodreads? Those are two wonderful and easy ways to help a new book make a lovely little splash when it releases.
Thank you, and, happy reading!
Note: If you enjoy knowing the latest about my booksand more, please consider following my blog. I post once or twice (and occasionally three times) weekly. Posts are devoted to celebrating reading, writing and life!
Laura Sassi Tales 