HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to TWO New Bible-Inspired Books for Children!

What do these two gorgeous books have in common? February 7th, 2023 is their book birthday. (That’s today!) In celebration, author Natalee Creech and I are doing a double interview. First, I’ll ask her a couple of questions and then she will ask me. So, grab some virtual birthday cake (whatever flavor you like) and join us. Let’s get started…

Laura:  Thank you, Natalee, for celebrating our book birthdays together. Your newest book Something: One Small Thing Can Make a Difference, published by WorthyKids, looks absolutely precious. I love its premise of exploring themes of compassion and empathy, encouraging children to take positive action in a needy world. What inspired you to write this book? 

Natalee: In this case, I actually started with the title because I had written a manuscript called Everything and was in the process of publishing Nothing with WorthyKids. I examined Bible verses that contained the word something and chose Matthew 25:35,36 to base the book on. Ultimately both books are both about love: Nothing is about how nothing can separate us from God’s love, while Something is about how we can love others.

Laura: What is your hope for this book as it makes its way into the world today? 

Natalee: I hope that Something inspires us to open our eyes to opportunities to love like Jesus! I hope that it is a starting point for conversations about kindness and compassion but that it doesn’t stop at conversations – that it becomes a daily practice of being observant and acting when prompted by that feeling of compassion.

Laura:  I think that it will be all that and more!  Congratulations, Natalee. And now let’s switch things up and have you interview me. 

Natalee: I’m so glad we get to celebrate our books together, Laura! I love that each story in My Tender Heart Bible has a heart moment that is a toddler-friendly prayer thanking God for something. In a short sentence, you naturally help kids connect the Bible story to their own lives and encourage gratitude. Writing a Bible for children seems like a big responsibility! Is this your first children’s Bible? How did you decide which stories to include? 

Laura: Yes, this is my first collection of Bible stories for children and I agree that it is a big responsibility! I prayed over which stories to include because I really wanted them to fit together as a collection that individually,  and as a whole, would show God’s redemptive love. I also wanted include stories about God’s beloved who were both girls and boys, men and women. That’s how I decided upon Esther’s story, for example. And I wanted six from the Old Testament and six from the New Testament so that the book would be balanced in that way and could be used as an introduction for littlest ones to the whole Bible. And, of course, I had to finish with the story of Jesus’ glorious resurrection!

Natalee: What inspired you to write this book and what is your hope for it as it makes its way into the world today? 

Laura: The book is inspired by memories of sitting with my own children when they were little to read or re-tell Bible stories so they could grasp just how much God loved them. These readings sparked great conversations and ended with what I like to call a “Heart Moment” that connected God’s word to their experience. It is my hope that MY TENDER HEART BIBLE will be read with little ones in homes, churches and schools as a first introduction to the Bible and God’s love.

Natalee: Happy Book Birthday, Laura! May your My Tender Heart Bible be a blessing in the lives of many!

Laura: And the same to you, Natalee!

Learn more about Natalee Creech’s new book here and more about my new book here. All of our books are available wherever books are sold.

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BUNNY FINDS EASTER: Five IDEAS to Point Little Ones to JESUS at Easter

Last week Bunny (the sweet protagonist from Bunny Finds Easter) and I were invited to our first 2023 Easter Egg Hunt! On Palm Sunday, I’ll be reading Bunny’s story at this event that typically attracts several hundred people. Do you know what that means? It means it’s time to take out my Bunny-inspired Easter bonnet! It also means it’s time to share some ideas for how we as parents, teachers and the church can help our littlest ones understand what Easter is all about.

In Bunny Finds Easter (Zonderkidz, 2022), Bunny is on a quest to find out if Easter is all about chocolate eggs and jelly beans or if it might just be about a little bit more? As the story unfolds, Bunny encounters many of the fun traditions surrounding Easter but it’s not until she arrives and church and they sing an Easter song that she realizes JESUS is the reason we celebrate Easter. Indeed, amidst all the fun of jelly beans and Easter bunnies, it can be hard for little ones to understand that Easter is about Jesus. With that in mind, here are…

Five Fun Ideas to Point Little Ones to JESUS at Easter

Read some faith-filled Easter board books (and picture books too!) With simple text and engaging illustrations an Easter-themed board book that touches on the real meaning of Easter is a cozy, fun way to spark conversation with little ones that Easter is about Jesus and His great love for us – a love shown through the atoning grace of the cross, the joy of His resurrection, and the gift of new life we have in Him.  

Do some Easter baking. Little ones love baking and eating sweet treats. That’s why Bunny nibbles hot cross buns in Bunny Finds Easter.  According to tradition, hot cross buns were first baked by monks in the 12th century with a cross marked in the dough to commemorate Good Friday. They are relatively easy to make and a delicious reminder of Jesus and the cross. Resurrection rolls are another fun and meaningful baking option that can be used to point little ones to Jesus at Easter. You can find many recipes online for baking and enjoying either or both of these baked items with your little one.

Use jelly beans to point to Jesus.  As you and your little ones nibble Easter jelly beans, let them serve as a sweet reminder of Jesus’s love for them and the world. Before sampling each color, think about how it might remind us of Jesus.  For example, yellow can remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Green can remind us of the new life we have in Him.  Purple, the color of royalty, can remind us that He is our loving King. Red can remind us that he died and rose again for us. And so on.

Include Jesus in the Easter basket.  Fill your children’s Easter baskets with colorful, engaging items that remind them of Jesus. Consider having a faith-based Easter board book serve as the centerpiece. Round it out with small items such as candies, stickers, and other little toys etc. that are in some way connected to Jesus and Easter.  Examples: a little lamb (we are His sheep), a glow-in-the-dark cross, chocolate hearts (because Jesus loves us), little chicks and bunnies (to represent new life in Christ) etc.

 

Sing some “Jesus loves you!” songs. Songs learned, even as young as toddler and preschool age, can have a lasting faith impact on the human soul. Just think of the songs you remember from your childhood and beyond.  Do any of them speak of Jesus? If so, they can be a special way to introduce Jesus to your little ones at Easter and throughout the year. Some Easter-y favorites that we love at our house (that are good for little ones too) include: He Lives, Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and more.

OTHER IDEAS for using Bunny Finds Easter specifically:

Have a Bunny Finds Easter Book Walk. This fun intergenerational activity has the feel of an Easter Egg Hunt – and can even include jelly beans and other goodies – but the “hunt” is walking along a trail (outside or inside) to discover progressive spreads of the story BUNNY FINDS EASTER mounted on boards culminating in a craft or activity table at the end of the walk. Get all the details plus the FREE downloadable instruction sheet here.

Get FREE downloadable BUNNY FINDS EASTER activity kit designed especially for littlest ones. The six-page kit includes:

• Decorate the Easter Egg
• Help Bunny Find Her Way to Church on Easter Morning
• How Many Eggs Can You Find?
• Draw More Easter Lilies for Bunny
• Send an Easter Card to Someone You Love ( foldable printable card)

Interested in ordering Bunny Finds Easter? It’s available wherever books are sold. Happy Monday, all!

Note: 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.

MONDAY FUN: Listen to the HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD StoryJumpers and Collide Kids Podcast Episodes!

One of the joys of having a new book out is getting to do special things like chat on these two family-friendly podcasts. Here’s a little bit about each podcast followed by links for easy listening.

First. it was my pleasure to be interviewed by podcast host Andrew Jackson for his children’s story time program, StoryJumpers, a bi-weekly Christian podcast that features a children’s book read by the author and an interview with the author. The episode which features HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD (Paraclete Press) aired, Friday, December 9th, 2022 over at www.wearethebridge.org a community supported, non-commercial Christian radio station serving Delaware, South Jersey, parts of Maryland and beyond. 

Thank you, Andrew, for being such a great host!  I had a wonderful time. Here’s the link: 

https://www.wearethebridge.org/streaming/podcasts/storyjumpers/episode/happy-birthday-christmas-child-by-laura-sassi/

TIP: Just listen and enjoy, or for an ever richer experience, grab a copy of the book so your little ones can enjoy the pictures as I read. 

Second, on Friday I was the featured guest on the fun and lively Collide Kids Podcast. Per host Christen Clark’s description, “The Collide Kids Podcast is a show for kids and families were fun and faith COLLIDE! We will get to know friendly, interesting people who can teach us something new. Our goal for every episode is to help kids discover they are loved by God!”

Her guests include people from wide variety of professions and I’m honored to have been part of her line-up. Christen Clark is also fun and funny which makes for a great podcast vibe!

Here’s the link to the HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHLD Episode: https://anchor.fm/collidekidspod/episodes/How-to-Share-the-Christmas-Story-w-Laura-Sassi

Happy Monday, all!

AUTHOR AND BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Meet Amy Houts and her NEWEST Faith-Based Book for Kids (Plus a GIVEAWAY!)

Look what landed on my porch! It’s children’s author Amy Houts’ newest release, CHRISTIAN Q & A BOOK FOR KIDS. Published by Rockridge Press it came out this month and it’s full of simple, kid-friendly answers to 100 questions kids age 6 – 9 might have about Christianity.

MY THOUGHTS: I am always on the lookout for good resources to teach little ones about faith and this one fits the bill. I appreciate the simple Q & A format with one question answered on each page. The questions are perfect for the target age group, but also thoughtful and deep enough to resonate with the caregivers reading alongside them. I also give a thumbs up to Amy for including a scripture reference in each answer. I think book is a great tool for sparking meaningful conversations with our kids about what Christianity is all about. I can’t wait to share it with my Sunday School class.

Now, in celebration of the book’s release, I am honored to have Amy on the blog with an interview. Let’s get started.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Amy, and congratulations your newest faith-based children’s book. What inspired you to take on this project?

Thank you for having me, Laura! I had learned about Callisto Media, the parent company of Rockridge Press, through another writer. Big shout out to Annette Whipple, who took the time to answer all my questions. Thank you! I contacted the company in February of 2021 by email and asked if they would add me to their database of writers. Then I waited. In November, 2021 I wrote a follow-up email specifically asking if they had a faith-based book assignment. Right place, right time! In early December, an acquisitions editor contacted me to see if I was interested in writing Christian Q&A Book for Kids. This publisher screens authors before awarding a contract by asking for a writing prompt. I was thrilled to be chosen to write this book. It has been such an inspiring challenge!

I’m so glad you took on the project. It seems right up your alley and I have to say that the questions you have chosen are spot-on for this age group. How did you select them?

First, I thought of my three grandchildren, a girl who was 5 and twin boys who were 8 at the time I started writing. I thought about questions they might have and asked them what questions they had. Each contributed one question to the book. I read books I owned and looked online at similar books, searched websites that answered faith-based  questions, and brainstormed. Since I’ve written other books for children and taught  3-6-year olds at Head Start, I knew the questions and answers needed to be very basic.  

You did a great job! Do you have any tips for ways families and churches can use this book? 

Families and children’s ministries can read and discuss one or more questions and answers at a specific time. The appendix includes good times and ways to start discussions, for example, focus on one question at the dinner table. This book is meant as a jumping off point to help clarify basic information and dive deeper into issues that are important. Parents and children can research together. 

Besides keeping this book at the ready, what advice would you give parents and caregivers who want to share their faith with their kids? 

Children are encouraged to think of and write down new questions and a few pages are provided in the book to do that. Having an open heart and mind is important—both for you and the children in your life. Be accepting of their questions, even if they express doubt. Asking questions increases understanding and strengthens faith. 

Finally, what’s next? Are there more books in the pipeline?  Also, where can interested readers find your books?

I have a Biblically-based Earth Care (climate change) book releasing from Bushel & Peck in March, 2023. I recently started a new assignment to write 5 books for young children with a South Korean educational publisher, Reading Gate. 

You have so many exciting things on the horizon. I can’t wait to check them all out. Thank you so much for joining us. Readers, learn more about Amy and her books in the bio and links below. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

BIO: Amy is the author of over 100 books for children featuring early learning concepts. She writes for both faith-based and mainstream publishers. Amy’s faith-based books include God’s Protection Covers Me (Beaming Books) and The Giant Book of Bible Fingerplays for Preschoolers (Group Publishing). Amy’s educational books include 60 retold tales for the series, Compass Children’s Classics, 2020. Her 10 nonfiction science early readers for Highlights Press were released in 2020.

FIND AMY HERE:

Christian Q&A Book for Kids: https://amzn.to/3zBo3Of

Website: www.amyhouts.com

Twitter and Instagram: @AmyHouts

Facebook: “Author Amy Houts”

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!! If you’d like a chance to win a fresh-off-the-press copy of CHRISTIAN Q & A BOOK FOR KIDS (Rockridge Press, August 2022) follow this blog and leave a comment letting us know. (NOTE: Must be U.S. resident and at least 18 years old to enter.) Thank you, Rockridge Press, for providing the winning book. This giveaway ends Monday, August 15, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST. This giveaway is now over. The winner is announced here.

[Note: Thank you, Amy, for sending me a copy of the book which I was under no obligation to review. The views and opinions expressed on this blog about books and other things are purely my own.]