Book Review: The Gift That I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford & Julia Seal

This book is really too religious for me. While I raise kids with a belief in God, this book is almost like ramming religion down their throats. The book is cute, with nice drawings and the underlying message is a good one - everyone can find a gift to make the world a better place. But mentioning God in every sentence is in my opinion a little bit much for a book that is geared towards very young kids. Religion should be something that kids adopt as part of their life and when growing up, not by being constantly reminded that God is the center of their lives. The target audience, kids aged around 4 years, is too young to fully grasp religion as a concept and outside of church and the nightly prayer, I am not sure that religion should be that central to their lives.
So overall, I am disappointed with this book because the message could be phrased in a much more age appropriate way, which in my opinion would be the more Christian approach. 

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Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Racing to the Finish: My Story by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

This book is not just about racing, but about how Dale Jr decided that after an accident and more than 15 years of racing, 2017 was it - the year to retire. It is a no nonsense book about racing, a career watched by millions and the legacy of three generations of race car drivers.
Whether or not you have been a fan of Dale Jr, this book is an interesting read from the world of race car driving and the story how legacy shapes a person, but Dale Jr manages to be his own person and create his own legacy. He is open and honest in this book, how accidents change him and what is planned for his next stage of life. While retiring from racing, Dale Jr. has his future planned. Not unexpected, it will not involve sitting on a porch and sipping sweet tea. Dale Jr. still wants to have meaning in his life and this book is a great start. He focuses on the difficult stage in his life, head trauma and his fear of a long-term effect. This book makes it clear that Dale Jr has thought about his life, his family and his future and that retirement was a way to make sure that he would have a quality of life and enjoy his family. He touches on very personal subjects and we realize that the race car sport is for us entertainment, but for the drivers there is significant risk and some like Dale Jr decide that for the sake of their future, they have to retire from the sport.

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas (Stories Behind Books) by Ace Collins

A lot of people celebrate Christmas, but just as it is interesting to learn on how other countries celebrate the holiday because it teaches us something about the origin of the various traditions and also about how Christmas came about as a holiday season. This book will teach you about the history of Christmas from a truly historical perspective. Touching on items like the nativity scene and the extension of Christmas to begin now in November, this book covers a broad spectrum of items that we are now taking for granted as belonging to Christmas. A lot of the "traditions" came about recently, while some, like the use of live nativity scenes, go back centuries. Also the commercial aspects of Christmas, such as starting Christmas shopping right after Thanksgiving had initial reasons that were not that commercial, but are now seen as being driven by purely commercial goals. While some consider the stories just trivia, to me the historical origins of the holiday are interesting because they teach you about how we as people developed and why some traditions evolved and still stick around, while maybe others have been long forgotten.

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book review: When Do I Love You? by Thomas Nelson & Marta Cabrol

This is a cute book, appropriate as a first book for very young children, that attempts to show kids that parents of all types love their kids unconditionally. Using animals and then at the end a human, the toddler learns that parents of all species will be there to protect their young. Whether it is a cat or dog or a goat, parents all over the world are there to reassure their children and support and protect them. Despite a somewhat complex message, the drawings and text do a good job of translating the concept of parental love and support into short rhymes that entertain.
Add in the cute drawings and the sturdy format, this book is an investment that will last for a while, even in toddler hands and provide entertaining story time before bed.

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: God Bless You and Good Night Touch and Feel by Hannah Hall & Steve Whitlow

I like this book because it is written for toddlers in mind and so the message about religion is phrased in age-appropriate language. The book does not attempt to drive the complex message of the Bible into the mind of children, but rather presents a simple adoption of religion as part of the good night routine. The toddler can feel how different the animals are based on the different furs and skins included in the touch aspect, but also sees that despite differences animals of various types have a lot in common. This presents the important lessons to look for things that we share rather than focus on differences and items that set us apart. The book is sturdy, has short text to the point of the story and the drawings are cute.

I recommend this book as a first story time book for kids and later on, since this book is sturdy enough to last a few years, can be used as a book that the toddler can read on their own. It is fun and the illustrations of the animals are adorable.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.