Media Matters

 Board books by Abbey Wedgeworth. This series (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet) is great! It teaches truths and connects them back to Jesus.

 Picture book by Sherri Duskey Rinker. I was pleasantly surprised by this bedtime story. Each construction vehicle works hard during the day, but then it’s equally important to clean up and rest at the end of the day. It’s a great message for an active toddler to internalize. Also, the rhythm and rhyme work.

 Picture book by Olivier Dunrea. Adorable board book for toddlers and preschoolers learning to make friends and share.

 Picture book by Mem Fox. This board book sends the beautiful message that regardless of differences in appearance or housing or nationality, people all over the world are the same, because they all have 10 fingers and 10 toes. I recognize this is not an entirely perfect symbol of our common humanity, as not all people are born with perfectly formed bodies, but I do think the message behind it is still worthwhile.

 Board book by Susie Ghahremani. Believe it or not, this board book teaches math skills (counting, grouping, subtraction), and does so in an entertaining way. I now know that cats can only be stacked three high if I want them to remain stable.

 Board book by Rosie Greening. Good rhymes combine with interesting textures to feel, making this a baby favorite. The message and storyline are cohesive (unlike many in this series), so I recommend this one over other similar titles.

 Board book by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak. A message of unconditional love shines through this sweet board book. Would be great as a Valentine’s gift to a baby or toddler!

 Board book by B&H kids and Pamela Kennedy. This is a small board book with chunky flaps, perfect for babies and toddlers. It would be great anytime, but especially for Thanksgiving, as it is essentially a gratitude prayer. I was pleasantly surprised by its charm!

 Picture book by Rebecca Gunderson Thornley. Adorable lift the flap book that teaches you can know someone is there, even if you don’t see them.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is essentially a gratitude prayer and would be lovely to read for Thanksgiving

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is psalm 23 retold in accessible language for a young child to understand. It’s true to the message of the psalm and really done well.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The message: God is always near me, no matter where I go, because I am His child and He loves me. There’s no plot or storyline (Psalms are like that!), but the illustrations are engaging and the message sound. Also recommend Known: Psalm 139 by the same author.

Board book by Pantone.  This is a surprisingly great board book! High contrast single color picture on one side of the page, with squares of various shades of that color on the opposing page.

 Board book by Danielle Hitchen.  I liked the concept of seeing shapes in every day objects that are symbolic of God (rock, light, bread, fortress, etc)

 Board book by Danielle Hitchen. This was a really interesting idea for a board book. Each spread is a simple scene from Holy Week that depicts someone experiencing an emotion (ie. excited-triumphal entry, angry-cleansing the temple, loved-washing disciples feet, thankful-prayer during last supper, overwhelmed-Gethsemane, frustrated-Pilate, scared-soldiers, sad-death and burial, surprised-women at the tomb, and joyful-apostles with Jesus). There is also a simple description/scripture verse about the scene. So you can discuss emotions with very young children and have them pantomime what that emotion looks like or talk about what it feels like. You can talk about the various stories in simple terms and build familiarity with those stories. Parents could tell the stories in greater detail or read the full scriptural accounts as children get older. Note: the book I ordered from Amazon arrived very warped in shape and I suspect it was a manufacturing error, so there was likely a large ...

 Board book by Jill Roman Lord. This is a great Easter board book for the target toddler audience. Rhyming prose that is fun to read. Animals aplenty. A joyful, celebratory tone. And a 100% focus on Jesus.

 Lift the flap board book by Sebastien Braun. I love the sturdy, easy to lift flaps on this board book. The prose is a simple question/answer format: Who’s behind the ____? It’s a ____! (insert animal sound here). My granddaughter asks to read this over and over.

 Board book by Helen Dardik. Beautiful illustrations, fun textured format, toddler friendly facts about flowers, and a message about being your best self. This would be a great one to read before going to a local garden or planting flowers with your little one.

 Board book by Jill McDonald. This series can be hit or miss for me, but this volume is the perfect level of information for the board book crowd. It is a must read in advance of a toddler’s first trip to a dinosaur museum!

 Picture book by Michael Emberley. A very basic beginning reader with darling illustrations and a message to keep trying if you don’t succeed the first time.