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.

 Board book by Janet Moreno. This was an ingenious idea for a board book! On the first page spread, it references the story of Noah, and teaches children two ASL signs: flood and rainbow (which use the same hand shape). Each subsequent spread pairs a color of the rainbow with one of God’s promises (each pair uses the same hand shape). I love the way this combines the academic (colors) and kinesthetic (ASL) with scriptural promises in such a memorable context!

 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.

 Picture book by Karma Wilson. A sweet story about friends coming together and offering to share what they have and expecting nothing in return. A charming addition to my Thanksgiving book collection.

 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.

 Picture book by Trace Moroney. Written for children but still accurate to the meaning. Illustrations are cute.

 Book with pictures, by Tomie dePaola. This is probably the first beginning chapter book autobiography I have come across, and it is delightful. Perfect for 5-6 year olds to read or be read aloud. I listened to the audiobook of the first 4 books in the series (there are 8 total) and it was great, but I’m sad to have missed out on the illustrations!

 Picture book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. A little bird wishes she had the gifts of other animals (fishing, climbing, swimming, strength, etc) until she learns she has her own gift: singing. The story itself is non-religious, but could easily prompt a discussion about gifts.

 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.

 Picture book by Brian Won. With simple text, this book tells the story of animals being aware of each other’s feelings and spreading kindness by sharing what they have. Charming!

 Picture book by Gary Schmidt.  A charming beginning chapter book that reminded me a lot of Mercy Watson.

 Picture book by Steph Williams. This was a pretty fun retelling and explanation of the Christmas story. I could see kids enjoying saying an incredulous “Whaaat??” as it is repeated on many of the pages.

 Picture book by Tim Thornborough. This retelling of the story of Jonah is faithful to the story, while also told in a very kid-friendly, appealing way. The use of synonyms within the text is a charming addition, and the illustrations are adorable.

 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)

 Picture book by Ann Jonas. A great introduction to color mixing. It would be fun to try re-creating this with sheer scarves (red, yellow, blue, white, gray, and black).

 Picture book by Sarah Weeks. The rhyme and rhythm are perfect, and the silliness is charming.