Christian Children Book Ideas

As Madalyn gets older I am completely surprised that she wants me to continue to read to her, since I have no imagination and I seem to read in a monotone.

My girl impressions sound like a chipmunk and faking an accent seems to be outside my scope of abilities. Never-the-less I try and she puts up with me… she is good to her daddy.

Anyhow, I have gone to the Christian book store looking for some good books that are well written and fun for kids. I have a couple but I don’t really like them and Madalyn is not that interested in them either. I NEED IDEAS! I would sure like some ideas of books that you have read to your kids when they were or are 3 years old that are biblically based. Something with quick, short stories, yet entertaining since I have a very short attention span. :-)

Thanks

Comments

Amber said…
Hey Jason, There is a series we found at the Christian book store called "First Virtues for Toddlers" by Dr Mary Manz Simon. My four year old daughter loves them. They rhyme and have cute pictures. I have some of them memorized at this point I've had to read them so many times! I just found your blog and reading thru it I laughed and cried, but mostly as a single mom, I could relate. I guess us single parents are all going thru the same things, and yet we feel alone. Your daughter is adorable. May God bless you both. She's lucky to have you.

Amber
November 16, 2007 at 8:42 PM
Jason said…
Amber, YAY! Thanks for the recommendation. It is hard to find good material. Kids stuff is not cheap and not always the best quality. Since I have to, like you said, memorize it then I want it to be good. I will check it out.

I know what you mean about feeling alone. There are tens of thousands of people in this city I live and yet I can't find people to relate. I had to expand to basically to the world to finally see that I am not alone. Again thanks Amber..
November 17, 2007 at 4:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi! I love your blog! I have a book recommendation but it's not a Christian book, just one I found. It's called "The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog" by Mo Willems. Even if you just *try* some silly voices, your daughter will love it!! I admire you for hunting for some good books. :)
November 17, 2007 at 5:33 PM
Amber said…
If you find the books, I hope Madalyn likes them. I'd say I hope you like them, but they are for toddlers after all. They do teach good values like being joyful and thankful and telling the truth.

I'm glad you've been able to find you're not alone. And hey, if you ever find where the thirty-something single Christian women are hanging out be sure to let me know, because I've missed the memo. :-) I know someone mentioned church, but at mine it seems everyone is married, which makes me feel more alone. Ya know? Well, happy reading!
November 18, 2007 at 7:24 PM
Jason said…
delaina, thanks for the suggestion, the book sounds interesting. Madalyn does not play with toys much so I am trying to find things for us to do.
Sometimes it is hard to keep busy.
November 19, 2007 at 6:01 PM
Jason said…
Amber, I know what you mean about finding singles at church. I go to a pretty big church and I see the same thing. They all seem to be married. I know something will happen when God wants it to but the being patient is the hard part.
November 19, 2007 at 6:02 PM
Unknown said…
Hi Jason,

Glad to hear you're being a GREAT Father. It's really tough to raise ours kids - where's the manual???

My kids (now 3 & 5) have the series "The Toddlers Bible Library" by Paradise Press, Inc - they are short colorful board books - easy for little ones! There are 6 books in the series - WELL worth the purchase. Good Luck - my prayers are with you!
November 21, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Songbird said…
Hey There Jason,

I am not a single parent, but I deeply respect and admire those of you who are. It's clear to see that you are walking this road in humility, seeking the advice and support of others, and walking with your God. It's also clear to see that you treasure your girl. She is going to grow up knowing her daddy's love. What a gift you are giving her.

I was actually looking for some more book ideas myself and stumbled across this site. I know you posted this last year, but I'm guessing that if your little girl is anything like my four year old daughter, she still likes being read to :). (We enjoy raiding the public library at times too... books can get pretty pricey) Here are some of our favorites

1. Fancy Nancy series (Jane O'Conner)---not Bible based, but fun particularly if she enjoys dressing up, etc. If she's more of a tomboy, she might not enjoy these books so much :)

2. Franklin books (Paulette Bourgeois)--not Bible based but great for framing character issue stuff

3. Play and Learn Bible (NLT Story Bible Series)

4. Max Lucado Hermie & Friends series (DVD's, books and CD's)

5. I'd Be Your Princess: a tale of royal godly character (Kathryn O'Brien)---this might be a neat Father-daughter book for you

6. The Jazz Fly (Comes with a CD narration)--not Bible-based, but entertaining

7.I Love You Always and Forever (Jonathon Emmet) the characters are mice, but it's a father-daughter relationship too (not bible-based though)

8. The Little Engine that Could (we just stumbled across this classic recently and she loves it)

I'm sad to say that I am often disappointed when I browse through the children's literature for pre-schoolers in the Bible bookstore.

Anyway, hope this offers some ideas for you.

In Him, Cathy
April 6, 2008 at 3:13 PM
Jason said…
Cathy, thanks... Madalyn will be 4 in December and I am amazed at how fast she is growing. Smart too. The library has so many books it can be a bit overwhelming when looking for a good book to read.

I found an older series by Alice Joyce Davidson called "An Alice in Bibleland Story Book". It is no longer in publication but I got lucky and found almost a complete set on eBay.

They are about a little girl that likes to read and she steps through the Bible to different Christian stories. It is a fun book. We like them a lot.
April 7, 2008 at 7:06 PM
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