Dinosaur-loving Middle-Eastern tourists may be a small demographic, but this book targets them perfectly.
There’s a theory that any book can be improved by putting a dinosaur in it. You may have a child in your family who believes that “Hansel and Gretel and Stegosaurus” would be ten times better than the original. And so we have a travel guide about a dinosaur who goes to the Holy Land. Sample verse: “I ride up Mt. Masada. / Dino hikes the snakey path. / We cool off at the Dead Sea. / He enjoys a warm mud bath.” The other verses don’t scan any better. The book does provide an authentic Israeli experience, of sorts: falafel, the Western Wall, souvenir shopping at a shuk. Readers will learn half-a-dozen Hebrew words and find out that a shuk is a marketplace. But there’s a very inauthentic dinosaur on every page. This may be a test of character. If you have to ask why a dinosaur has taken a plane to Israel, this isn’t the book for you. If your child points to the cover and tells you the name of the dinosaur on the front, you may need to purchase this book. Otherwise, you can buy a dinosaur toy and a travel book and safely keep them separate. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5134-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
A satisfactory, Christian-themed guide to coping with worries.
What do you do when anxieties seep in?
A child with short brown hair, light skin, and thick glasses is plagued by Worry, an amorphous gray blob with large eyes. As the child considers various activities, Worry supplies some answers to its favorite question—“What if?” Like what if you fall while rollerblading? Or what if you get soaked in the rain on the way to the school bus? When this happens, pretty bad feelings arise. An unseen narrator tells readers that talking to God can make things better. As the child decides to “think about God’s promises,” a protective bubble forms around them. The child rollerblades, trusting God to take care of things, and finds courage and security in the good things planned even when some things go wrong. In the end, God is more powerful than Worry. Opening with a Bible verse, this book is an affirmation of a Christian perspective that belief in God will see a person through uncertain times. Caregivers and educators should note that the book focuses more on typical worries than clinical anxiety. The boilerplate illustrations add some interest to the pages, doing a bit of the heavy lifting left from the general and bare second-person narration. Racially diverse children populate the background. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A satisfactory, Christian-themed guide to coping with worries. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781546012542
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
