Review: Really Woolly Bedtime Blessings by Bonnie Rickner Jensen, Illustrated by Julie Sawyer Phillips

REALLY WOOLLY

BEDTIME BLESSINGS

by Bonnie Rickner Jensen

Illustrated by Julie Sawyer Phillips

Thomas Nelson

Board Book / Religious

24 pages

ages 2 and up

Your children will go to sleep feeling loved and secure as they count the blessings in each day. 

When it's time to tuck toddlers in for the night, this adorable board book from beloved the Really Woolly brand points out the blessings God so richly provides. With the knowledge they are loved and blessed, your little ones will fall fast asleep comforted and secure.  Sweet rhymes, scriptures, and bedtime blessings  encourage children to thank God for all the day's blessings!

MY TIDBITS 

This is a set of nighttime devotions for toddlers written with the feeling and warmth Really Woolly Books are known for.

There are twelve devotions, each one starting with a very short Bible verse and followed by an 8-line poem. The entire thing wraps up with a short thought which wraps the meaning back in tune with the verse for that night.

The illustrations are sweet and full of love, perfect for setting the sleepy mood at the end of the day. They hold moments of familiarity which toddlers can easily relate to and might point out things they recognize.

The poems don't always flow perfectly, but they hold the nice loving atmosphere of a last bedtime moment. The words will hit home gently with parents as well as the young listeners. Some words are highlighted in bold...perhaps, for discussion or special emphasis. Each poem is sweet and leads to think or notice something from the daily life. It's a nice beginning devotional for younger listeners.

I received a complimentary copy through Booklook Bloggers and enjoyed reading through it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.

Review: Really Woolly I Love You, Little One by

REALLY WOOLLY

I LOVE YOU, LITTLE ONE

by Bonnie Rickner Jensen

Illustrated by Donna Chapman

Thomas Nelson

Board Book/ Religious

40 pages

ages 3 and up

Your children will feel safe and loved. 

Children build confidence when they know they are loved. In Really Woolly® I Love You, Little One, our favorite lamb and his friends discover how much they are loved by their families and, most of all, by God.

Reading these comforting rhymes, Bible verses, and prayers will help you create a special bonding moment with your child, building a foundation of love that lasts a lifetime.

MY TIDBITS

Love, strength, comfort and hope fill every page.

This is a sturdy, thicker little board book, perfect for small hands. The cover and pages can survive small accidents and are robust enough for little fingers. The cover is slightly padded, making it a joy to hold. In other words, this book is built for young readers/listeners.

Each two-page spread holds a short, yet meaningful glimpse into daily life and helps center thoughts on God. There's a short title, which is followed by a Bible verse. Then, a two verse poem (4 lines each) makes it clear how the thought from the verse can fit into life. At the end, is a short prayer.

The poems are easy to understand and are directly related to things which happen in the intended age group's lives—fort building with blankets, story time, swimming, a day at the park and more. Everything is meaningful and kept super short, insuring something for even those very small attention spans.

Sweet illustrations accompany every two-page spread, and these are what catches younger listeners' attention. Woolly is accompanied by two friends, a rabbit and a duckling, as they head from what fitting adventure into the next. The atmosphere is always cheerful and filled with hope. To add a little more fun, little details are dropped in, which are sure to catch the eye.

In other words, this is a cute book and great for daily readings to help young listeners learn more about their relationship with God in daily life.

Review: Christmas Blessings (Really Woolly) by Bonnie Rickner Jensen Illustrated by Donna Chapman

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

Really Wolly

by Bonnie Ricker Jensen
and DaySpring

Illustrated by Donna Chapman

Thomas Nelson

Board Book / Holiday

40 pages

ages 3 and up

Enjoy the blessings of Christmas!

Christmastime is full of blessings, and the Really Woolly characters celebrate every part of the season—from time with family and friends, to sledding and decorating, to the joy of giving to others.

Cuddle up close with your little one, and enjoy the precious rhymes, meaningful Bible verses, simple prayers, and endearing illustrations that teach about the greatest Christmas gift of all—the birth of Jesus.

MY TIDBITS

The warmth behind Christmas comes across through lovely, sweet rhymes.

The stability and care given into the making of this book is clear the minute it hits the hands. It's stable for tiny fingers, just the right size for toddlers to carry around and flip through, and even has a softness to the cover to give a gentle, cuddly feeling. This board book was made for kids and will hold up to them.

The first page contains a short, full of Christmas senses, note for parents, which explains the intent of these pages: to cuddle, have happy hearts and read versus and prayers together. That's exactly what this book offers, too. Every two-page spread contains a short title and then a short summary of a Bible verse. Then follows two versus of a simple poem, which brings over the sense behind the verse in a very basic and easy way for young listeners to understand and relate to. At the end is a one line prayer which relates to the reading.

The illustrations are simple, colorful and bring across exactly what is being talked about. Of course, Woolly and his/her friends are always present.

It's a sweet book, which is great for parents and grandparents to use before the holidays. The first few pages concentrate on the story of Jesus' birth. After this the tone changes, and the rest of the book hits various activities surrounding Christmas and how they relate to our Christian lives and happy hearts. I was a little disappointed by some of the verse summaries, however. While some are well done, others don't match up well with the actual meaning of the verse in the Bible. There are highlighted words in every other line of the poems, which could have been really clever if they had a purpose other than being colorful and bold.

In general, this is a cute collection of poems and prayers, which ring in Christmas nicely with very young listeners and brings over the heart of the holiday.

I received a complimentary copy from Booklook Bloggers.

Happy Book Bday, A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen Illustrated by Natalia Moore!

A VERY THANKFUL PRAYER

by Bonnie Rickner Jensen

Illustrated by Natalia Moore

Thomas Nelson

Board Book

ages 2+

24 pages

Every day I wake up with a happy, thankful heart. 

From watching the leaves fall to picking pumpkins from the patch, from sharing a Thanksgiving meal with loved ones to learning how to give—there’s so much to be thankful for! Join these adorable animals as they say a prayer of thanks to God, who gives us every good thing.

 MY TIDBITS

Colorful images and lovely rhymes make this a book of thanks, which brings the best side of Autumn to life.

There are many things to be thankful for, more than we could ever list, and often times, not even think of. Autumn brings apples, pie, bright colored leaves, warm caps and so much more. While addressing Thanksgiving, this book doesn't stop with the holiday, but envelopes many other aspects of the cooler season and all the joy it brings.

Already the cover captures the eye with its shiny bronze, metallic leaves sprinkled between the Fall trees and sets the mood. This is a celebration of Autumn and the wonderful things the season offers as well as Thanksgiving. There are so many things to be thankful for, but many are over looked. Through a four lined rhyme on each 2-page spread, little details of the season, which kids are sure to recognize and have experienced themselves, are pointed out. Woolly scarves, pumpkin patches, and playing outside are only a few of the things mentioned.

The illustrations are adorable! They are colorful and filled with sweet, friendly animals on every page. The characters and scene change on every spread, making it a true glance at all the variety to be thankful for. And every illustration is bounding with the excitement of life, begging kids to join in with all of the fun activities and games. The board book is great for smaller hands and is sure to hold up to some beating, as kids return to glance at the pictures time and again.

Summed up, this is a great book for the Thanksgiving season and Fall in general. Not only are the rhymes centered on things kids will relate too, but the pictures are so cheerful and vibrant that it's hard not to smile.



I was provided a copy of this book through Booklook Bloggers.