Saturday, October 17, 2015

BookLook Blogger Review: Believe Storybook: Think, Act, Be Like Jesus by Randy Frazee


I had the pleasure of reviewing the Believe Storybook: Think, Act, Be Like Jesus written by Randy Frazee and Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton as part of the BookLook Blogger review program. I am always looking for books that teach my daughter, Alyssa (Age 8), about God. I never expected the book to be so big and thick. It is a wonderful addition to our personal library.

Author Biography
Randy Frazee is the senior minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX where he partners and leads with Max Lucado. Mr. Frazee is the mastermind behind the Storybook campaign and best selling author of the Christian Life Profile Assessment, The Connecting Church 2.0, and The Heart of the Story

Book Description 
Believe Storybook: Think, Act, Be Like Jesus is part of Frazee's national church-wide program aimed towards teaching children to think, act, and be more like Jesus. It was published by Zonderkidz. Themes are interweaved into both New and Old Testament Bible stories. 

Price
Faith Gateway Special Price $15.99
Amazon $16.37

Note: Prices subject to change without notice. 

My Thoughts and Experiences
The Believe Storybook is a well-written 256-page large hardcover book that encourages children to model their behavior after Jesus and his thoughts, actions, and beliefs. The book has glossy pages and a dust jacket for protecting the cover. The book's foundation is on the beliefs, practices, and virtues of Christian life. The simple illustrations created by Steve Adams are captivating. The illustrator uses the white space well surrounding text with meaningful and relevant depictions that complement the Bible stories. The images enhance the text and help the reader focus on the theme.

I love the unique book layout and organization. It's nice to read something that is set up differently from the other Bible storybooks. The full-color book is divided into 3 main sections: Think, Act, and Be. The book consists of 30 themed chapters; 10 chapters are included in each main section. Each chapter covers an Old and New Testament story. I really appreciate that the book combines the Old Testament stories with New Testament stories. There is a collection of 60 Bible stories from BOTH the Old and the New Testament woven throughout this book. The content is NOT in chronological order. The book provided readers with a Jump to Jesus connection which reveals the bigger picture of how Jesus fits into the story in addition to a Believe Key Idea and Key Bible Verse at the end of each chapter. The verses can be easily memorized by younger children with the help of an adult.  Thought-provoking questions were scattered throughout each chapter. The questions help you and your child dig deeper into the message or theme. Children will reflect and apply the key verse and theme to their lives.

Each Story Contains
  • Key Thought-Provoking Question
  • Referenced Old and New Testament Bible Stories
  • The Jesus Answer Connecting the Stories
  • Key Idea and Referenced Verse
Themes Covered
THINK LIKE JESUS
  • God
  • Personal God
  • Salvation
  • The Bible
  • Identity in Christ
  • Church
  • Humanity
  • Compassion
  • Stewardship
  • Eternity
ACT LIKE JESUS
  • Worship
  • Prayer
  • Bible Study
  • Single-Mindedness
  • Total Surrender
  • Biblical Community
  • Spiritual Gifts
  • Offering My Time
  • Giving My Resources
  • Sharing My Faith
BE LIKE JESUS
  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Self Control
  • Hope
  • Patience
  • Kindness/Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Humility
WOW! That's a lot of great information with beautiful illustrations packed into one book. There are many significant topics included in this book that I know will help my daughter develop spiritually and grow closer to our Almighty Father. 

How We Plan to Use This Book
I am going to use the Believe Storybook as a supplemental Bible read aloud to our curriculum with informal discussions at bedtime for approximately 15-30 minutes each night after I give it to my daughter as a birthday or Christmas gift. Although, I'm sure my daughter will probably read this book during her independent reading time. We'll aim to cover one chapter per week. We'll begin on Monday with a discussion related to the Theme and Key Question. We'll read and discover a new Old Testament Bible Story on Tuesday. My daughter will practice locating the referenced verses. On Wednesday, we'll make connections and relate to the story as we discuss the Jump to Jesus section. The New Testament Bible Story will be read and discussed on Thursday. I will end the themed chapter study on Friday by reading The Jesus Answer. Through games and play, I will help my daughter memorize the weekly Key Verse and encourage her to find ways to apply the Key Idea to her life with step-by-step suggestions.

Recommendations
I HIGHLY recommend The Believe Storybook for children between the ages of 4-8 years old. However, Christian adults and older children will definitely appreciate the content and relevant messages found in this book. The book's content is age-appropriate and the font size is larger than most picture books. Younger children may need help holding and reading the book due too its size and word length.

This book can be used as a Bible curriculum, guide, or standalone personal devotional in your home, homeschool, Sunday School, or in a small church group. It would make a great gift or coffee table book.

Be ready to explore the Bible with your children and discover new ways to discuss the themed topics. This is one book that will be read and reread for years to come.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary, free copy of this book from the publisher as part of the BookLook Blogger Review Team Program in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 
I review for BookLook Bloggers


1 comment: