Big Thoughts for Little People

Kenneth Taylor - well known as the author of The Living Bible, and founder of Tyndale House publishers - was a man dedicated to conveying the Christian message to children (he had 10 himself) in simple, understandable truths. Big Thoughts for Little People, a much-loved, best-selling picture book has now received fresh new illustrations while maintaining Taylor's text from the original edition. Many readers my age may be familiar with the original version of this classic title, which was wildly popular during the `80s, and be looking forward with nostalgic fondness to sharing this new release with their own children. I however, missed out on the first edition as a child, so it was with fresh eyes that my daughters and I dug into it together. My first impression was that this vibrantly illustrated hardcover filled with bright, action-filled paintings of children with simple text and discussion questions might appeal to my three-year-old, I was wrong. Every time I open its pages I'm surrounded by a flock of eager faces - 6, 3, and 1, as all of my children adore this newly revised classic. Arranged around the letters of the alphabet, each letter features a lesson relating to Christian character and moral development. A is for Asking, B is for Behave, C is for Crying and so on. Introduced by a four lines of rhyming verse: D is for doing What needs to be done. So please do it cheerfully. Then you'll have fun. At this points all parents are saying, "Huzzah!" Who can argue with reading this to their children? But, how do the children react? I was afraid that the simple, direct, and pull-no punches moral teachings might be considered boring for my little ones, but if we take it one letter at a time and allow the lessons to sink in, they eat it right up. A paragraph discussing the concept and relating it to the accompanying illustration follows the rhyme. Three brief, age-appropriate questions are then asked. At times these questions encourage children to examine and interact with the artwork ("What are some good things the children are doing? Tell about each one."). At other times the questions encourage the child to engage in personal reflection and encourage brainstorming ways to do better ("What kind of thing could you do to help someone?"). Each letter closes with a scripture verse from Taylor's own The Living Bible. At times my three-year-old needs some guidance through the more contemplative questions, my six-year-old dives right in (they actually can't wait for their turn to tackle each question), and my one-year-old slaps at the bright illustrations and tries to turn pages (I have the page tears to prove it). Who would have guessed? My children have been captivated by this seemingly simple formula that repeats throughout the book. Does it work? If taken a letter at a time and reinforced by the parent, I'm going to say yes! After reading, "C is for Crying", in which Taylor explains that crying isn't really necessary unless an injury has bee

When I first saw Big Thoughts for Little People, I have to admit, I expected a lot less. I thought it was going to only portray a word that matched each letter of the alphabet that was relevant to God and the Bible. I was excited to use it in aiding me in teaching my toddler the alphabet in a fun way while learning tidbits about the Bible. Let me tell you, I got so much more than that! It wasn't until I opened it and began reading "A" for "asking" that I realized this is a devotional! It's a wonderful devotional suited for the short attention span of toddlers and preschoolers, yet filled with spiritual truths to help them understand God and character training attributes. In addition, opposite the page of the devotional is a large picture associated with the word, and filled with pictures that begin with that letter! So after our devotional reading, we look at the picture and find all the things that begin with that letter. Each devotional contains some simple, yet important questions, and a paraphrased verse. My children love this and remind me to pull it out every morning, for chance I might forget! I really do recommend this for toddlers and preschoolers. Kenneth N. Taylor, the author of Big Thoughts for Little People was actually the founder of Tyndale House Publishers and is the best-selling author of numerous children's books, so he has other great books out there worth checking out!

'Big Thoughts for little people' is an A-Z book of Christian foundational values that you would want your child to have and elements that your child should be aware of. The late Dr. Kenneth Taylor, founder of the Tyndale House Publishers and author of this book, has identified 26 values/elements (that include behaving, singing, unselfishness and politeness) and has placed them out in alphabetical order. That's not all...under each value/element, Dr. Taylor has listed out 3 questions for a parent to ask their child, thereby encouraging the child to think and put into perspective the value/element just learnt. Each page finally ends with an easy to memorize verse from the Bible that relates to the value/element highlighted on that page. Simple but comprehensive. I think this is a great Christian foundational book for preschoolers and young school goers. The illustrator-Andrea Petrlik Huseinovic- has also taken the time to place little ladybugs on each page. As you progress through the book with your little one, 'finding the ladybugs' becomes a little game to play before the next alphabet!

Big Thoughts for Little People is an amazing ABC book written by Kenneth N. Taylor. Beautiful artwork dons the two-page spread for every letter of the alphabet. Each picture tells a story in itself. Each letter features a word with a short poem, followed by a discussion of the word as it pertains to children and biblical teaching while combining the elements of a seek-and-find in the pictures. This is followed by a biblical quote that children can understand. When I got this book, I wasn't sure how much my five year old, who is an advanced reader, would enjoy it since it was an ABC book. However, the stories on each page are very engaging and it is not just an ABC book at all. My 3-year old loves it as well, and it reinforces her ABC's. It has quickly become a family favorite, teaching biblical values in a way that is applicable to young people. We love reading a few pages before bedtime. If you know anyone with young children, I would highly recommend this book to help teach Christian values. I was in no way compensated for this review.

The book uses the alphabet to teach small children how to be good. It teaches right from wrong with fun poems, interactive pictures and descriptive paragraphs, and questions parents can ask their children