Jesus Storybook Bible and Starfall

So I think the most wonderful children's book I've ever come across is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. It is a children's collection of Bible stories in which each ends by pointing forward or backward to the coming of Jesus. It is so beautifully and refreshingly told that I frequently tear-up when reading it to the boys (and I'm usually reading during breakfast, which is not really a crying time-of-day)!

Though the language and organization of this book is directed toward children, the author's continual reminders that "it is all about Jesus" minister to the adult reader as well. As a Christian, I believe wholeheartedly that the past, present and future all revolve around the time Jesus spent here on earth; even so, I am amazed that a children's book is able to express that so effectively. Everything: life, death, beauty, sorrow, joy, friendship, love...all of this has meaning because of God becoming a man. I am so awed and humbled by this truth!

If you have young children and you love the Lord, I highly recommend that you get this book! I give quite a bit of credit for Caleb's understanding of spiritual ideas to the time we've spent reading these Biblical stories. Amazon link to book: (http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Every-Whispers/dp/0310708257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248951662&sr=8-1).

And while I'm recommending things, I recently explored the coolest website that we recommended to me by a friend. It's called http://www.starfall.com/. If you have an interested preschooler (or 3), you could spend about 10 minutes a day getting him or her ready to read (and subsequently teaching reading using the next stage of the site). I think you could use this site with a child as young as 24 months, if the child's attention is held by the screen. Caleb and I are using it to learn phonics since he is older and already recognizes his upper and lower case letters. He's catching on to the phonics very quickly, and loves all of the little animations and examples on the website. Ethan, who of course has to be a part of everything, is also parroting the phonetic sounds of the letter. Thanks, Anastasia, for the recommendation!