Big Thoughts for Little People by Kenneth N. Taylor
Ages 3-7
Hardcover, $14.99

Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC’s to Help You Grow, by Kenneth N. Taylor is a very unique book.  Each two-page spread represents one letter of the alphabet.  The left-hand page depicts the letter, in both uppercase and lowercase, and a short verse of poetry about some character trait, desired action, etc., represented by that letter.  This is followed by an explanation of the concept in smaller text, several comprehension questions, and a related Scripture verse.  The right-hand page is an illustration.  The (hardcover) book is geared toward 3- to 7-year-olds and retails for $14.99.

Not all of the concepts addressed are sin/obedience issues.  For instance, Z is for “zebra” and talks about God having created all of the animals – and us, too.  Most of the concerns I might have with the book are piddly detail things.  N is for “nice.”  That’s a vague word, in my opinion.  (And “kind” is already present, for K.)  In writing class your teacher probably told you that “good” is too broad and asked you to choose a more specific word.  Likewise, I think that N could have been used for something more specific.  (“Noticing,” perhaps, to discuss attentiveness.)  That’s not really a problem, though, just something I think could use improvement.  It does bother me a bit that the picture on this page includes a Jack-O-Lantern.  (Some readers will have similar concerns with the J page, where a Christmas tree features very prominently.)

A couple other instances where I would have liked to find slightly different terminology are less significant to the text of the book.  “Punished” and “disciplined” are used interchangeably, which I find less than accurate.  And a dog is referred to as a “doggie.”  This, too, is pretty minor.  Calling it a “doggie” certainly doesn’t create any theological problems!  But we try to avoid baby talk with our children, so I would have preferred the proper word.

The only remotely significant issue I have with the book is the Scripture references.  All Scripture references are from The Living Bible – which is not unexpected, as the author of this book is also the translator of that version of the Bible.  We don’t care for The Living Bible, though, preferring more literal, word-for-word (“formal equivalency”) translations.  In particular, I think this leads to a poor choice of verses for L (“lying”).  The verse used here is Exodus 20:16: “You must not lie.” Exodus 20:16 doesn’t instruct us not to lie, though; it tells us not to bear false witness, which is far more specific.  There are more accurate, less confusing choices available, such as Proverbs 6:16-17: “…the LORD hates…a lying tongue…”

All of these textual issues (even the translation one) are pretty minor issues, though, given the layout of the book.  All of the book’s text is on a white background, so whiting out or editing any portion of the text would be quite doable.  In particular, the Scripture references are at the very bottoms of the pages, with plenty of white space around them, so it would be very, very easy to print out verses on white labels and stick them over the original ones.  That would be a very easy way to incorporate different verses and/or a different translation.  (In fact, this is probably what I will do with our copy, because it will allow me to use our family’s preferred translation for verses our girls are likely to commit to memory.)

Additionally, despite all of the nitpicky details I just pointed out (for the sake of thoroughness!), I really like this book.  It should really “grow” well with a child.  For a very young child, the poetry can stand alone.  (This could also be read alone if you’re in a hurry.)  Older children can read the smaller text (or you can read it to them), and can think through the answers to the questions.  The Scripture verses can, of course, be read along with the text.  They could also be used as memory verses.

Likewise, the illustrations have much to offer.  There is a lot in the pictures, so there are many opportunities to draw your child’s attention to specific details.  (The questions in the text do a bit of this, too.)  Ladybugs are hiding in each illustration.  Have fun practicing observation skills by finding them and math skills by counting them.  Finally, each picture contains a number of elements which begin with the theme letter, offering phonics practice.

The wording of the book makes the concepts contained within it very approachable for children.  The section of smaller text offers specifics that make application very tangible.  For instance, M is for “messy,” which we want to not be!  The reader hears that it’s best to put toys away when you’re finished playing.  It’s also a good idea to make your bed look neat after sleeping in it, and to help clear the table and wash/dry dishes after meals.  I’m sure most of us with children can vouch for the fact that it’s helpful for our children to hear these things from someone other than Dad and Mom sometimes!

This book has been around for a while and is now available in this repackaged/reprinted edition for good reason!  It was well thought-out and is more than just another book.  It’s a very beneficial and godly resource for use during the development of our little ones.  I would recommend it for Christian parents of toddlers and preschoolers (although, as noted, if you object to Christmas trees, the J page could be problematic for you).

(This book was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers and MamaBuzz.)