The Bible for Kids Podcast

This week Amy and Mike talk with New York Times best-selling author Joshua Cooley about his book Heroes of the Bible Devotional. Ask any 12-year-old kid to describe a hero, and you will get some of the following answers: a superstar athlete, a soldier on the front lines, or a guy in a cape who can jump over buildings. Most of our “heroes” are related to human achievement and glory, but the Bible has a very different concept. The list of people who were great in God’s eyes might shock you. This devotional book is about their stories. The 90 devotions feature the qualities of Bible characters that made them heroic. From Moses to Esther to Jesus, kids will learn more about how these Bible people pleased God. They will know that qualities like courage, worshiping God, and being a true friend are heroic actions. The devotional features line drawings of the Bible characters to further help youth identify with and learn about the people in the Bible. Joshua Cooley is a New York Times bestselling author, a freelance writer/editor, and has 14 years of experience as a fulltime children’s minister. He has authored or contributed to 14 books, including many devotionals for children and youth such as the Heroes of the Bible Devotional; Creator, Father, King: A One Year Journey With God; and The One Year Devotions With Jesus. In 2018, he teamed with Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles to co-author the star quarterback’s bestselling memoir, Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds. Josh lives in Durham, N.C. You can visit his website at http://www.joshuacooleyauthor.com.  

This week Amy and Mike talk with author and podcast host Arlene Pellicane about kids and technology and her book with Gary Chapman, Screen Kids. Has Technology Taken Over Your Home? In this digital age, children spend more time interacting with screens and less time playing outside, reading a book, or interacting with family. Though technology has its benefits, it also has its harms. In Screen Kids Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the tools you need to make positive changes. Through stories, science, and wisdom, you’ll discover how to take back your home from an overdependence on screens. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention. Learn how to: Protect and nurture your child’s growing brain Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference Recognize the warning signs of gaming too much Raise a child who won’t gauge success through social media Teach your child to be safe online This newly revised edition features the latest research and interactive assessments, so you can best confront the issues technology create in your home. Now is the time to equip your child with a healthy relationship with screens and an even healthier relationship with others. Pellicane is the author of nine books (including Parents Rising, 31 Days to a Happy Husband, and Screen Kids co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman), speaker, and host of the Happy Home podcast.

Amy and Mike talk with author Hunter Beless this week about her new book Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It! In Hunter Beless’s delightfully whimsical picture book, Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It!, multiple diverse families grow in their knowledge of and love for the Bible in four simple ways:                      Reading, or hearing God’s Word read aloud Seeing, or memorizing Scripture Saying, or talking about the Bible together Singing, or worshiping God and proclaiming the Gospel As the characters read, see, say, and sing the Bible, they learn that God uses His Word to speak to us, mature us, help us fight sin, and expand His kingdom. Young readers will understand that as we study, memorize, repeat, and declare Scripture, Jesus is glorified, and our lives are changed forever! A celebration of the living and active Word of God, Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It! elevates Scripture to the place it belongs in our lives—as the highest and most trustworthy authority. Children will see that by knowing and  loving God’s Word, we can draw closer to Jesus, the hero of the Bible! HUNTER BELESS is passionate about helping women know and love God more, especially through His Word. She is the founder of Journeywomen, hosts the Journeywomen podcast, and loves doing ministry in her local church context. Hunter and her husband, Brooks, have three amazing kiddos who memorize Scripture way faster than their mama! When they’re not reading, seeing, saying, or singing the Bible, you can find the Beless family camping, riding bikes, or snuggling up with a good book.

This week Amy and Mike catch up with author Mitali Perkins about her book Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week. A lyrical, captivating retelling of the Palm Sunday and Easter story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, that is sure to become a beloved tradition for families of faith. Little Wind and the trees of Jerusalem can't wait for Real King to visit. But Little Wind is puzzled when the king doesn't look how he expected. His wise friend Bare Tree helps him learn that sometimes strength is found in sacrifice, and new life can spring up even when all hope seems lost.   This story stands apart for its imagination, endearing characters, and how it weaves Old Testament imagery into Holy Week and the promise of Jesus's triumphant return. While the youngest readers will connect to the curious Little Wind, older children and parents will appreciate the layers of meaning and Scriptural references in the story, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year. Mitali Perkins writes novels for young people, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award) Rickshaw Girl (NYPL best 100 Book for children in the past 100 years; film in 2021), Bamboo People (ALA Top 10 YA novel), and Tiger Boy (South Asia Book Award winner.) Her newest are Home Is In Between, a picture book published by Macmillan FSG, and a nonfiction book for adults, Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh our Tired Souls, published by Broadleaf. She currently writes and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Amy and Mike this week talk with author Amy Kavelaris about her new book, Good Morning, Little One: New Mercies and Prayers to Carry You Through the Day. Amy Kavs (Kavelaris) Art can be spotted in Target, Anthropologie, Better Homes & Gardens, etc. & hanging in homes/sold on products around the globe. She has been captivated by the study of light and the way little ones interact with nature since she was old enough to hold a pencil. This fascination with every day beauty, is apparent in her breadth of paintings, blooming in a dreamlike-whimsy. Reassure kids that God is carrying them throughout the day with these morning affirmations and whimsical illustrations from beloved author Amy Kavelaris. Adorable animals with gorgeous floral art and words of hope remind little ones of God's love, security, and peace for the day ahead. Through a child’s eyes, the world can be beautiful, wonder-filled, and a bit fear-filled all at the same time. Remind your little one that God is always near with this unique book of blessings. A beautiful companion to Amy Kavelaris’s popular Good Night, My Darling Dear, this inspirational picture book reassures children ages 4 to 8 that God carries them through good days, hard days, and anxious days shares biblical promises of God's love, purpose, and protection features the whimsical imagery of nature and animals that has made Kavelaris’s art beloved encourages kids to discover God each day and joyfully live out who He created them to be gives children confidence to be brave in scary and unexpected situations This unique book of blessings and prayers will remind your little one of God’s loving promises revealed in nature: that He protects us from the rain, He covers us with His wings, He shines His light into the darkness, and most of all, He’ll always be with us. Good Morning, Little One by artist Amy Kavelaris includes a stunning cover with a jacket over hardcover makes a touching keepsake gift book for a child's Easter basket, baby showers, and other new beginnings such as adoption, a new sibling, or the first day of school is an enchanting piece of art for a botanical nursery or child's bedroom is ideal for any parent, grandparent, or family who wants to establish a tradition of blessing their child in the morning There's no better way to start the day than praying over your children with this sweet, Scripture-based book about trusting God to carry each of you in His gentle arms.

This week Amy and Mike talk with author Linsey Driskill about her new book Beautiful Hearted Women of the Bible: A Creative Mother-Daughter Devotional. Enjoy Valuable Time with Your Daughter and the Lord by Connecting through Stories, Questions, Prayer, Action, and Creativity. Beautiful Hearted Women of the Bible is a creative and interactive 40-week devotional that provides a sweet space for moms and daughters ages 6–10 years old to grow in their relationship with God and each other. Each devotion features a woman of the Bible who loved the Lord and loved others. Learning about the fortitude and inner beauty of these women will inspire both moms and daughters to develop beautiful hearts of strength, courage, and love and will ultimately point them to Jesus. Beautiful Hearted Women of the Bible reaches beyond the mind to the heart, connecting moms and daughters and raising up difference-makers for Jesus. Linsey Driskill has been married almost fifteen years, has ten-year-old triplets, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and is an author and speaker. She loves encouraging families in following Jesus and His words: to love God and love others. Linsey is from Atlanta, Georgia and now lives in South Carolina. She has led educational awareness trips in Guatemala, taught elementary and middle school students at an inner-city Atlanta school, and directed Villages of Hope, a nonprofit supporting former foster children and homeless youth. Linsey loves spontaneity, authenticity, simplicity and a good cup of coffee! Linsey is author of "Beautiful Hearted Women of the Bible: A Creative Mother-Daughter Devotional", published by Focus on the Family.    

This week Amy and Mike welcome their Publisher from K-Love books, Dave Schroeder to the podcast to talk about The Bible for Me: Bible Stories and Prayers which released on February 22! You can order a copy today and a copy will be given away by K-Love and the Salvation Army! Amazon link - https://amzn.to/3Cak4HC Help your child to understand what God’s Word means to him or her with this fully illustrated and easy-to-read collection of 50 popular Bible stories, written by best-selling Christian children’s author Amy Parker and VeggieTales® cocreator Mike Nawrocki. The Bible for Me: Bible Stories and Prayers is a new Bible storybook and the first title in The Bible for Me brand of related products for kids ages 4 to 8 from authors Amy Parker and Mike Nawrocki. The 50 stories are written and designed to share the story of God’s people and His love for each child in a way that is relevant and relatable to the reader. The book features: Engaging stories written with your child in mind An even split of 25 Old Testament and 25 New Testament stories Fresh, colorful illustrations from Taylor Thompson Prayers at the end of each story, where the reader can easily insert the child’s name, making the stories uniquely personal Buy one, give one campaign to benefit ministry partners, including The Salvation Army Bible Stories and Prayers was written to emphasize how personal and relevant God’s story is to your child’s life. Throughout these fifty favorite Bible stories, children will come face-to-face with God’s endless love for them, providing a firm foundation of faith to last a lifetime. Authors Amy Parker (Night Night Prayer books) and Mike Nawrocki (cocreator of VeggieTales® and voice of Larry the Cucumber) have written and told Bible stories to tens of millions of children through their books and videos. In Bible for Me: Bible Stories and Prayers they wrote each story to speak directly to your children and tell God’s story in a way that reveals His love for them.

This week Amy and Mike talk with author Dr Lucretia Berry about her new book Hues of You: An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In.  We live in a vibrant, colorful world, and though we enthusiastically teach our children the hues we find in nature and in the objects around us, we often find it difficult to teach them about the beauty of different skin tones.  Dr. Lucretia Berry, founder of Brownicity—a learning community dedicated to education and advocacy for antiracism—is often asked by parents, teachers, and caregivers how they can best approach this conversation with kids. In response, she created a fun and interactive tool that provides children and their adults a way to brave the shift from color blindness to color consciousness—HUES OF YOU: An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In (WaterBrook; on sale 1/4/22).  Filled with lively and bright full-color illustrations by Adia Carter, the book’s drawing and writing activities are divided into four main sections—Hues of You, Hues of Your Family, Hues of Your Ancestors, and Hues of Your Friends. Each page gives kids space to explore their identity in a variety of social contexts and to celebrate the diversity of skin tones in the world around them.  Adults who have felt hesitant or unprepared to talk with the children in their lives about skin tone, race, and ethnicity will find that Hues of You is the perfect starting point. With this engaging resource, they can help lay the groundwork for a more positive, affirming, and inclusive world. 

Amy and Mike talk this week about Easter with author Laura Sassi and specifically about her new book, Bunny Finds Easter.   ABOUT THE BOOK:  Inside Bunny Finds Easter, little ones will learn the true answer to “What is Easter?” alongside Bunny. The rhyming text by bestselling author Laura Sassi and adorable illustrations help children see Easter may have many fun traditions, but it is really all about celebrating Jesus and his resurrection. Coloring eggs, wearing a lovely bonnet, joining in the fun of an egg hunt, and attending church with family are special things that are a part of Easter! But the most important thing about this holiest of seasons is remembering the reason we gather to celebrate and focusing on Jesus most of all. Bunny Finds Easter is: For ages 0-4 A board book perfect for little hands, and in a size that works great for lap reading Ideal for Easter gift-giving and fits perfectly in an Easter basket A conversation starter for a discussion of the true meaning of Easter Laura Sassi has a passion for telling stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of five picture books including the best-selling Goodnight, Ark, which was a 2015 Christian Book Award Finalist; Goodnight, Manger; Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse, which won First Honor Book for the 2019 Best in Rhyme Award and is a 2021-2022 Iowa Goldfinch Award Nominee; Love Is Kind, which was a 2020 Anna Dewdney Read Together Award Honor Book; Little Ewe: The Story of One Lost Sheep and Bunny Finds Easter, her new board book with Zonderkidz!    She's been a school teacher,  homeschool mom, children's ministry director, historic museum interpreter, and more. She writes daily from her home in New Jersey and finds special joy in sharing her love of reading and writing with the next generation at school visits and other book events. Find her on the web at:    https://www.facebook.com/LauraSassiTales