Friday, January 8, 2010

Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


Dinosaurs for Kids

Master Books (October 15, 2009)

***Special thanks to Robert Parrish of New Leaf Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ken Ham is the founder and executive director of Answers in Genesis in the USA and one of the most sought-after Christian speakers in North America. He is the author or co-author of many books and is heard daily on the radio program, “Answers...with Ken Ham,” on more than 300 stations worldwide. Ken is also featured in various videos including the series, “Answers in Genesis with Dr. Gary Parker,” and the 12-part series of 28-minute videos, “Answers...with Ken Ham.” Ken's teaching is clear, true to the Bible, engaging, and challenging. Many have found salvation and others have been encouraged and equipped to reach others with the gospel through Ken's ministry.


Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

Price: $14.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Master Books (October 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0890515557
ISBN-13: 978-0890515556

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


Dinosaurs for Kids

by

Ken Ham, illustrated by Bill Looney


Dinosaurs can provide a great way to learn about history. You may already be familiar with some of these dinosaurs. These drawings show you what we think they may have looked like. Now, we don’t know for sure, of course, as we usually only find their bones as fossils (and most times, only a few of their bones). Artists use what bones have been found, knowledge about living animals, and some imagination to come up with drawings like these. See if you can pronounce these dinosaur names:


Dilophosaurus (die-LOF-o-SWAR-us), meaning “two-crested lizard.”
Styracosaurus (sty-RAK-o-SAWR-us), meaning “spiked lizard.”
Triceratops (tri-SER-a-tops), meaning “three-horned face.”
Megalosaurus (MEG-a-lo-SAWR-us), meaning “big lizard.”
Iguanodon (i-GWAHN-o-don), meaning “iguana tooth.”
Ceratosaurus (ser-ah-toe-SAWR-us), meaning “horned lizard.”
Deinonychus (die-NON-i-kus), meaning “terrible claws.”
Velociraptor (vee-LOHS-i-RAP-tor), meaning “swift robber.”
Ultrasaurus (UHL-tra-SAWR-us), was so nicknamed because of its enormous size.
Seismosaurus (SEIS-mo-SAWR-us), meaning “earthquake lizard.”


Did you know there are hundreds of dinosaur names? However, there were not hundreds of types of dinosaurs. There were a number of similar ones that should be grouped into categories known by what the Bible describes as “kinds.” Does that sound a little confusing? Well, this book will help to explain this and a lot of other things about dinosaurs you may not know.


(Pictures with names):

Dilophosaurus
Styracosaurus
Triceratops
Iguanodon
Ceratosaurus
Velociraptor
Ultrasaurus
Seismosaurus


Before we begin, I don’t want you to miss out on knowing what my very favorite dinosaur is! In fact, I think he deserves this whole page to himself! It is the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex (ti-RAN-oh-SAWR-us-rex), meaning “tyrant lizard king.” I’ll let you in on a secret – I love T-rex because I like his teeth! I use teeth to teach kids and parents some very interesting things about dinosaurs – things that you may not have heard or really understood before. But it is very important to understand the truth about dinosaurs!


FOUR FAST FACTS

T-rex fossils are found in Canada and the western United States.
The first documented T-rex fossil was discovered in 1902 by Barnum Brown.
Scientists think T-rex skeletons were made up of close to 200 bones.
T-rex had around 60 teeth, which ranged in size based on their placement in the jaw of the skull.


With a strong tail extended for balance, an adult T-rex could be a little over 40 feet in length, 12-13 feet tall at the hips, and weigh between 5 and 7 tons. T-rex’s jagged teeth could be up to 9 inches long, and like sharks, the T-rex was able to replace teeth when one was lost.

What’s in a name? Remember that the T-rex name means “tyrant lizard king.” But secular scientists are still wondering whether T-rexes were active hunters or clever scavengers, or a combination of both. However, creation scientists are able to explain the evidence in a different way using the biblical account of history, as we will soon learn.


FOUR FAST FACTS

The word “fossil” is from the Latin word meaning “dug up.” Scientists often make assumptions about dinosaurs based on a few fossilized bones, bone fragments, or other fossil remains, impressions, etc.
Only a few thousand dinosaur skeletons have been discovered.
The vast majority of fossils discovered are marine invertebrates (creatures that don’t have backbones like clams).


I’m sure you have lots of questions about dinosaurs. I believe I can answer many of those questions for you because dinosaurs are not a mystery at all. I know someone who was there when dinosaurs came into existence, and was also there when they seemed to disappear from the earth. In fact, this “someone” has written a book for us that gives a detailed account of the history of the universe. He tells us when the earth began, as well as when all the living creatures and the first humans appeared.

Now, you may be asking “Who is this someone you say was there to see the dinosaurs?” He is the Creator of all things. He knows everything because He is all powerful and has always been around. And this Creator had a book written for us to give us the details of how time began, and how the universe and all life came into existence. This book also tells us who we are, where we came from, and why we exist. It also gives us information on what is going to happen in the future! There is no other book like this on earth. It is unique, and it is called…the Bible.

When you understand the Bible, you will understand more about dinosaurs. The Bible helps us to answer questions about dinosaurs and about the world around us today.

Bigger. Among the most widely known type of dinosaurs, the sauropods (“lizard foot”) are some of the largest creatures to ever walk the earth. Many of these dinosaurs are known by only a few pieces of bone fragments, and debate continues on just which dinosaur was the largest ever. As discoveries continue, more will be known about these massive giants. Sauroposeidon (“earthquake god lizard”) was considered the largest dinosaur ever to live, until the discovery of Argentinosaurus (“silver lizard”). Though only a few bones of each creature have been found, many scientists estimate that Argentinosaurus was larger, though Sauroposeidon may have been taller.

Smaller. Compsognathus (“elegant jaw”) is among the smallest dinosaurs discovered. A little bigger than a chicken, this dinosaur weighed around 6 pounds. Some scientists have found smaller creatures, like Microraptors, which they try to use to prove dinosaurs were the evolutionary ancestor of birds – real science and the Bible disprove this idea. Archaeopteryx (“ancient wing”) is another example of a creature once thought to prove this link, but that idea has now been proven false.

Did you know that the Bible is really a collection of books written by people specially inspired by God, the Creator, to write down exactly what God wanted us to know? The Bible tells us more about who God is and why we can always trust Him to tell us the truth:

The God of the Bible is the true God: “But the LORD [is] the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…” (Jeremiah 10:10).
The God of the Bible is infinite – He is all knowing, all powerful: “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5).
The God of the Bible lives forever – He lives in eternity – He had no beginning and has no end: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever…” (1 Timothy 1:17).
The God of the Bible is the only true God – other gods people claim to have are false gods: “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides…” (2 Samuel 7:22).
The God of the Bible is all wise and all knowing: “…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3).
Wow! What an awesome God.


The Only One.

Only God is a witness to the entire history of the world, including the history of dinosaurs. During the creation week, God created dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Pterosaur (“winged lizard”) like this one, could have wing spans of 30 feet. Stegosaurus (“roof lizard”) is easy to recognize with two rows of large plates running along its arched back, and its multi-spiked tail. Corythosaurus (“helmet lizard”) is a great example of dinosaurs with bony crests on their heads. Scientists think these crests were used in making sounds.

Does any human being (including any scientist) know everything? Has any human being always existed? The answer to both questions is, of course, NO. However, who is the only one who knows everything? Who is the only one who has always been there? The answer to both of these questions is, “the Creator God of the Bible.”


True History!

I call the Bible “The History Book of the Universe.” This is because it is a book that tells us how time and the universe began. And in the very first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, we are given a detailed account of not only how God created everything to begin with, but also major events of history that happened after creation.

You might be saying, “Wait a minute, haven’t scientists already found out lots of things about dinosaurs – that they lived millions of years before people and that they lived during the dinosaur age 200 million to 65 million years ago, and then they became extinct?”

Well, not all scientists say that! And though the majority of people today might believe that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, the majority are wrong on this. And more and more people are now finding out the truth because they listen to and understand God’s Word!





If you're thinking, "Hey, I swear she posted about this before.", you're right. However, today is the wild card tour for the book and I wanted to post again because I really think this is a great book. Extremely informative, great pictures, it's just an all around great book. In fact, Riley took it to school yesterday and said everyone thought is was "really awesome". He actually left it there for everyone to look at more today. So, definitely check it out!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

On and On

I just wanted to share this song that is my favorite song right now. God is so amazing and I am humbled beyond belief when I think about how He loves us, even though we certainly don't deserve it a lot of the time. There is no love like the love of Christ.

Here are the lyrics and you can listen to the song below...

On And On

VERSE 1
Awake tonight
I’m breathing the air of the night sky
Listening and wanting
An answer to questions You’re wondering
I never thought it ever would be possible
To cross the lines with You
That govern what we say and do
But no height and no depth could separate us

CHORUS
Some say we need miracle
Some say there’s a whole credo
But I know Your love is strong, it goes on and on
Rise up when it gets us down
It’ll be the voice in a blaring crowd
Because we know Your love will lead us home
It goes on and on and on and on…

VERSE 2
I tried my way
It always ends up being a mistake
But You’re right when You say
That You set the time for the plans You make
I never thought that I could ever learn to let it go
Somehow its better when I follow in the paths You show
So I’m here I’m waiting
Cause I believe

CHORUS

BRIDGE
There is no fear of belief
There’s just this cold reality
That wants to take me away from You
There is no doubt in my mind
That in Your perfect time
Your plans and Your ways will unfold.

CHORUS

Your love is, Your love is

Faith Path by Mark Mittelberg


I was very glad to have had the opportunity to review a workbook and DVD set called Faith Path - Helping Friends Find Their Way To Christ by Mark Mittelberg. Mark is the best-selling author of Choosing Your Faith and coauthor of Becoming a Contagious Christian (two books I have not read, but am now very interested in). Best-selling author Max Lucado says of Mark, "Mark has emerged as a well-reasoned voice in the conversation about faith." If you're a Christian, I know you must know who Max Lucado is, so that's a really big honor to have him say something so great about Mark.

Faith Path is a workbook/DVD combo that is an excellent resource for small or large groups, as well as individual use. I enjoyed going through it on my own and would love to use it in a group to hear others' thoughts and suggestions. People of all different religious backgrounds tell how they came to Christianity and about how once they started looking into Christianity for themselves, they realized all of the compelling facts and evidence for it. There are people who were formerly atheists, buddhists, mormons, new age, etc. who share their stories of how they came to know the Truth.

Mark talks about the different faith paths that people take in their lives, what brought them to where they are, and how to understand where they are coming from and be able to share with them in a non-pushy or judgmental way (afterall, as a Christian, aren't you supposed to be non-judgmental anyway?).

I love how he says that if you are a Christian because you were brought up in a Christian family, that you shouldn't just be a Christian because your family was, but that you should research and investigate the Bible and Christianity for yourself to really make it your own and know why you believe what you believe. I think that's an excellent point. It's just like all of the people of former religions saying that once they really examined the religions they were a part of and what they stood for, they saw that they did not have facts or proof to stand on, but that Christianity is the only thing that does. Knowing those things has caused them to have such a strong faith. If you are a Christian, you should know for yourself from your own searching, all of the compelling truth behind Christianity to really be able to make your faith your own.

I really think that this workbook and DVD are excellent sources to use to really understand why people believe what they believe and how we can share with friends and family the Truth in such a way that they will want to seek for themselves and build their own faith in Christ.

You can purchase this for yourself or for group study at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Christianbook.com
and other book retailers.

I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to do this review from The B & B Media Group.

I was sent these materials for free for review purposes. My review and opinions were in no way persuaded by the company involved.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Get Ready For My "Beat the Winter Blues" Giveaway Event!!!

January is typically a cold, boring month for me, so I thought I'd add some fun to this otherwise dull time of year. Saturday afternoon/evening will be the kick-off of my Beat the Winter Blues Event! This event will run from January 9th until January 24th!

Trust me, you do not want to miss this! There will be giveaways of some seriously awesome stuff...the biggest and best I've featured so far, in fact!

Not only will there be reviews and giveaways of products to warm you up and make you smile, but there will also be a way to earn an extra 3 entries in each giveaway you enter. Want to know how to get those extra entries?

All you have to do is add my Beat the Winter Blues Event button onto the sidebar of your blog and then leave 3 separate comments saying you did so in each giveaway you decide to enter (I already know you'll want to enter them all). Good deal, huh?

So, here it is (thanks to the help of my wonderfully awesome husband, Brian)...




Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Noodle Head Review and Giveaway!!!

In keeping with fun kid products, I would like to introduce you to noodleheadfun.com where you can find some seriously cute and fun things that you and your kids will love.

What first drew me to them was when I saw their Travel Buddies neck pillows. It just breaks my heart (and hurts my neck) when I look back to see that Asher has fallen asleep in his carseat and that his neck is bent and hanging at an unnatural and painful looking angle. I'm sure you moms out there can relate. So, when I saw the cute little Travel Buddies neck pillows, I was instantly interested.

I was sent the Alligator neck pillow and let me tell ya, I knew it was a hit when Asher asked if he could take a nap in the car so he could use it! That kid cracks me up. Well, we've used it several times now and he loves it. In fact, I think he sleeps more now on trips in the car, simply because he wants to use it! I have to admit, it's pretty darn cute.



I was also sent the Frog Bag Buddy. This cute little guy attaches to a backpack or whatever other bag you'd like to attach it to and has a place on it's belly to write your child's name and other information. Asher is also excited about hooking this onto his backpack for when he starts Kindergarten next year. Super cute and a great way to have your child's name on their bag without it being easily visible to strangers. That's a definite plus for me.



I was sent a Pig neck pillow and bag buddy also, that I gave to my niece and she was absolutely thrilled because she loves pigs! They are so cute!




Another great item I was sent was the boy's Adventure Log, that was a serious hit with Riley!
The Adventure Log contains (this info is taken from the website):
- note pad, tracing paper
- set of 6 colored pencils and a writing pencil
- sharpener and eraser
- magnifying glass, tape measure,
- string and clips to display souvenirs and specimens!
- fun games and activities to pass time (in the car or while you wait)

The first thing Riley said was that he wants to use it when our family goes to church camp this summer to write down everything that happens there. I thought that sounded like a great idea!



I was very happy with these products and while I really liked them, more importantly, my kids liked them! I think yours will too!

The great folks over at noodleheadfun.com would like to share the fun with you too! They are offering one of my readers their choice of the Pig or Horse Travel Buddies neck pillow and Bag Buddies and another of my readers their choice of a Boy or Girl Adventure Log!!!! Read below to see how to enter and make sure to follow the directions in order for your entries to count!


This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on January 17th. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit noodleheadfun.com and take a look around. Come back and tell me a product you like that they offer, aside from the ones I mentioned above. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top right sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (2 entries)


Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post (5 entries) This counts as 5 separate entries so leave a comment for each and just number them.


That's 8 chances to win! Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received these products for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

Monday, January 4, 2010

First Review and Giveaway of the Year! ~ Kidorable~


It is my pleasure to introduce you to a company with absolutely adorable products for your children as my first review and giveaway of 2010!

Kidorable
is a company that offers the cutest and most unique rain gear for kids that I have ever seen, as well as other great children's products.

Asher was so excited when he opened up the box and discovered a little boy's treasure! I was sent the Dinosaur raincoat and rain boots, as well as a super cute hanger that his raincoat is hanging in his closet on right now!

Here are some pictures of his loot...









As you can see, this isn't your typical rain gear and Asher was beyond thrilled with it. Brian and I were equally impressed by the quality and the detail in everything. The only suggestion I would have is that if you are going to order the boots, to order them a size larger. Asher is just now in size 10 shoes and I ordered him size 11 boots so they would be good size for spring and the size 11 fits him right now, with only a tiny room to spare, so keep that in mind.

Aside from rain gear (which includes super cute umbrellas too, of course), they have knit hats, knit gloves, scarves, sun hats, towels, backpacks, hanger sets, bookends and embroidered t-shirts. Tons of seriously cute stuff.

Not only would this stuff make your own kids squeal with delight, but just think of what a hit they would be as a birthday present or a gift for some other event. If there were a coolest present given award, you'd win for sure with one of these items.

So yeah, I'm a pretty big fan of Kidorable and I know you will be too when you see all they have to offer. In fact, they are so awesome that they are giving one of my readers the chance to win the umbrella of their choice! Let me just show you a couple of my personal favorites to give you an idea of how cool this really is...

How cool is it that the handle on this Space Hero umbrella is a little alien?!


What little girl doesn't like fairies? This little fairy umbrella is just too cute and I know my niece would absolutely love it!


So, now that you've seen just a sampling of the cuteness, are you ready to hear how you can get the chance to win one of these or the several other designs of umbrellas they have to offer? Of course you are! So, check out how below.



This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on January 17th. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Kidorable and take a look around. Come back and tell me which umbrella design is your favorite. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top right sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (2 entries)

Become a fan of Kidorable on Facebook (2 entries)

Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post (5 entries) This counts as 5 separate entries so leave a comment for each and just number them.


That's 10 chances to win! Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received these products for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Are You Ready?????

Be sure to watch this week for some really great reviews and giveaways. I've got lots of awesome stuff lined up already for the year that I know you're going to love! Got something you'd like to see reviewed or possibly up as a giveaway? Leave me a comment and let me know what it is you're interested in and I'll see what I can do! It's sure to be a great year and I hope you'll join me for all the fun!