May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace." Psalm 144:12
Boys and girls, from 5 to 8 years of age, will love the fun world of Cassie and Caleb, two energetic and inquisitive children discovering the beauty of God's wonderful design. Through twenty beautifully illustrated short stories, followed by an interactive time between parent and child, your children will learn:
The creational principle that "God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27) is extraordinary! That Jesus is in all of Scripture. The Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories; it is the one big story of the Triune God redeeming His people. God's Word is our authority and His Glory is our purpose. That when we belong to Jesus we belong to His covenant family, the Church. A Biblical framework for living and thinking. The authors do not underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind of a child. This book intentionally uses the rich language of faith, and then builds meaning around the words and concepts as the stories proceed, providing children the words of life.
Susan Hunt is a mother and grandmother, a pastor’s wife, and the former Director of Women’s Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America. Holding a degree in Christian education from Columbia Theological Seminary, she has written a number of books, including several by Crossway.
Are you looking for a book to help you teach your children about God's design for gender and marriage?
I just loved this book! I look forward to reading this with my children. It is geared for ages 5-8 and teaches children about God's wonderful design for both male and females. It is not just a book about the difference between boys and girls, though it addresses how God has made us different and with different roles. It shows the gospel throughout and is full of Scripture. It teaches children about marriage, church, the gospel, and gender roles, and so much more. I especially loved how this book teaches children through short chapters as you follow the story of Cassie and Caleb who are siblings. At the end of each chapter there are questions to discuss, simple catechism questions and answers to memorize or Scripture reading, and prayer. The illustrations are beautiful, yet simple and the stories are fun and engaging for children. This is a great little book!
My only complaint is that the parents in the story address their children as Christians. If you are using this with your own children who are not professing believers yet, I might change some things up a little for them. Otherwise this book is a wonderful resource!!
Thank you @moodypublishers for a copy of this book for my honest review!
The dialogue was pretty cheesy and unrealistic, but the message of the story was solid enough. It briefly outlines the difference in roles between men and women as told in Genesis in a very age-appropriate way, and goes through a clear presentation of the gospel—surprisingly thorough for a book for young kids. There are reflection questions and extra Scripture references at the end of each little chapter, encouraging further discussion between parents and kids and a deeper understanding of the topic.
DNF 50% - just poorly written. I'm sorry. I wish I could love it because I want to support this message, but kids who love books and are used to reading or being read to would find this just incredibly cringe. The dialogue is unrealistic - why?? Ugh. I also wouldn't read this to my sons because the attitude of the characters in the book is something I've never heard from them at all. I'm glad I didn't spend money on this one.
In their new book Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design, authors Susan Hunt and Richie Hunt provide parents with a helpful tool for discipling their children. Part of the “Plants and Pillars Series” which teaches fundamental biblical truths, the book helps parents connect with their children on a heart level while equipping parents to teach their children weighty theological truths.
Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design peeks into the lives of a brother and sister, their parents, friends, and church family. By experiencing everyday events with Cassie and Caleb, readers discover how faith affects all parts of their lives.
There are so many things to like about this book. First of all, the book’s delightful illustrations and likable characters draw readers in from the get go. Secondly, the book is interactive in that parents can read some parts while children can join in and read other parts. Discussion questions and Bible references get families interacting with God’s Word and each other. Additionally, the book guides parents and kids in turning God’s Word into prayers. Besides those things, the book is biblically sound and helps parents and children grasp some foundational and countercultural truths. Overall, this book is a real winner when it comes to discipling children and equipping parents to be Deuteronomy 6 parents.
The authors are from a Presbyterian background and write with some basic presuppositions in mind: 1. God created male and female equal, yet different, and His design was very good. 2. The Bible is one Big Story, the story of Jesus. 3. The Bible is the ultimate authority. 4. Children need to love the church and know that belonging to Jesus means belonging to God’s covenant family. 5. The Holy Spirit can and does work in children’s lives. Readers need to be aware that Hunt and Hunt incorporate questions from the First Catechism into the material at the end of some chapters. While some church traditions may not practice catechism (a question and answer method of teaching), the book is still an invaluable tool for teaching the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Perhaps this book and others in the series may even draw many back to catechism so followers of Jesus know what they believe and why. The first catechism is available through Great Commission Publications at www.gcp.org while a Baptist version is available at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a....
Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design, published by Moody Publishers, is perfect for families with children ages 5 to 8. Younger children and preteens will benefit but may not appreciate it as much. Still, this book provides great fodder for family devotions, bedtime routines or family dinners (or breakfasts). This is one book I’ll be adding to my own family’s bedtime routines, and I look forward to more books in the series. It’s also a book I’ll be recommending to parents of young children and may even begin buying as birthday gifts for young children.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SUSAN HUNT is the wife of retired PCA pastor Gene Hunt, mother of 3, and grandmother of 12. Susan is the former Director of Women's Ministry for the Presbyterian Church in America and is author of several books for women and children. She teaches a weekly Bible study for women in her church and has spoken for women's conferences throughout the country and in several other countries.
RICHIE HUNT is the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Georgia. He co-authored Big Truths for Little Kids, My ABC BIble Verses, and My ABC Bible Verses from Psalms. Richie is married and the father of three children.
* Note: I received a copy of this book from Moody Publishers for this honest review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
I admit it’s been a while since I’ve read books for children. What drew my attention to this book first was the author herself and the title of the book. The fact that I have read books from her and knowing they are always biblically grounded is a great assurance in advance. And then of course, the fact being that soon I myself will be reading children's stories again as Grand’ Ann!
Just as I expected, Susan Hunt delivers a book for children that is solid theologically according to the Bible. This is done in an interactive way with the father leading the family devotion time. While the mother often interact on the aspects of the daily situations and the applications. This could also be done in a single parent situation without any problem whatsoever by adjusting it.
After every chapter there are a few questions and answer time along with short bible reading verses. Which she calls “Catechism.” This is done in a family gathering style, very cozy around the table. The main point is to create bonding around the Word of God. Thus install God's truths about his wonderful design from the very beginning in the lives of our children at a very young age.
This book is said to be for children from ages 5-8. But then again I believe you could easily start younger. Especially if your homeschooling your children. Seeing as you’re spending more time together, granting you more reading time.
The co authors bring out solid biblical points about manhood and womanhood, our identity, and important matters such as: “What does it mean to live for God's glory?” As I read this story, I found myself thinking that unfortunately, many parents or grandparents just might be learning these truths for themselves while reading them to there children or grandchildren. Sad, but true.
This story is very well written. Most of all it is based on the Word of God. Something that is extremely important, because in our culture today, even among Christian, there is so much misunderstanding on our identity as men and women and our roles.
This is a must read for our children and the younger the better. Especially coming from and author who has the credibility and qualifications to write such a book. Highly recommend!
Ann L Beaulieu
* I have received a free copy of the book “Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design” by Moody Publishing. However I am under no obligation to write a positive review. These are entirely my own personal opinions and thoughts expressed according to my own discernment.
I received a free copy of Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design as part of Goodread's new-release giveaway program in exchange for my honest review.
This is a family devotional book which shares events from the life of fictional characters Cassie and her brother Caleb. In addition to following various adventures at an elementary school level, the reader also joins Cassie & Caleb's family as they sit down to have devotions and to discuss the events of each day from a Christian perspective.
The material presented here is based around the concepts of the creation of man and woman, the purpose of human existence and the differences and unique value of male & female genders. The content is clearly based on a faithful, conservative understanding of the Bible, and more specifically, can be classified as solidly reformed and evangelical, for those familiar with these terms.
I wholeheartedly approve of the content presented in Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design. I also believe this is timely material to address, particularly as a conservative Christian understanding of gender is under attack in our current culture.
While the content is good, the presentation is lack-luster. I find the stories to be contrived, didactic and not enjoyable or engaging to read. The dialogue exchanged between characters is clearly for the sole purpose of imparting information. In teaching my own children about God's creation of the genders and their interaction & roles, I would much rather study and talk about these issues straight from the Bible, than read stories meant to be educational vehicles. Or put another way, I'd rather have our own family devotions, than read a story about someone else's family devotions.
I also can't help thinking there is an elephant in the room, so to speak, that is never addressed in Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design. When the time comes to address gender with our kids, let's talk specifically with them about hot topics like the attack on a Biblical understanding of gender as well as the cultural predominance of homosexuality & legalization of same-sex marriage. While a discussion with elementary-aged kids need not be explicit, these topics certainly deserve some air-time.
Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design was a very well thought out book for kids. It has short chapters, which is perfect, because even the most serious of kids can have a mind that wanders at times. One of my favorite aspects about this book is that it is presented to Cassie and Caleb from either their mom or dad, or from both parents with a message that is tailored to for kids to understand. The relaxed family setting made it easy to connect with. It was right to the point for each subject and the talking points were a wonderful jumping point to get conversation started.
This book is designed for homeschool, but I thought it would also work well for non-homeschooling families as well. Kids have questions or parents don't know how to discuss certain topics with kids, and this book eased into the topics. One that can be especially tricky to talk about with young kids is how boys and girls are different on the outside and how they think and what they favor. I liked how there were a couple of chapters that focused on this, and not in the sex-ed kind of way. God made boys and girls different for a reason and because of this thought processes are different, things that we enjoy can be different and this book put it in a way that was easy to present and discuss. It also touched on how even though boys and girls are made differently, they are equally loved by God.
The different topics I enjoyed and was glad to see such a wide variety there to discuss. They ranged from attitudes, sin, purposes, and God's family.
Thank you to MP Newsroom, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Cassie & Caleb Discover God's Wonderful Design (Plants & Pillars Series) by Susan and Richie Hunt introduces children to God's plan for boys and girls. This beautifully illustrated and written book has been a great addition to our household. With 20 chapters designed with discussion questions and scripture readings, this is a great new devotional or bible study book for your children. Cassie and Caleb learn through realistic examples and their parents' strong faith guides them to the right decisions.
As I read this book I was thoroughly impressed with the authors love for teaching children that came through on every page. My sons laughed while reading about mud throwing and nodded in understanding about movie choices. And their have been great discussions started through the questions at the end of each chapter.
This would make a great gift for your child or one of their friends. Though set up with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, my son also read it through in one day without stopping to look at the questions because he was enjoying it so much. So stand alone storybook or family devotional- this book is great.
**I received this book through the publisher in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.**
This is a great resource for Christian parents. There are twenty short chapters, each one containing a story about a flawed but loving Christian family, a passage from the bible, and follow up questions, and prayers. The beginning even has great information on how to use the book for parents, grandparents, and teachers.
Each chapter touches on a different lesson that someone in the family has to learn. Like, why are boys and girls different? How do we reflect God? How can prayer help? I thought some of the examples were pretty good, for instance boys and girls are different but equal just like crayons. "One crayon is designed to color things green, and one is designed to color things red - but one is not better than the other. They're equal, and their different functions are equal." It has lots of good lessons and reflections for kids.
I thought it could have been a little more diverse and a little less sexist, but it is a Christian educational book. To expect anything other than a white middle class family with a stay at home mom is silly. But hey, what can you do. Maybe you can make your own lesson up at the end to teach your kids?
Informative, Christian read for parents or adults that work with children.
I received this book for free from Moody Publishing in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
Cassie & Caleb proved to be a wonderful resource. I found this book to be very kid-friendly. The stories were practical and easy for a child to both relate to and understand. Quite appealing to me was the fact that each chapter showed the familial unit engaged in devotion time. Both parents were present and involved, and the children were participants in the process associated with learning. The layout of the book, as well as the presentation of subject matters, allowed for colorful pauses. Though this book was written for a particular cohort, I do believe it can be modified accordingly for even younger groups.
NOTE: I requested and received a copy of this title via NetGalley.com for an honest review.
My son read and reviewed this book. In his words the drawings were a little creepy and distracting. The stories were not very interesting but he understood that the author was trying to show how God is in every aspect of our lives. He didn't think any of his friends or classmates would pick this book to read and he would rather just read Bible stories or listen to his Grandpas sermons. I gave it three stars while my son said he would give it two for a good effort. I received an evaluation copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion and review. In no way has this influenced our opinion. Read more reviews, author interviews and enter giveaways on my blog.
The book is very good. The colorful illustrations and stories are great. I love each story because it teaches children the basic and good morals especially fear of God. The reason I gave 3 stars because the publisher sent me an invoice amount of $19.99 which is still confusing me if this giveaway is free or not. Truly, I love this book and I was so happy to received but when I saw the invoice enclosed in the book, I felt dismay and thinking to return the book to avoid the payment. $20 is too much for this book.
The concept behind this book was a good one, but the narrative style didn't work for me. I would rather have read out regular Bible lessons to my children than these little stories that didn't quite feel realistic. It seemed like they were forced, to fit the planned lesson than following a proper plot. Still, I'd like to see what else the authors may have written, in case they've published any non-fiction lessons.
The ebook was a little disjointed to read. The pictures didn't match with the stories. I hope in updated versions that will be corrected. It would be hard read to someone on an e-reader. I liked how Susan Hunt took everyday happenings and brought the scriptrues into them, helping Cassie and Caleb understand how their everyday actions effect their relationship with God and those around them.
A wonderful book. Although written for children, I really enjoyed it. I entered to win this book with my grandson in mind, and very happy I won a copy. He is 15 months old, but I am looking forward to reading this to him when he is older. It will be a joy to share this beautiful book with him.
I love this book which I received as a complimentary copy. The stories are Biblically based and teach wonderful Christian principles. This book is great for Christian families and non-Christian families too. The illustrations are colorful and beautifully done. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to teach strong Christian values and principles to children.
Cassie & Caleb offer you an opportunity to introduce religious theories and examples into your child's life. Out family is not overtly religious so this was a neat book to read with my daughter. She really enjoyed the story.
I won a copy of this on Goodreads Giveaways on j6-8-13. On 8-15-13 I indicated I had not received it. This is 9-18-13 and I still haven't received it or any notice.
When I actually receive the book, I will change my rating and review.
Excellent book for older children, gets them involved. a great book for reading in the evening with the children. gives you valuable family time. I have passed it on to my daughter in law so she can use it with her family too, I think this book will be family book for years to come, great Job.
Great book! My children love it. My daughter reads a story each night before she goes to bed. Great book for kids to learn bible versus and there meanings. Would definitely recommend this book to other mother's for there children.
Read during our morning time and enjoyed reading a chapter a day and then talking about it. This is the second book we have read about Cassie and Caleb and my children really relate and learn from these stories. They like hearing how Christian kids handle different situations....krb 5/31/16