"I'd never put much stock in God till right then, but a much welcomed dinner that says its own grace can make even atheist lions believers," from (the Book of Daniel, of course!) Apples, Snakes, and Bellyaches by Calvin Miller. It is 189 pages, and for children ages 8-80.

Many Christian growth books for children and for adults are so serious that we begin to feel we should be downtrodden. I get weary of it, feel jaded, and need to jazz up again. Too human, eh?

What a refreshing read!

This is a collection of poems from one to several pages each, with "Cat in the Hat" meets some of your favorite Bible characters, along with Isaac Newton, brushing teeth, corpuscles, and an entire host of witty sarcasm. Before you think it may be heretical, read it. The more of the Bible you study, the more you will recognize, and the harder you'll laugh! Much of it needs to be read aloud to be fully appreciated (many tongue-twisters and alliterations are hiding within). This is not a new book, but the kids roar outright just listening to it all! There are poems about quite serious topics, handled in a completely new light of humor and love.

Our kids’ favorites are the rhymes about the serpent (portrayed very similarly to the snake in the Jungle Book), Sarah with word of her new baby, the one-minute Old Testament, and the one-minute New Testament. These are unbeatable for memorization! Your kids will have them all down before you believe it.

Apples, Snakes, and Bellyaches is a positive clincher to revive an exhausted man who has been working all day. A fantastic book to pull out when the little ones have absolutely "lost it" with health, world evolution theory, or whatever - perhaps on a Friday afternoon. Definitely NOT a book to calm the munchkins down and get them ready for their prayers at night (you simply won’t be able to drown out the hoots of laughter)!



-- Product Review by: Karen Houston, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine