Children's Book Review: Cowboy Picture Books

Why is it that books with a Western theme are so appealing? Girls or boys - they all seem to love that cowboy theme. So I was thrilled when I found these two books in the JM Cremps booth at the Homeschool Book Fair earlier this month!

Ten Gallon Sam and Gid the Kid are both from the Heroes of Promise Series. From cover to cover, they're stuffed with bright, computer-generated illustrations that give it a 3-D feel.

Christopher and Allan Miller (brothers) must have had a lot of rootin'-tootin' laughs putting these Western books together. They fit quite a few plot details and information into the rhyming text; as a result, there were times when I had to stop and explain a few things to my 4yo and 5yo, but they didn't seem to mind. Right now, these books are at the top of the favorite picture book list at our house. Thankfully, we also have lots of older kids who don't mind reading them when I get a little weary of cowboy vernacular.

Both stories take the basic plot of Biblical accounts (from the book of Judges --Ten Gallon Sam = Samson and Gid the Kid = Gideon). Then the Miller brothers give the true stories a big twist to make it Western.

I will say that I'm very careful to not mix up fictional accounts (like Veggie Tales) with true Bible stories and that applies to these books as well. This can be very, very confusing to young ones and I want to keep those distinctions quite clear for my children.

So, for reading these cowboy books to the kids, I focused on the great character traits that were exemplified: bravery, standing up for what is right, importance of choosing godly friends, and more. Then at the end of the book I said something like, "You know, this funny story kind of reminds me of the true story in the Bible about Gideon. He had to stand up for what was right even when everyone around him was fearful of the Midianites and worshipping idols."

The illustrations, rhyming text, and Western genre make these books very appealing to children - even my older kids had fun reading through them.

Recipes, talking points, and hidden creatures to look for in the books were all features that make these books even better.

Here are the links to buy these books from JM Cremps -
Gid the Kid and the Black Bean Bandits ($7.95)
Ten Gallon Sam and the Perilous Mine ($7.95)

(Psssst . . . If you've bought picture books lately, you know these are fantastic prices for that genre! Well worth buying!)

Note: JM Cremps did not initiate this review. I just bought the books myself and wanted to let you know all about them!

Training Camp for Kids

If you have ever had trouble with getting your kids to be still and obedient in:

• The grocery store
• Church
• Doctor's office
• Any place that screaming, bratty children are not appreciated

I understand.

I've learned something very important about these things. It is absolutely, completely, and utterly impossible to train them to be still and obedient while you are at:

• The grocery store
• Church
• Doctor's office
• Any place that screaming, bratty children are not appreciated

Because that's not the place to train them! If you try at those places, you end up coercing and manipulating and threatening them.

Home is the place to train them.

Now, the Toliver children are NOT perfect. It'd be difficult if they were, because they have terribly flawed, imperfect parents. We're all sinners.

With that said, we have found that to have our children sit still and be obedient in the aforementioned places, the training needs to take place at home. Moms and Dads, you need to set up Training Camp!



Here are two practical ways you can make it work:

1. For Kids That Keep Wandering -- If you've been in the grocery store and your child keeps straying off or asking for things, it's time for Training Camp when you get home! It's better to let the newly-purchased ice cream melt in the car, then to let this training opportunity pass you by. I remember one of my kids, possibly the one with a new buzz haircut . . .

Who was plumb AWFUL one day in the store. He was probably 4 or 5 at the time. The instant we got home, I disciplined appropriately, but didn't let it stop there. We set up Training Camp. With a capital TC.

For an hour or so, I went about the house as I usually do, cleaning, putting stuff away, etc, and insisted that this boy, who I love dearly, stay right by my side. The instant he started to wander, I would swiftly administer punishment (which is also training!) and say, "Stay with Mama."

The same thing would happen if he'd start to ask for something or complain. Immediately I would deal with the disobedience and then we'd get back to him staying right smack by my side and quietly submitting his stubborn will to authority. So he learned to obey my voice and to stay with me when I wanted him to.

Please note that if you get your child in the habit of obeying you on the fourth, fifth, thirty-seventh time, you are not helping them at all. You are teaching them disobedience is okay, and you're allowing yourself to get irritated and angry with each infraction. Their lives may depend on it some day, and certainly their souls, because God commands obedience too.

"You shall therefore love the Lord your God
And always keep His charge, His statutes,
His ordinances, and His commandments."
Deut. 11:1 NASB

2. For Kids That Need to Learn to Sit Still -- Moms and Dads, please, please, please don't attempt to train your child to sit still in church while you're in church. It will be futile, pointless, and a waste of time.

Train them at home.

Even my 17 month old, who is in full-blown training mode, is learning to sit in church. Ever since I was pregnant with our 3rd, (now THAT was a long time ago) we've attended churches where kids have been welcome in the sanctuary. While this is a wonderful thing, it also requires work on the parents' part.

It starts by doing lots and lots of reading aloud at home: Mom and child together on the couch. I've written many times about the benefits of reading aloud to your child - for bonding, for intellectual development, for language arts learning - but it is also immensely helpful in teaching your child to sit still.

With my 17 month old, she sits on my lap as I read to the 4yo and 5yo. Within a page or two, she starts to squirm to get down. I give her chubby little thigh a light tap and say "No, sit still." Now, it is literally a light tap, but for a child who wants to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it, this is a huge deal and she wails like you wouldn't believe. But she learns to surrender her stubborn will to authority and also what "No, sit still" means.

So in church, I can just gently touch her thigh and whisper those words and she knows what it means.

I should point out that this is the ideal. My youngest two have been a lot harder in this area and have required a lot more, well, shall we say, "training". I'm not joking when I say she is in training mode because neither of them are where they need to be with sitting still. Sometimes I've been lazy with training.

But that doesn't mean I should use their "strong-willed nature" as an excuse. It just means I need to be more determined in training them.

Because when a child is obedient, pleasant, and submissive everyone is blessed by it.

Hmmm, it seems like God said something about that . . .

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
Ephesians 6:1 NASB

Thirsty?

Even though the calendar says it's Spring, the ninety-plus degree temperatures and awful humidity make me think that in Texas, you can't go by the calendar.

As a result I have to use bribery, I mean, creative methods, to encourage my children to go out. Okay, so they don't have much choice when I say, "Go outside!" But it does help to have an impromptu lemonade stand . . .

It also helps to charge a readily available currency: pecans!

Have a great Monday and stay cool!

"They will not hunger or thirst,
Neither will the scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has compassion on them will lead them,
And will guide them to springs of water."
Isa. 49:10 NASB

Videos, Makeup, Housework, and More

1. Video -- Seriously?! Is that how I talk? It's very weird to see myself on video - but if you'd like to see it and discuss just why do my face expressions look so bizarre or why do my bangs look like that, here's the 8 minute video --


My other video interviews that I did last fall (with Home Educating Family) are in the footer at the bottom of my blog. If you're horrendously bored. Or if you want to see my hair keep falling in my face and watch me attempt to inconspicuously brush it way. Of if you want to hear me give my opinion about missions. And homeschooling. And child training.

2. Play Performances -- Our oldest daughter is performing in two plays with a local theatre company. She performed in Sense and Sensibility last night, and has four more performances between now and next Tuesday. The other play is a retelling of the fairytale The Shoemaker and the Elves.

So last night was her first time to wear makeup - she looked so beautiful, but a large part of that is because she truly has a sweet, beautiful spirit.

However, it kind of made me miss the times when she was a toddler and she decorated her Winnie the Pooh toy with my mascara. Or when she took my lipgloss out of my purse and smeared it all over her face, and very appropriately called it "Lip Glops". (we still all call it that) Or that one time when I caught her licking the toilet brush.

With that said, this whole theatre thing has been a fabulous opportunity for her. She benefited tremendously by working with very professional directors and it's been a great experience.

3. Theatre or Theater? Questions like this keep me up at night. It's a good thing John is a very sound sleeper. And that he really doesn't give a hoot about spelling. It's possible that he even purposely misspells things just to bug me sometimes. (I know you do, dear!)

4. Housework - Some of you read The Pioneer Woman's blog too. This week I read - where she was responding to some reader's question - that she explained how she keeps up with housekeeping. I've wondered how she keeps up with anything normal while she is a ranch wife, author of multiple cookbooks, and has her own cooking show on TV. Now I know - she has a cleaning crew up in twice a week.

Let's review that concept: A. Cleaning. Crew. Twice. A. Week.

That implies that multiple professional cleaning people are in her house once every few days.

Okay, I feel much better now, and rather vindicated for the condition of my house when I have twice as many kids as she does and no professional cleaning crew.

5. The Book - If you haven't been over to my Seed Sowers blog lately, why not? :) Although I don't do regular posts - it's more of an informational website for people interested in the book - there is one really great thing that you should check out: PICTURES! Click here to see them because there are a lot that connect with the Seed Sowers stories.

Like this one of a Matses Indian in Peru who now has the Scripture in his own language because of the work of Harriet Fields and Hattie Kneeland - Chapter 10 in Seed Sowers. (Picture courtesy of Harriet Fields)

So if you're reading Seed Sowers yourself or to your children, you'll find the pictures add a lot to it.

If you don't have Seed Sowers yet, Grace and Truth Books carries it - and I love it when people support a Christian company anyway. Or you can find the e-book/Kindle version on Amazon. So what are you waiting for?

We're linked with Miranda.