(ENDED) “Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday” children’s book – review & GIVEAWAY

My son Jake is five but his reading and comprehension level seems much older. He hasn’t been tested, but considering he reads chapter books and writes letters to people, I’d say he’s easily a couple of grades ahead. The thing is, he is still five and while he can read chapter books, and the writing is at a level he can comprehend, I really think he would prefer if they were illustrated. So I am always on the look-out for books that have the right level of intelligence and visual appeal to capture his attention.

Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday is a children’s book written by Mike Thaler and illustrated by Jared Lee. It is a part of the “Tales From the Back Pew” series.

From the publisher:

What does church look like to a child who hasn’t been there before? Can he survive hard benches called pews, a preacher who preaches for hours, days, or weeks, not to mention the outrageous Bible stories? With humor and love for the church, the creators of the Black Lagoon series show readers what church is really like.

Description:
With hilarious stories and nutty pictures, the Tales from the Back Pew series offers kid’s a unique view of church. Enjoy plenty of giggles with your child—and learn fun, important truths about God, church, and the Bible. Mom is taking me to church this Sunday. I’ve heard a lot about church. You have to stand up, sit down, and kneel a hundred times. It’s called being in the service—I’m too young to be drafted!

Page Count: 32

Paper Edge Description: Plain
Size: 8 wide x 8 high x 0.2 deep in. | 203 wide x 203 high x deep 5 mm
Weight: 0.195 lb | 88 gms

Available: February 2009
Publisher: Zonderkidz

When I was approached about reviewing this book, I had a thought that maybe Jake’s preschool class would enjoy it. Although the recommended age for the book is 6-9 and most of his class is 4 and 5, I really thought they would have fun with it. He goes to a preschool at a local church, The First Methodist Church of Lowell (where we have recently started attending). The teacher, Miss Peggy is wonderful and creative and I am amazed at the projects she does in class and at the knowledge he is gaining from her. So, the publisher actually sent us enough books to give one to every child in Jake’s class (15 kids)!

The feedback I got from Miss Peggy about the book was fantastic. First off all, the day I gave her the books, she cracked one open and was laughing from page one! She read it aloud in class while the kids followed along and she said they had a great time with it.

She also sent a note along with the kids to take home so the parents knew about the book. Below is what she wrote:

A big thank you to Kim, Jacob’s mom, for getting these adorable books for us, “Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday” by Mike Thaler. The illustrations by Jared Lee are so much fun.

Whether you go to church or not, this is a fun book to read with your children to explain just what goes on in one. And like so many of the recent animated movies, this book is written with enough humor and entertainment that adults can enjoy it too. Your children may wonder why you are laughing as you read it. We read it today in class and I hope you will read it over again with your children.

Overall, Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday is a great kids book for a wide range of ages. The humor and the illustrations will keep any kids interested and entertained and I love the depth that is has. There is more going on than just the words of the story, and the main illustrations combined with some added smaller illustrations on the outer edges of many of the pages, really does a wonderful job at engaging the kids.

And really, how can you go wrong with a book that says this on one of its pages:

When all is said and done this book does a great job of getting inside kid’s heads and looking at church from their perspective. It takes a humorous look at some of the misconceptions kids might have about church, gets them laughing and interested and in the end, does a fantastic job of tying it all together while helping them learn what church is really all about.

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