Archive | October 2022

The Continued Times Of Isabella M Smugge by Ruth Leigh

Charming! Delightful! Wonderful!

The Continued Times Of Isabella M Smugge by Ruth Leigh is an absolute delight. It is the third book in the Isabella Smugge series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous two books first for maximum enjoyment and to follow character progression.

I absolutely adore Isabella Smugge. She is open and down to earth, speaking her mind, and yet she comes from a privileged background, so is slightly out of touch with the masses. She has a huge heart and is also as a new Christian, a work in progress. I recognized some of her thinking. “And what did she mean, God was far away?… He stayed in the same place and waited for people to approach Him.” She also thinks that God would not want to be bothered with her small concerns as He would be busy with bigger problems. Issy Smugge is very easy to relate to.

As a new Christian, Isabella Smugge has some unusual views of God. “I thought God waved His magic wand and sorted everything out.” It comes as a surprise to her that Christians have problems too. “I don’t understand why God lets this kind of thing happen, Claire ticks all the boxes in the world of religious people.” We were never promised a trouble-free life, quite the opposite. Jesus tells us that in this world you will have problems but He also promises to never leave us but to walk beside us throughout all of life.

Isabella Smugge occasionally misses church, believing that God will understand (which He will). Her attitude to going to church is hilarious at times. “I was ready to go [to church] and collect some more holy points.”

I found the scene in church where Isabella Smugge is clearly touched by the Holy Spirit, incredibly moving. As God touches hearts, the tears often fall but they are good tears as they are the healing tears of God.

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Sprite’s Christmas Flight by Carmen Powell

Helping Out

Sprite’s Christmas Flight by Carmen Powell is a most delightful tale for the under fives.

The story is told in rhyme which makes its easy to follow and to remember. It has a wonderful bouncy rhythm to it.

We see the importance of kindness, care and cooperation as a young boy and his dog help Santa out one Christmas eve.

The whole book is beautifully and simply illustrated.. Each page provides a starting point for discussions with our children as we search out Matthew and Sprite to see what they are doing. The big eyes of the characters appeal to young children as we see the friendly faces.

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My Shadow & I by Kevin Richardson

Kindness & Love

My Shadow And I by Kevin Richardson is a delightful book for young children.

The tale shows the beautiful bond between a young boy and his dog. We see that they do everything together. They are a partnership. Where the young boy goes, Shadow follows.

We learn about cooperation and kindness as the boy thinks about what Shadow wants when he is not there.

It is a simple story making it easy for young children to remember it and its message.

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The Cotton Mill Kitty by Nana Babs

Absolutely Charming

The Cotton Mill Kitty: Kindness Pays by Nana Babs is a pure delight for young children and indeed, for anyone of any age. It is a most beautiful book for cat lovers everywhere.

The story is a simple one – a stray cat remembers when he had a home and is now trying to survive in the elements. It is a tale that cannot help but tug at your heartstrings. I can empathise with Mottley as we are also feeding a stray cat in need of love and care.

There is the theme of kindness. As you give it out, so it is returned to you.

We see that Mottley has empathy too as he recognises sadness in others.

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