Beautiful book about being thankful for our Earth
932231
The Earth quietly and unassumingly bestows gifts to its residents each and every day.  This book is a reminder to us all to be very appreciative of those gifts which are given to us freely.

The story touches on how our salt is gathered (from our ocean), how glass is made (from earthy sand), how cotton grows (to provide us with material for clothing) and the importance of our grass (for cows and other animals to indulge so we can have food),  just to name a few.

The illustrations visually enhance the narrative making this book by Korean author Enn Hee Na educational as well.  They will spark conversations about the bountiful contributions that we are receiving from "Our Gift-Filled Earth". The foldout pages are perfect to extend and get lost in.  They are a lovely addition that adds a deeper quality to the book's presentation and I'm sure that kids will find delightful.

I love the last page the best as it will spark conversations between those who share the book together ...

"All these are gifts that Nature has given.
What gifts should we give to Nature?"
3896504
Another book in a series I'm most thankful for! These books will help all readers and listeners feel a little more gratitude. And gratitude makes life more uplifting. In this book Jordan finds that is true when he learns his favorite UNCLE MIKE is coming for Thanksgiving. To Jordan, that coming event makes even not-so-great things in his life better. How he passes on that feeling of gratitude to his classmates teaches us too to be more cheerful.

But what about a BROKEN-ANKLE THANKSGIVING? That's what Carlo faces as aunts, uncles, cousins, second-cousins, aunts, and others come for Thanksgiving dinner at his home. But Carlo determines to stay in his room all day and be sorry for himself, and not come out at all...until he finds new reasons to be grateful. And from his experiences we learn too. BEING EMMA is about a girl who is very good in all her subjects except reading. How can she be thankful? Ah...sweet lessons!

Not just children but pets can be thankful too. So shows Coco the puppy. But then what happens when ROBO-BONES appears? Coco's contentment turns into discontentment. Of course something happens to turn Coco around and back to normal. A very important lesson for children too. This is another book to help readers and listeners realize true thankfulness in a most entertaining way. Also several more enticing stories. PLUS -- games puzzles, such as "How Many Kids Do You See?" And amazing MAZES.
4303148
This book was given to us when our son was born almost two years ago. I later bought a copy for my sister as well. Last year I couldn't find it after the move, and this year my almost-four-years-old daughter is just beginning to understand the rudimentary concept of a holiday for thankfulness.  As I have explored this book with her, I am so excited to share the heritage of the Pilgrims and the true story of God's providence in that epic adventure.  I can see this book being used year after year for many annual remembrances.

One fantastic feature of the book is the way it is organized.  There are two sizes of fonts, and the larger font is the "abridged" version for smaller children or a shorter time frame.  Reading both sets of fonts gives the expanded story, and additionally there are sidebar articles to further deepen the information.

And the book is beautiful!  I keep mine displayed on our mantle, and the outside is just a glimpse of how lovely the inside is as well.

Another unexpected bonus is the music CD which is included.  I listened to it for the first time this month, and was delighted by this stately set of piano renditions of Thanksgiving, harvest, and praise hymns and songs.  It has been played many times since and will no doubt accompany the festive food preparations this Thursday.

(Taken from my blog review at [...]
3713085
I bought this book as a gift and read it today before gifting. It is so wonderful, beautiful, and freeing that I will now buy a copy for myself so I may savor it and read through slowly again. It's a book that I didn't realize how much it was helping me realize while I was reading it in the one sitting until about 15 minutes after I finished and then it all clicked and I am so happy to have read this book and ever so excited to gift it that I'm giving it early and not waiting til his birthday. Thank you to the author for sharing such beauty to the world.
4787424
This is a beautiful and inspiring collection of essays by many authors which will move and delight you.  It will remind you every day in 2013 to have gratitude for each and every blessing we have in this life.  It's a perfect holiday, birthday, anniversary, Valentine, or hostess gift, since everyone will love and appreciate it. Another wonderful thing about this book is that the proceeds go to 3 amazing charities!!  I have read and enjoyed their Gratitude books from other years and everyone loves to receive them as gifts-----even my hair stylist would wake up each morning and read that day's entry with her daughter and they would laugh and cry together  :)  So get one for you, a few for gifts, and enjoy the New Year with gratitude!
3111295
What a beautiful book with a wonderful message!  To bring gratitude to your daily life. The message to your child that our daily lives are filed with reasons to be grateful! I will be giving this as a gift to others!
976218
Flowering Woman: Moontime for Cory is a much needed return to the sense of specialness of that time in a girls life when she flowers into a woman.  Modern culture often causes our young women to feel ashamed of their periods,changing bodies, and the new feelings.  My mother never really  talked to me about such things, but she did give me this book, and for that  I was grateful.  Even adults may find this story healing and uplifting.  There are beautiful pictures throughout, with a Earth-religion-friendly  feel.  I highly recommend this book to women of all ages. Get several so  you can share. Bright Blessings
3608279
God Bless our Baby is a beautiful board book with a super soft cover. The premise of the "storyline" is that different animal families have new babies. The first one, a squirrel family, is expecting a baby. The child squirrel feels the mother squirrel's belly, lovingly awaiting the birth of a new brother or sister.

The story is set to rhyme and is wonderfully done. All of gives God credit for bringing another baby into the world, as well as reminds the readers to ask God to bless the new babies in their homes.

Throughout the book, the families are diverse. I love how the bear family claims that they do not look the same but they all share love. For those children who have a diverse family (such as in the cases of some adopted children), that can be a very pertinent point.

The illustrations in the book are gorgeous and sure to keep a very young child turning the pages.

I love God Bless our Baby. It carries with it a strong message of love and family that we, as Christians, never want to lose.
510768
I really enjoyed reading this book and looking at the beautiful illustrations. The book has a great topic; it teaches the kids about global warming in a way that is really easy to understand. I also like that it teaches girls that they too can be superheroes.
2615735
This lovely book will help you develop and maintain a daily gratitude practice to enrich your life. The drawings are beautiful and inspired, and I find it gives me the benefit of a calm perspective in a troubled world. Definitely a book for our times and one that makes a thoughtful gift to your friends and family. Well done Brother David his Network for Grateful Living.
3959167
Beautiful book with very inspiring ideas for changing the world
1660629
One of our favorite new bedtime books is Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. It's a poetic children's book with whimsical illustrations. The purpose of the story is to make children aware that there's always something for which they can be thankful and it teaches them to find joy in life's day-to-day. It's a simple, rhythmic tale that continually reinforces its message so that toddlers and young children can begin to learn from it.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I want to start teaching my sons the true meaning of the holiday and I am using this book as a tool to help me do just that. The message is clear and concise so I don't have to worry about confusing my little ones. I do wish that there was more of an underlying theme of faith but God's Word is mentioned once and the concept of thankfulness is something that is well rooted in Scripture. The illustrations directly support the text and they keep things entertaining and fun for my toddler.

As a mom, as a reader, as a women trying to teach faithfulness and thankfulness to others, I would recommend this book.
1362378
I bought this book of 99 beautiful blessings after hearing David Steindl-Rast interviewed on NPR. While listening to this interview, I could sense the calm peacefulness of his spirit and the sincerity of his feelings about gratefulness. His belief is that happiness is born of gratitude and not versa, and Steindl-Rast offers a method to help people experience more gratefulness in their lives. We need to STOP and become aware that every moment is a gift.

The happiness/gratitude relationship is one emphasized by positive psychology enthusiasts, and as a psychology instructor, I jumped on the attitude of gratitude bandwagon about 15 years ago. Happy, grateful people are healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They also tend to be more optimistic.

If it's your desire to be happier and healthier, this gem of a book will aid you in that quest. Each of the 99 blessings is beautifully written, and each focuses on everyday occurrences, sights, sounds, tastes, encounters, and experiences. The difference between the author's thoughts and mine is that he sees a reason to be grateful for such a variety of things and is able to write about them so beautifully. He's grateful not just for breath and daily bread but also for music, fleeting encounters, departures, insects, the smell of leather, hair, Oriental rugs, soap bubbles, palm trees, cows, spiders, teachers, and migratory birds.

If you want to feel inspired and grateful, read this book. You can't lose with a book whose dedication reads, "This little book is dedicated to all things, plants, animals, humans, and angels that made me blessed and able to bless."
4122791
This is an exceptionally charming book to teach your kids about gratitude and thankfulness. The illustrations are great and the book lets you and your child talk about what they're thankful for. I love reading this book with my daughter and hope she carries the message into her future. A great shower gift also!
1843394
This is a wonderful children's book that has come out at a perfect time of year, right before Thanksgiving!  It has a beautiful message of love and compassion that can resonate with vegan and non-vegan children and their families.  I love that I can read this with my one year old daughter, who enjoyed the illustrations and mimicking all of the animal sounds in the book.  It is also wonderful that it is based on the true story of a rescued turkey and that part of the proceeds will go to Libby at the farm sanctuary.  What a wonderful book!
141305
Such a beautiful book! The illustrations are soft and vibrant and absolutely lovely! I don't see the spelling mistakes another reviewer mentioned. For me, it's a feel good book--as in I read it whenever I'd like to feel good! A heartwarming story about what happens when baby unicorns are born on the planet.

One of my favorite pages:

You are a gift, they whisper.
The likes of which the world has never seen, they say.
You are a beautiful contribution to the world
and to our lives, and we are so grateful you are here.

Who wouldn't love this book? It is definitely on my go-to list for baby showers and other baby gifts!
4129994
I have enjoyed this beautiful book so much that I just purchased a second copy on sale at my local Hobby Lobby.  This book is so aspirational that I really don't think that there is a bad page in the book.  Even though this is a Christian book, I don't think that it is so " over the top " that it would disappoint a non-Christian.  I think it's a positive book that anyone would enjoy.  It might even be a starting point to guide someone to faith.