Title: Little Visits at Bedtime: 105 Devotions and Prayers
Author: Dr. Mary Manz Simon
Illustrations by Ed Koehler
ISBN 13: 978-0-7586-3442-9
Suggested Retail: $14.99
Hardcover 224 pages
Summary: Before every kiss goodnight, parents have an invaluable opportunity to spend time with their children and anchor the family in faith. Little Visits at Bedtime encourages families to take advantage of those precious moments to visit with Jesus and transition from their busy day to bedtime.
Review: My spouse and I always try to spend time reading a few books to our children at bedtime. I think it is a great time to bond with them and reading stories helps bring a calming mood to the end of the day.
Little Visits at Bedtime is to help make a peaceful transition to a restful night with rhythmic verses and also allow the opportunity to discuss faith and events of the day with your child. The stories included are not dated so you don’t need worry if you miss a night. There are questions after each story to spur a response from your child and continue in conversation. You can also personalize the stories with your child or his/her friends names being used.
I thought this book was presented in an unique way. My daughter would be read a story first. Then I asked her a few questions to discuss what she would do or think if she was put in the situation portrayed.
There is also a “Parent Connection” and “Bringing It Home” for the parent, giving me ideas for further discussion. A scripture is tied with each story that can be used as a short memory verse and also a “Dear God” prayer to give a child ideas of how to talk to God.
My daughter enjoyed the stories and Little Visits at Bedtime. This book has allowed my daughter to share some of her thoughts and feelings that may not have otherwise been brought up in conversation. Illustrations used in this title are cute and I thought the format was very user-friendly. The topics included are great – why it is important to play fair/be honest, death of a pet, bullying, plus much more. This book is recommended for children ages 3-7.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Little Visits at Bedtime for this review. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.
