God Made Me from A to Z: 26 Activity Devotions for Curious Little Kids by Allison Key Bemiss is a wonderful book for kids. Using the alphabet as a guide, this 26 day devotional uses Bible verses to correspond with each letter, as well as basic thoughts and various activities to go along with each Bible verse. I really enjoyed God Made Me from A to Z: 26 Activity Devotions for Curious Little Kids and felt that the activities matched well with each letter well, allowing kids to understand the concept being taught. I believe God Made Me from A to Z: 26 Activity Devotions for Curious Little Kids would be great to use during Family Devotions. It would also be a great resource to have on hand for a Christian Education Setting. I definitely plan on using some of the activities I learned in the book to use with the kids that I teach. I highly recommend God Made Me from A to Z: 26 Activity Devotions for Curious Little Kids by Allison Key Bemiss! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

This book is delightful! The colors are bright and the cheerful illustrations draw the eye to each page. There are a lot of items on the activity page, however, the arrangement works well throughout the book.

The front of the book includes a “Note to the Family” and a “How to use the book” page explaining the basis and methodology employed, with the following quote from the author-

“How do we encourage little children to explore BIG ideas? Develop a routine of exploring together using curiosity, exploration, and play!”

What better way to spend time sharing God’s love with a child than through an introduction of His Word and who we are through His creation.

Each devotion uses a letter of the alphabet and contains-
-a “God Made Me” affirmation using “I am” or “I can” statements with the letter (e.g. B-I am brave)
-a short scripture
-a bite-size devotional
-a focus activity utilizing simple craft items
-optional additional activities including age appropriate games and songs
-questions to spark conversation
-and a childlike prayer

I am really impressed with the contents of this book and highly recommend it for preschool aged children.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

I enjoyed the scope of this creative book for children, from learning the alphabet to important Bible lessons to fun crafts. I also loved the illustrations. This book would make an excellent gift.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was cute, but it was a little more shallow than I was hoping for. I didn’t feel it really applied scripture well enough to be advertised as a true devotional, BUT it’s something that I could see myself using with my kids (just not in the capacity of true Bible study with them). I will also say that I felt some of the scripture translations didn’t accurately represent the text, and I felt like some verses were misapplied. For that reason, I’d probably read straight from the Bible with my kids and skip or modify some entries if I were to use this book at home.

The positives:
The format was super easy to use, and I love the educational value of using the alphabet. I could see this working really well as a an early education supplement for teaching or reviewing the alphabet.
The activities were fun and varied, and I really liked that each “entry” was both concise and provided multiple activities for families to choose from.
The illustrations and the pages of the book were eye catching, fun for kids to look at, and did a good job of engaging each topic.

Overall, this was a fun, cute book—I may just be a bit harsher on the theology aspects when it comes to sharing with my kids.

This was interesting, great ideas of how to engage the entire family. Will be great when my daughter is older.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

'God Made Me from A to Z: 26 Activity Devotions for Curious Little Kids' takes children through the alphabet showing them who they are in God. The first couple of pages introduce the book with a Note to Families and a How to Use This Book section. In working through 'God Made Me', it should be noted that it is not necessary to begin at the letter A and work alphabetically through the letters. It is up to you where you want to start. The letters provide suggestions for activities, and you are welcome to do all of them or just a few. The choice is yours. Exploration is most important when done together. Work with your child as they "explore faith, have fun, and connect with their loving God. The best thing we can give our children is ourselves. Be silly, laugh, talk, sign, play, and pray together." An About the Author page, a Bonus Devotional, and a Song Lyric Appendix are located at the end of the book.

In this section, I will include two examples of the kinds of things you'll find throughout the book.

C

I AM CREATIVE

All things were made through Him. John 1:3

Everyone has God-given skills. You are a unique creation of God with a special talent. The Lord intends for us to bless others with our gifts and bring them joy.

"How does it feel to have such a special gift from God?"

What can you do with your gifts to be creative?

Put on a puppet show using paper bag puppets. There is a list of material supplies. Have an adult read you the story of Noah and the ark while you work. Retell the story to your parents after you've made your puppets.

Build a boat from aluminum foil and see if it floats. Then put a toy animal in the boat and let it sail.

The ark was built by Noah. The animals entered the ark two by two. Can you think of anything else that comes in twos?

As you sing some songs, make up motions that represent each animal.

An end-of-page prayer concludes the page.

V

I AM VALUABLE

I have written your name on my hand. Isaiah 49:16

Because God created you, He knows you. The Lord knows every detail about you. God knows what you enjoy doing and eating. Additionally, he is aware of your dislikes as well. It is very pleasing to God when you treat others with kindness. It doesn't matter what mood you are in, God still loves you. God created you. Your value to him is immeasurable.

"How does it feel to know that you are special to God?"

It's time for some more FUN!

According to the Bible, God knows how many hairs you have on your head.

Create a Bag Buddy by drawing a face on a paper bag. Make strips of hair using scissors by cutting downward. Find out how many hairs your Buddy Bag has.

Make a pizza and let everyone take part in the pizza making process. A person can spread the sauce, another can sprinkle the cheese, someone else can add the meat, and the last person can add the vegetables. Everyone can enjoy eating it!

Put your handy skills to the test. Put your hand on the paper and trace it. Identify yourself by writing your name on the hand. On the paper, draw pictures showing what you're good at.

Sing

This prayer concludes the page:

"Dear God, I matter to You. Thank You for loving me all the time. Amen."

In addition to being creative, hands-on, family orientated, and educational, the book is also a wonderful way to introduce children to the importance of spending time with God. I found the activities to be excellent self-esteem builders. In each letter, children were clearly shown who they are in Christ. This is a book I recommend.

God Made Me from A to Z is a great book for little kids. It teaches them about the Bible and God in a fun way. The author did a great job of selecting short Bible verses that are perfect for young children to memorize. The illustrations are bright and colourful, which will engage children's attention. Some of the devotional chapters include Bible stories, which help to extend the conversation. This book can be used in various ways. One day, children can learn an affirmation, the next day they can learn a Bible verse, and the next day they can do an activity related to the verse. This versatile devotional book is designed for young children.

I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson: Children's for an advanced read copy of this book.

God Made Me from A to Z is great little devotional book for toddlers, preschoolers, and young elementary children. It takes a character trait for each letter of the alphabet and reveals to children all the different ways that God has made them unique. Each short devotional is paired with a Bible verse, a reflection question, and prayer. I loved how each devotional also provides additional activities such as crafts, games, science experiments, and scavenger hunts to go with each devotion.

This book would be a greatly supplementary resource in my pre-k/kindergarten Sunday School class. My kindergarten daughter was asking to do many of the activities as we read through the book. I am also looking forward to gifting it to my young nephews this Christmas.

This has been a perfect addition to my preschool/kindergarten homeschooling curriculum!!

My 4yo loved it as well!

This was an instant pre-order book for me. As soon as I read through the first few pages, I knew it was exactly what my home needs. As a homeschool mom, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate God into our lessons and this is the perfect devotional that also teaches letters, character qualities, verses plus gives fun, low-prep, activities to do with little ones. The age range says 2-5 years, but I think this book will be well loved by everyone in my family.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book.

This book is a charming offering for families and Christian educators who are looking for new ways to offer uplifting messages in connection with scripture. I also appreciate the variety of activities that follow each passage; they really range in terms of effort and approach and make it easy to return to each passage as children grow and develop new interests. My one major complaint is the exclusive use of he/him pronouns for God. Progressive churches and families may object to this, but I also think it's easy to read around depending on theological preferences. I also really love the diversity of children represented in the illustrations!

Such a sweet and affirming devotional to do with children. It tells of the character or traits that God meant for us to have, using the alphabet from A to Z.

Cute and creative illustrations for each day’s reading too. Sunday School teachers could also use this for a series of lessons.

5 stars.

This Christian devotional book contains brief readings for parents to read to small children, along with suggestions of hands-on activities that families can do together. The author goes through the alphabet from A to Z, with an affirmation for each letter (e.g., "I am valuable"), and she shares a short Bible verse and little meditation on the topic. Each reading also includes a brief prayer.

The activities tie in with each day's theme in some way, and they involve imaginative games, crafts, outdoor activities, songs, recipes, and so on. Some of the activities are suitable to do at any time, whether you're around the house or on the go. Others require particular materials and props, but these are all ordinary household items. Someone won't have to go out and buy things to do the activities in this book, and these activities also involve minimal prep and clean-up.

The author included lots of different ideas so that everyone can find something that works for them, and because she designed this with special needs families in mind, the activities are appropriate for kids with a wide range of developmental abilities. This book is great for Christian families with young children, and will also work well in church and faith-based education settings.

I love the illustrations and all of the activities that go along with each letter. This would be great as a daily devotional to do with your kids!

What a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and caregivers of little ones! With this book, children will learn of God's love and His care for them, and of their value as a Child of God.
This book is organized by the ABC's. Each letter has an affirming “I am _____” statement, along with a corresponding Bible verse, Bible story or devotion, a prayer, and several hands-on activities to support.
I am a teacher in a Christian based Preschool. These lessons would be easy to incorporate into our weekly lesson plans, along with our Letter of the Week. Also ideal for Sunday School, church Nursery or in the home.
Little ones will love the colorful and joyful illustrations, simple narrative, and fun activities. Parents, teachers and caregivers will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use.
This book is just precious in teaching God's love to little ones!
Thank you to Tommy Nelson and NetGalley for this advance copy.

This is such an excellent, educational activity book for pre-schoolers. In my opinion, parents, grandparents, and caregivers would find this a valuable resource for teaching their little ones about God, their ABC's and even about life, in general.

Each letter of the alphabet has a Bible verse, a question, an activity or two accompanied by a short relating prayer. There are also cute illustrations that could amuse child and adult alike. All in all, I believe this a great choice for anyone looking for ideas in teaching children under their care.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

January 2024

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC of this one. Cute cute cute! I have two little kiddos ages 5 and 3 and this is age appropriate for them both; probably more so for the toddler. It includes an activity and a letter to go with each devotion and a sweet little prayer. So incredibly sweet and I look forward to doing it with my kiddos!

Thank you so much Tommy Nelson and NetGalley for access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

Wow, this book exceeded my expectations. The crafts and activities were honestly so much more then what I expected to see! I plan to utilize this book during school break with my kids. And really dwell on each letter, the bible verse affirmations and tie it all together with the activities. I have two preschool aged children and this is a much better way to teach them their letters. They get to learn about the bible and build some spiritual self esteem!