Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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{Giveaway} Rufus and Ryan Go To Church!

September 27, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

The kids were excited when this new book came in the mail. And, yes, my momma heart rejoiced that they were excited about a new book. There was a time I wasn’t sure Ben would care about reading books, as he went through a phase of destroying a few and forcing us to keep any that weren’t board books out of his reach. Of course, there is my first-born girl who reads to herself {out loud!} every night before bed and often throughout the day!

And, yes, I adore these moments when they sit close on the couch and read a book together. Well, Cate does the reading and Ben soaks it all in.

In “Rufus and Ryan Go to Church!,” 4-year-old Ryan explains to his stuffed monkey, Rufus, what is happening as they attend church on Sunday morning. He lets Rufus know when it’s time to sing and to pray and to be quiet.

Author Kathleen Bostrom brings a delightfully light touch to the text as she provides an introduction to an experience that most children are exposed to long before they understand why. And children everywhere will relate to the idea of explaining their surroundings to their favorite companions as they go about their daily activities.

I asked the kids what they thought about the story when they got finished. Cate launched into examples of how Ryan’s church is different than ours. My favorite: “The kids there don’t have classes during church, but they do get a snack afterward.” Right. And that’s true. She also said her favorite part was when everybody was singing.

So, Ben, what was your favorite part? “The monkey.” See, all boy, I tell you.



Of course, then he studied the back of the book and then asked, “Can we get this other one?” Now, that’s a request that’ll be hard to turn down.

_______

This is a new series to us. But we’re always excited to try out new books. A new series of books for preschoolers, these stories feature Ryan, an energetic little boy, and his stuffed monkey Rufus. Basic Christian and church concepts serve as the foundation of the series, with an additional focus on character traits and development. The text is presented in young Ryan’s voice as he teaches Rufus about the concepts he is learning himself. Each story is about 150 words, using age-appropriate vocabulary and themes.
In addition to “Rufus and Ryan Go To Church!,” the series includes “Rufus and Ryan Say Their Prayers.” {Yes, Ben already knows this!} These books published by Ideal Books would make great gifts for anyone who works with kids as well as holiday gifts for children. Oh, and, well, it’ll be a great gift to one of you who will win a copy next week! 
Now, a giveaway! Just leave a blog comment telling me what you and your child’s favorite book is right now, and you’ll be entered to win. You’ve got until next Friday, Oct. 4 to enter. I’ll pick a winner randomly next weekend. Congratulations, Kristin! This book will be coming your way. I hope your little ones enjoy it!
_______
About the Author :: Kathleen Long Bostrom is a published children’s author in both the Christian and trade markets. She has a Master’s in Christian Education and a Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching, and she has worked in children’s ministry for many years. Kathy and her husband, Greg, have three grown children and live in Illinois.
About the Illustrator :: Rebecca Thornburgh began illustrating children’s books full-time in 1996 and today has almost 100 books to her name. Rebecca’s vibrant watercolors have been showcased in previous Ideals titles, including the new edition of The Story of Christmas. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two daughters.

________

I was given a copy of “Rufus and Ryan Go To Church!” by FlyBy Promotions to review, but these pictures and sentiments really belong to me and my kids. Thanks to FlyBy Promotions for the additional copy for one of you! 

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Filed Under: books, giveaway

Comments

  1. kasmith03 says

    September 28, 2013 at 1:49 pm

    Right now my son's favorite book is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom….love learning about his letters! 🙂

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    September 28, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    Oh that's a great one – Cate went through a phase of loving that one!

    Reply
  3. Kayla Rice says

    September 28, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    My little ones love the blessing jar right now. What a sweet book.

    Reply
  4. KristinHillTaylor says

    September 29, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    I don't know that one; I'll have to check it out!

    Reply
  5. Becky Lile says

    October 2, 2013 at 3:51 am

    My 4yo loves (and frequently recites from) The Jesus Storybook Bible. The 11mo is showing great interest in pulling books down from shelves and tables and some small interest in Good Night Moon.

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    October 2, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    Those are both popular around here too. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Mary J says

    October 4, 2013 at 8:27 pm

    Penny is really into her little nursery rhyme book right now (probably because we sing to it and do hand motions)!

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

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🎶 Everybody got a small town anthem / Everybody 🎶 Everybody got a small town anthem / Everybody got a story to tell / Everybody got a hallelujah … 🎶 @thomasrhett

Here’s a story for you: When Cate turned 15 in May 2022, I bought her tickets to see Thomas Rhett. But then the concert date conflicted with a church retreat, so I went to two friends to the concert instead of my taking my daughter. 

Earlier this year, I saw TR was playing Nashville at the end of his Home Team 2023 Tour. So I bought Cate tickets again. 

She was sick Thursday night and into Friday, but her fever broke and she mustered the energy to cash in her on 15th birthday present now that she’s 16 1/3 years old. 

We had a great time and I’m thankful for the experience with my oldest girl, who is great company … until she slept the entire two hours home. 

Thomas Rhett is so fun and such a great performer! I especially loved his covers of seven songs from seven decades (1950s to 2010s). 

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This book was hard to hear, but also a good story This book was hard to hear, but also a good story based on real life. 

"Cilka's Journey" follows "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" when a character from that story is moved to a Siberian work camp. I've never thought about the women in those camps and how their bodies were affected by the abuse, what would happen if they did get pregnant, and how nurses were certainly needed. Of course, it's so bittersweet to know despite the hard circumstances friendships still bloomed. 

I borrowed this audiobook from Libby, but the Kindle version is also included for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. 

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Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book! If you've had a chance to read it, I'd really appreciate you leaving a review. For authors, Amazon is the best place, but you can copy and paste the same review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble too: 

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Of course, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can buy "Created for Communion" at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (from those links above!) and from the trunk of my minivan! 

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To live in communion with one another, means to sh To live in communion with one another, means to share meals, space, advice, and prayers. It also means sharing hope, disappointment, dreams, and forgiveness. 

We explore what this looks like in “Created for Communion,” along with other biblical foundations for friendships and community.

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So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictu So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictures of their daughters yesterday for the completely made-up National Daughters Day. Regardless, today I'm all in my feelings about my daughters. 

They're 16 and 8 right now. Both of their classes have been studying ancient Egypt and had a joint feast today. Sweet, huh? 

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I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. 💛

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In the blog post HOW TO TAKE THE TRIP, I share lots of links and suggestions on where to go, who can help you, and what to take with you. 

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I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on Saturday afternoon — and a chance to finish this suspense book. 

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Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life, but it’s a good life. 💛

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