Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

I received this book in the Library Thing Early Review program.

The art is wonderful and very fitting for the content. There are more words on each page than some other more beautiful children's books I've seen, so the art and the story balance each other out nicely. Nothing is so eye catching as to be distracting. I did think that some of the words were oddly placed on the page, pulling the eye in strange directions and causing confusion for the reading experience, but it's possible that show more that is a problem with the manuscript that will not be there by the official printing.

The story is very simple, but the commentary on the original parable that comes at the end of the book makes the experience of the book much richer. For this reason, I think this book could be suitable to a wider range of readers than it might otherwise be. The simple story and cute visuals would be perfect for very young children, between 2 and 5, and then older children who have longer attention spans might enjoy talking about the parable and answering the questions at the end. Even older children might enjoy reading the book to younger siblings.

My mom used to use books and stories to generate discussion at our dinner table when we were young. I could see this being an excellent way to bring an experience of discipleship into the everyday life of a family.

I am Christian, and I think of myself as religious, but I don't like didactic stories, especially in children's books. I like the way the author worked the Kingdom of God into the story in a sweet way towards the end of the book, which again allows for richer successive readings. I thought between the gentle inclusion of God and the excellent questions at the end, this book managed to stay true to the Christian message while not crossing the line into uncomfortably preachy.

Glad to have this book. It's a gem! show less

I love books about words and language, so a children's book promising to teach about "and" sounded wonderful. It is a bit strange though, and while teaching collaboration is good, saying something is no good on its own doesn't seem like a great start. There are also so few "and"s throughout the book that a child wouldn't have much fun counting them as the girl at the start suggests.

An easy to read for children's story based on Jesus' parable of the mustard seed, the tiniest of seeds that grows into a big tree.

The reading and art is simple and clear and intriguing enough that your child or grandchild would want you to read it to them a couple of times over.

Interesting to note that both authors do not seem to hold to Christian beliefs but are both Jewish. As such, the story is more aimed, so it seems, at inspiring a child's imagination to see beyond their smallness to show more what they can become as they grow.

Nevertheless, it can be easily adapted to the New Testament message from a Christian perspective and, therefore, I can safely and highly recommend it.

Back page includes a note discussing what parables are and the different responses it may provoke, especially from a Christian and Jewish perspective, and suggested questions to ask your child. show less

Who Counts? 100 Sheep, 10 Coins, and 2 Sons by Amy-Jill Levine, and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is a modern version of three of the most commonly told parables of Jesus: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son. The up-to-date story and the illustrations makes the story real for today's children. When the others ask why did one sheep count or one coin count, they ask the question many have thought. The idea that everyone counts is simple but very important, especially in this day and show more age. The story of the Prodigal Son shows that even thought the younger son made a mistake, his father still loved him. It also deals with the issue of taking someone for granted, which he did with the older son. These messages, although taken from the bible do not stress Christianity, but simple valuable lessons for living in this world. If the parent wanted to then talk about the Christian message, they could add that on their own. The note at the end for adults is a wonderful addition. It explains why the authors wrote the stories the way they did and why they did not mention Jesus or God in the stories. I love that anyone could use these stories no matter what their religious belief. I highly recommend this book for families with young children . The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less