Carine Mackenzie

Follow Jesus through the most pivotal week in human history with this beautifully crafted retelling of the Easter story.
From his triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey to his glorious ascension into heaven, young readers will experience every meaningful moment of Christ's final earthly journey.

This engaging narrative guides children through the Palm Sunday celebration, where crowds waved branches and shouted "Hosanna," to the sacred Last Supper where Jesus shared bread and wine show more with his disciples.

Witness the dramatic events in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter's heartbreaking denial, and the trials before Pilate and Herod that led to the crucifixion.
The story doesn't end with Jesus' death on the cross. Children will marvel at the empty tomb discovery, Mary Magdalene's joyful encounter with the risen Christ, and the miraculous appearances to the disciples.

From the road to Emmaus to the seaside breakfast with the fishermen, every resurrection appearance is lovingly detailed.
Written in accessible language perfect for young minds and complemented by thoughtful illustrations, the clear, chronological storytelling helps kids grasp the significance of each moment while maintaining the wonder and mystery of these events.
Ideal for family devotions, Sunday school classes, or bedtime reading during Easter season, this book offers parents and teachers a valuable resource for sharing the gospel message.
The story concludes with Jesus' ascension and the disciples' mission to spread the good news―a message that continues today through every believer who shares this timeless story. show less

First sentence: The book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible.

Psalms for my Day uses a new translation by Alec Motyer. Selected psalms have been illustrated alongside light devotions. Each day's devotion has a prayer to pray. The book also includes a sprinkling of quotes by Alec Motyer.

Readers should also know that this translation uses Yahweh.

The psalms include the following:
Psalm 1
Psalm 8
Psalm 13
Psalm 19
Psalm 22
Psalm 23
Psalm 24
Psalm 25
Psalm 27
Psalm 29
Psalm 32
Psalm 34
Psalm 37
Psalm show more 40
Psalm 46
Psalm 51
Psalm 63
Psalm 67
Psalm 72
Psalm 73
Psalm 78
Psalm 84
Psalm 95
Psalm 100
Psalm 103
Psalm 107
Psalm 117
Psalm 121
Psalm 133
Psalm 139
Psalm 150
I love, love, love the book of Psalms. While there are many, many, many, many storybook Bibles to share with children--of all ages, there are few that celebrate the Bible's songbook: Psalms. I think this book would be a good one to share before/during/after family devotions. show less

For hundreds of years, the training of Christian young people involved the learning of a catechism. A catechism was a set of instructions on Christian doctrine. Essentially, it was a list of questions and answers used to instill the fundamentals of the faith in the hearts of children. Many of the Reformed confessions, such as the Westminster Confession, included catechisms. Martin Luther considered his short catechism to be one of his two most important books. Even the great Baptist show more preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote a catechism for young children.

Being an American and a Baptist, the very notion of a catechism seems incredibly foreign to me. But as I’ve studied church history and learned of the important role catechisms have played since the Reformation, I’ve actually been on the lookout for a simple catechism to employ with my own children. Since I’ve never used a catechism before, I was looking for something easy to use and also quite simple – as my daughters who I’d be teaching, are between the ages of 4 and 7.

Carine MacKenzie’s My First Book of Questions and Answers is what I found and so far, my children are eating it up. MacKenzie’s book is based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It consists of 114 questions broken up into 26 topics. The questions are direct and the answers are short and to the point. A Scripture reference is supplied for each answer.

The following topics are covered by the questions and answers. Who God is. Creation and sin. What the consequences of sin is. Salvation. Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. The Ten Commandments – what they are and what they mean for us. Keeping God’s Laws. The Way to be Saved. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Prayer and Bible Reading. Death, Hell and Heaven.

The book is pocket sized with large font and catchy graphics. It’s a bright, cheery book that young readers will like to read. My 7 year old has been reading some of the questions and answers we haven’t yet covered.

I’ve found the catechism format works well as a tool for parents wanting to teach their children. You can easily use the questions to probe how well they understand the answers given in the book. You will be able to have a pulse on what questions your children have when it comes to the gospel. And on another level, my kids think the questions and answers are a lot of fun. It’s a game to them, and they are excited about some small incentives my wife and I have planned for them as they learn these questions.

I should add a word about the theology behind this book. The baptism and Lord’s Supper section is generic enough to be accepted by Presbyterians and Baptists alike. There is a Reformed bent to the questions throughout, which I appreciate. However, any of the questions and answers could easily be edited by a conscientious parent.

My First Book of Questions and Answers is an ideal “first book” for parents seeking to use a catechism (like myself). You will find it to be a great little tool for instilling biblical teaching into the hearts and minds of your young children. Even though this book is quite small, if used by prayerful parents, it promises to have an eternal impact. May God bless the use of this book in the lives of many Christian parents and their children!

This book is part of a line up that Carine MacKenzie has of 7 “My First” books. The other titles are My First Book of Bible Prayers, My First Book of Christian Values, My First Book of Memory Verses, My First Book of Bible Promises, My First Book about Jesus, and My First Book about the Church.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Christian Focus Publications for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

An expanded version of this review is available at CrossFocusedReviews.com, where you can find book excerpts, giveaways, promotional offers, audio reviews and more. show less

"Daniel always put God first in his life. When he is taken prisoner by the King of Babylon, he learns to trust God even more. Find out how he became an important ruler and how God looked after him in the Lion's den." Source: The back cover of the book.