The Sower

The Sower by Scott James is a beautiful book that lays out the 

grand narrative of God's redemptive work. From the beginning 

of creation God's hand was in every detail. God created 

man and woman. Adam and Eve deeply loved God and 

God deeply loved them. That all changed when Satan placed doubt in 

the minds of man. Sin entered the world. God would provide

a way for redemption, restoration, and reconciliation. This book is 

written for a child to easily understand. The publishers recommended 

age is 4-8 years. The book is hardcover and is 48 pages in length. 

The pages are quality thicker paper. 

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, 

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise 

to sprout up before all the nations. 

ISAIAH 61:11

The illustrations in this book are incredible! I found myself studying each page. I enjoyed looking at the details of the illustrations and the different techniques that the artist used. I thought about how the art so perfectly fit into the story being told.  

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall. 

The barren land. The Illustrator Stephen Crotts did a 

phenomenal job at depicting mans brokenness. The dry 

cracked earth echos mans life. We are cracked, dry, and

desperately in need of a Savior. On the first page it depicts

the Sower sending his powerful Voice of hope. He will

first use messengers to spread his message. You can see the 

illustrator depicts the Sower sowing seed 

(green and orange wavy lines). 

He would send His Son and walk among us. 

The Sower, God. He calls out for man to hear His 

voice. For one day we will see our Savior face to face.

What JOY that will be!

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness."

has shone in our hearts to give the light

of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

This book is absolutely a must if you have children. 

It is also the perfect gift for any child in your life. Suggest

that it be added to your church library. Even though the book is 

targeted for children this book would also be a wonderful 

gift for anyone in your life that needs to hear the gospel message.

Disclaimer: I received this in exchange for my honest opinions. 

 

The Nomadic Professor

The Nomadic Professor American History I & II is an online history curriculum for high school students. Dr. W. Kesler Jackson (aka ~ The Nomadic Professor) along with Nate Noorlander approach history without a dreaded textbook and outside of the typical classroom setting. Dr. Jackson utilizes pre-recorded mini lessons that he recorded on location all around the world. What better way to bring history to life than to see where events in history actually to place. This makes for a more engaging learning experience. Nate Noorlander has extensive experience working with high school students. He produces the handouts, guided notes, quizzes, and document lessons for the courses. High School students can earn high school credit for the courses. The Nomadic Professor is part of Timberdoodles Nonreligious 2022 Eleventh-Grade Curriculum Kit . The Nomadic Professor is also part of Timberdoodles Nonreligious 2022 Tenth-Grade Curriculum Kit .  

The courses currently offered by The Nomadic Professor are: 

American History Part I & American History Part II. Part I entitled, TO BEGIN THE WORLD ALL OVER AGAIN.  From the Pre-Columbian Americas to the Ratification of the Constitution (pre-15th century to 1790's). Part II entitled, THE NOISE OF DEMOCRACY. The Presidency of George Washington to the End of Reconstruction (1790 - 1877). 

American History Part III and IV are in the works. They are also working on courses in World History, Western Civilization, Asian History, and Free Speech. They currently also have a course on Media Literacy.

What is so great about The Nomadic Professor courses is that they can be customized for the needs of your student. Once enrolled you can have your student start at anytime. You can help your student set the perfect pace to work through a course. You can adapt the course to fit the needs of your student. There are 3 levels of difficulty: basic, standard, and advanced. Each course is comprised of 10 units, each broken into 3-5 lessons. Course material includes video, audio, text, maps, photos, drawings, charts, and many other graphics. Students will learn by reading, watching, and listening. Courses have around 400-500 pages of notes and informational handouts. There are approximately 70 short lectures filmed on location. Audio versions of the lessons are also available. 

Christopher Columbus Unit 2, Session 3 is part of American History Part I. At the beginning of each session there is a For Instructors section. This will include the Guided Notes Key, Guided Notes Rubic, and a Comprehensive Course Workbook Key along with other course materials. 

The student has the option of either printing the Session Guided Notes or opening them with Google Docs.  

The teacher key is identical to the student notes but has the 

answers written in red. 

Students have the option of listening to the session via Audio. 

I like that multiple options are given. Visual aids such as the below 

Christopher Columbus Timeline help students fully grasp the material.  

The snippets of written text are extremely informative and quite interesting. It 

definitely is not your traditional boring history textbook material. 

The Nomadic Professor does a FANTASTIC job at making learning history fun. 

History comes alive as he travels the world sharing adventures, discoveries, hardships, triumphs, wars, and more throughout American History. 

Dr. Jackson knows his American History! 

After each section that your student completes within a session they

will click on the Mark Complete button. This will take them to the next topic. 

At the end of each session there is a section entitled, In Sum. This pretty 

much summarizes the session. 

This section entitled, Structure Terms tests your students grasp on the material 

learned in the session. They are to match the terms with the definitions. 

I LOVE THIS! 

There are flashcards using Quizlet for the students to study their definitions.

This is the breakdown of Unit 2 Session 3 and the 7 topic covered. 

As your child's teacher you are able to go into your child's Course Report to check on grades, what has been completed, and the date completed. The parent tools throughout the course are easy to access. Students will also find that the site is very user friendly. There is even a Nomad Nation Community Chat Group that is moderated by Nate.  

I would give The Nomadic Professor ★★★★★! I had my incoming 9th grader start American History I and soon realized that the curriculum was a bit too advanced for her. Instead of following the curriculum as intended I had her watch the videos and learn the vocabulary. I love history and enjoyed reading through the text and watching the videos myself. In my opinion, The Nomadic Professor is an AP History Course that prepares students for college level history or to even clep out of Intro to American History in college. Check out The Nomadic Professor American History I & II

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

 

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright! An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year is a collection of poems about animals. Fiona Waters, an anthologist, found 366 poems that she hoped children would love. Britta Teckentrup, the artist/illustrator, created a beautiful visual story on every page with her amazing artwork. She utilizes vibrant colors with what looks to be watercolor illustrations. Professor Rudine Sims Bishop said, "Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience." This beautiful hard cover book is part of Timberdoodles 2022 First-Grade Curriculum Kit. The poetry spans a period of over 400 years. This book is recommended for ages 3+. 

Each month lists the calendar day, poem title, and poem author. 

Some of the poets that are familiar to many in this anthology are:

William Blake

Margaret Wise Brown

Lewis Carroll

Emily Dickinson

Robert Frost

Edward Lear

Isaac Watts

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

William Shakespeare

Of course there are a lot of poets that are new to me. 

Louise Bolongaro, Head of Picture Books of Nozy Crow Publishers said: 

"A poem...Look at how a tiny collection of words, carefully arranged, can say so much. Poems are bite-size worlds that can be snacked on word by word or swallowed whole in one big gulp. And, like a picture book, a poem always makes us feel something."

The illustrator has done a fantastic job depicting a Kingfisher with its long pointed bill as it "knives the water" to catch its meal. Two of the three fish are leisurely swimming along while the fish in the middle has spotted the Kingfisher and awaits its fate. 

July 14th's poem "Kingfisher" by John Foster

Dropping

Like a splinter from the sky

It knives the water,

Swiftly strikes,

Turns, surges

Up through the splattering surface,

Back to the willow branch,

Where it sits triumphant,

Wet feathers glistening,

Its silver catch

Dangling from its beak. 

 

April 27th's poem "Rabbit and Lark" by James Reeves

"Under the ground

It's rumbly and dark

And interesting,"

Said Rabbit to Lark.

 

Said Lark to Rabbit,

"Up in the sky

There's plenty of room

And it's airy and high."

 

"Under the ground

It's warm and dry.

Won't you live with me?"

Was Rabbit's reply.

 

"The air's so sunny.

I wish you'd agree,"

Said the little Lark,

"To live with me."

 

But under the ground

And up in the sky,

Larks can't burrow

Nor rabbits fly.

 

So Skylark over

And Rabbit under

They had to settle

To live asunder.

 

And often these two friends

Meet with a will

For a chat together

On top of the hill.

 

I absolutely adore this poem. The illustration that covers both pages is beautiful. I love how the artist used soft pastel colors. The picture depicts a sunny spring day. You cannot see too well but the lark is looking down at the rabbit just as if they are talking to one another. Likewise, the rabbit is peering up at the lark.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!

The cover of the book depicts a lion that is glaring into the eyes of its readers. My children had to memorize this poem by William Blake in 5th grade. The artist does a fantastic job depicting what the speaker imagines a prowling tiger with its fiery eyes in the dark of the night would look like. What "immortal hand or eye" could have created such a majestic animal. I do not know if the artist intended this but the moon is so very insignificant compared to massive frame of the tiger.  

With Christmas right around the corner I had to add one

last page. December 24th's poem is "The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy.

December 25th's poem is "The Donkey" by Gertrude Hind.

Both of these poems are so full of great meaning. 

In "The Oxen" we see how the Ox is looking reverent in the strawy pen. 

Even the animals are kneeling to pay homage to the babe Christ who is to be born. In the 3rd stanza we see how society today has lost sight of what Christmas is all about. But, "Come; see the oxen kneel." 

In "The Donkey" by Gertrude Hind is a sweet poem about a donkey that

is ONE day old! His body is awkward and after taking in his new 

surrounding he eventually lays down on the ground. And the poem 

ends, "I prayed the world Might be good to him."

My grandson may be too young to enjoy listening to poetry, but he isn't too young to enjoy looking at the colorful illustrations found throughout the 325 pages of Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright. There are so many animals, colors, and wonderful art to introduce him to. 

My grandson is mesmerized by the vivid colors in this illustration. 

Auntie Phoebe showing peanut the beautiful pages. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the poems in this book. I also loved spending time studying the details in each illustration. If you love art, animals, or poems check out this book. Do you shy away from poetry because you have a hard time understanding poems? You do not always have to understand a poems meaning to enjoy it. From the Dartford Warbler to the Manatee and the Barracuda to the Codfish each month you will read about creatures both big and small. Check out  

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright.

The Voice Library

Disclaimer:  I received this complimentary product through the 

Homeschool Review Crew.

The Voice Library is a unique way to preserve and chronicle just about anything in your life. Do you need a platform for you and your family to share photos, preserve memories, collect grandma's recipes, have the older generation tell stories and gather family history. Maybe you are an artist and you want to photograph your art and share a couple minutes explaining what inspired each art piece. You may have suffered a deep loss or experienced a life altering medical diagnosis and need a place where you can chronicle your journey. You may choose to keep it private. As you share your raw feeling, maybe even through tears, it is "YOUR VOICE." In time you may be ready to share your Voice Library with others. The Voice Library - Audio Book Creator is excited for you and your family to experience the fun, easy, and affordable way to ensure that important content is saved in your own private library, with anytime, anyplace access. How will you use the Voice Library?

3 Easy Steps!

So how does TheVoiceLibrary.net work?

For starters there are two classifications assigned on the account, Recorders and Listeners. The Recorder is the account holder. This person has the ability to record, upload files, purchase more storage time to the account, manage the library recording, and give others access to record and/or listen. You will be given ID's, PIN's, and Passwords. These are what your family or friends will need to access your Voice Library. Listeners can simply listen to the recordings and see any pictures that have been added along with the recordings. Preferably using your mobile device or landline phone you record your stories, recipes, memories, or whatever you choose to share. If you are not happy with the recording you can delete it and start again. There are many short videos and guides to help you along the way. And if you still are struggling and need help you can shoot them an email  or call them. Also, there are never any annoying ads to worry about. Your identity is NEVER sold. You own and control your information forever. 

Simply Download the App

In a Pickle

After being assigned this review I was really struggling to get everything working. I ended up creating three separate accounts, accidentally deleted recordings, and really did not quite follow the instructions sent by the vendor. Normally I would immediately jump into action to insure adequate time for reviewing. This time I didn't. Eventually I sent an email to a Crew Leader explaining my issues. They in turn reached out to Al Brandano the President and Founder of The Voice Library. This was the email correspondence I received from him. 

Jennifer

Al Brandano from The VoiceLibrary.

Sorry to hear you are having some issues. 

I'm sure I can help you resolve them.

Best if we talk by phone so I can understand what is happening.

Please contact me directly at xxx-xxx-xxxx

or give me the best times/ days to contact you.

Thank you

Al

I do need to add that the reason I was limping along on this review was because just weeks earlier I had a very traumatic hospital stay and then a car accident. I was dealing with A LOT! I felt like I had really let this vendor down. My fears were immediately replaced with Al's kind reassuring voice on the other end and his true desire to help me create a lasting and memorable Voice Library. Al was so very patient with me as I had so many questions and struggled a bit to understand how to work every part of the platform. After a good amount of time Al suggested we set up a time the following day to talk again by phone to ensure I had everything set up correctly and knew how to run it. As we spoke the second day I shared a very significant life altering event in my life. Al suggested that I use The Voice Library platform as kind of a personal diary of sorts. He suggested that I chronicle my journey from it beginning til now. Let it be a healing and therapeutic place for me to be real and express how how this event has affected me. At this point in our conversation I began to cry and immediately knew that this was exactly how I needed to use The Voice Library! 

I want to add that Al was also very appreciative of the feedback that I gave him on the instructions that were sent out with my review packet. He also welcomed feedback on the app and website. Al said that he and his team have a hard time sometimes seeing what a new individual coming in may be confused about. When you are the creator it is hard to step back and see your product from a newbies perspective. Feedback helps their team to write instructions a bit clearer or to tweak the app or website. They want The Voice Library experience to be fun and enjoyable not frustrating. 

When logging into the app you will see the Recording List of all of your recordings.

At the bottom you have several options. To record a new entry press Start Recording. 

You will be asked to name your recording. 

Name it.

Start recording. 

After you have uploaded a recording and added a picture if you choose

to do so there are several Recording Options. 

On the website you are able to manage your account and 

purchase new cards (renewal subscriptions, activity boxes).

On the website you can also see your recordings and listen to them. The 

website is HOME BASE. This is where you will find FAQ, short helpful videos, 

additional purchase options, and valuable information to help make your

Voice Library run smooth. 

The Military and First Responders Project

As our conversation continued Al shared with me The Military Families Story Project. In 2010 Al was invited to the Pentagon by Army Col. Philbrook of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. Al was asked to help soldiers and their families stay connected by providing them free subscriptions to TheVoiceLibrary.net during pre and post deployment. Al was honored and has since given over 1000 gift subscriptions to military families. When I heard this I literally got goose bumps. I told Al that my husband was a Chaplain in the Army Reserves. I also told Al that my husband from time to time taught Suicide Awareness Trainings. Al got excited. This led to a great conversation.

If you have stuck with me this far THANKS! As the holiday's are fast approaching are you still looking for that unique, memorable gift for family, a friend, a colleague at work, a teacher, or someone that you just really want to show your appreciation to during the holidays. In addition to The Voice Library - Audio Book Creator, for the holidays The Voice Library has put together CrateJoy for the Holidays. 

How often do we find ourselves saying the following: I'll get around to it. Maybe next week. Next time I will ask Granny to tell me that story. I know that these and hundreds of other thoughts go through people's minds every day. Why not capture those memories NOW! Get Gramma to read aloud some of her recipes and explain any tips or tricks she uses to make them turn out so yummy. Then add pictures of handwritten recipes. Record family members telling stories during holiday get togethers. I am really enjoying my Voice Library experience. Be sure to read with my Fellow Crew Members had to say about their experience with The Voice Library - Audio Book Creator.

I found this quote on The Voice Library site.

"The Voice is the organ of the soul, 

nothing in this world and of itself can comfort,

inspire, teach, and entertain, like it."

Longfellow

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