F Is for Fireflies: God's Summertime Alphabet

by Kathy-jo Wargin, Linda Bronson (Illustrator)

Overview

“God made the Fireflies light up the night,
A flash and a flicker—His love is so bright!”

Explore God’s warmest, wonder-filled season from A to Z. Build sandcastles, share picnics with others, and gaze at the starlit summer sky. And all the while, know that God delights in us and our summertime fun, too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310716631
Publisher:	Zonderkidz
Publication date:	04/05/2011
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

When Kathy-jo Wargin was a young girl, each night after dinner, her mother let her choose between washing the dishes or writing a poem. Before long, she decided that if she grew up to be a writer, she wouldn't have to do any dishes. She has since learned that even though she has published more than twenty award-winning books for children, she still has to wash the dishes. Kathy-jo lives in Minnesota with her husband and her son. Go to her website www.kathy-jowargin.com

Linda Bronson grew up on the Jersey Shore. At school, she daydreamed and doodled instead of listening to her lessons. It wasn't until Linda went to college at the Rhode Island School of Design that she truly blossomed. Linda's painting can now be seen in picture books, magazines, advertisements, posters, and greeting cards. She thinks she has the world's best job.

Read an Excerpt

F is for fireflies

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By Kathy-jo Wargin

Zondervan

Copyright © 2011 Kathy-jo Wargin
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-71663-1

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Chapter One

A is for Anchor

Lift up your Anchor; the sunshine is here. It's time for the blessings of God's summer cheer.

B is for Boat

Summer brings Boats that set sail in the breeze. The water reminds us that God calms the seas.

C is for Castle

Let's find a beach to build Castles of sand. God tells us kindness means lending a hand.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from F is for fireflies by Kathy-jo Wargin Copyright © 2011 by Kathy-jo Wargin. Excerpted by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

PreS-K—Summer holds magic, especially for children, and this alphabet book takes some of that season's beloved symbols and associates them with a metaphor for God's love and bounty. "He made the fireflies/light up the night,/a flash and a flicker-/his love is so bright." Most of the couplets have a bouncy rhythm, and many of Wargin's choices will indeed remind children of summer: daisies, ladybugs, picnics, swimming, etc. However, the word associations for some letters are haphazard and general, e.g., "O is for Owl." Bronson's vivid, loose paintings capture the season well. In a crowded field, this is an additional alphabet book.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

School Library Journal

Wargin continues her series of seasonal alphabet books (K Is for Kite: God's Springtime Alphabet, 2010, etc.) with this exploration of summertime delights interwoven with a religious message. Each page includes the traditional format ("B is for boat") in large type along with two or four rhyming lines in smaller type and a relevant illustration. God is included in the text in simple, relevant ways ("God calms the seas"), and there is no mention of Jesus, so the book could be used by a wider audience than just Christian readers. The rhyming text reinforces concepts of kind and cooperative behavior as well as presenting God as a powerful and loving force in the natural world. The references to God in the text are not preachy, and not every page mentions God, so the religious content flows naturally within the story. Bronson's vibrant, jazzy illustrations in ripe-fruit shades are filled with sunny skies, imaginative flowers and flowing lines that suggest the lively nature of happy summer days. The pictorial story follows a family and its spotted dog as they take part in traditional summer activities, but the illustrator makes this ode to summertime soar. Her paintings are filled with motion and bright colors, with children who look like they must be laughing and having a great time enjoying the outdoors. A sunny celebration. (Picture book/religion. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews