Posted in Reviews

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About the product/service:  As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew  I received several free e-books from Guardian Angels Publishing so that I might look them over, read them to my kiddos, and give you my humble opinion about them. :) 

Here's a bit of info about the company from their website:

GAP staff is composed of dedicated professionals who wish to create a safe and fun environment for children to learn and grow with our eBooks and print books.  You will discover our musical artists, award winning photojournalists, artists and talented authors have pioneered to create this new dynamic form of eBooks and print books. 

GAP eBook downloads, eBooks on CDs, full color Print books 8.5x8.5 inches, and book video DVDs  are based on the fundamental concept of using art, music and special activities to captivate the preschool and primary child's attention in order to instill a Christian and healthy attitude of learning, sharing and caring.

Here are the books I received!

Hamster Holidays: Noun and Adjective Adventures of The Pet Grammar Parade Series
This book makes learning nouns and adjectives fun as your child follows a silly group of hampsters as they celebrate their very own holidays every month of the year.  Activity pages are included too!  There are scrambled words, match-ups, crossword puzzles and more!

No Bones About It: The Sum of Our Parts Series
A fun little book that helps your child learn all about our wonderful skeletal system.  Silly pictures and fun rhymes help make learning the names of bones fun!  Cool factoids add interest, for a short, fun, but very educational book.
 

Gifts from God
 Beautiful photographs of children and nature grace the pages of this book.    Simple sentences for your beginning reader tell of the gifts God has given us.  Scripture is used throughout to reinforce the message.

 

Rainbow Sheep (a national award winner 2009 Eppie)Genevieve tells funny stories to a sad, pale rainbow to make him bright and happy again.  His tears of joy turn the sheep all the colors of the rainbow!  Beautiful and unique fiber art illustrations, plus instructions for fiber activities for kids!

      

Stubby's Destiny (a national award winner Best of 2008 award for literary excellence )Stubby is a donkey who wants to be important, and maybe one day carry a king on his back.  It doesn't help that his horse friend, Sly, insists that he must be regal like him to have a Divine Destiny.  When he is called on by the Kings of Kings to carry Him on his back, he realized he has had a Divine Destiny all along.

 

What are the pros of these products?  From what I've seen, these are nice little books.  There is such a wide variety to choose from; I'm sure there is something for everyone. 

What's not to like?  To be honest, I don't like the e-versions just because they are just not the same as a "real" book.  I read them off my computer because there was no way I was going to use all that ink to print them out.   That's just me, but I would prefer a hard copy.  Not a true negative, I suppose, as the books are available as both digital and good old paper and ink versions. 

Another small possible negative for small children would be the fact that some of the pictures in No Bones About It might be a bit scary.  You might want to check it out before you buy. Also, there is a picture of a young girl wearing a two-piece bathing suit in Gifts from God, and reference to ghosts and monsters in Hamster Holidays.  Just a heads up if your family avoids these things.

The Crazy Mom take:

I enjoyed reading these books to my kids, even though I had to read from my lap top.  I'm sure had I gotten hard copies, I would have read them much sooner and more often!  My little guy appreciated them the most.  Well, he wasn't thrilled with the Bones book, as he said it was not a story!  LOL  My older kids, enjoyed it, though.  Especially the factoids:)  I admit, I like it too!  Can't say I can tell you the names of all the bones, but it was still fun to read.  The pics were a little goofy, but I guess I can excuse that.  They are cartoony, but realistic enough that you can still learn from them. 

I actually liked the illustrations for the Rainbow Sheep the best.  The fiber art is really cool!  I am going to have to do that with the kids some time.  As for the story line, I probably enjoyed Stubby's Destiny the most.  I feel a lot like Stubby myself sometime.  I am just hopeful that I really am serving the King as I haphazardly stumble through my crazy days!  (Or is that daze?)

Happy reading!  :)

What's the bottom line? Print version $10.95 plus $6.95 Shipping and Handling/E-book CD $9.95 plus $5.95 Shipping and Handling/E-book download $5.00

I am going to give Guardian Angel Publishing 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out!  http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/718692/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!!  I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others.  Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way.  I am in no way obligated to give a positive review.  I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal!  What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive. 

As with all products, you must do the research before buying.  Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying.  I can't guarantee that a product will work for you.  You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s).  I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review.  I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else.  I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath.  Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2009 Ramblings from the Crazy House