Cover Image: When the World Wakes Up

When the World Wakes Up

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Member Reviews

When the World Wakes Up by Will Kassner and and Courtney Kassner is a beautifully written book about how God’s Creation sings every morning when it wakes up. I love how lyrical the writing is and how the illustrations matched the writings seamlessly. I love the Parents Connection in the back of the book. This book would be perfect for any type of story time or a Family Devotion Time. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

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I thought this book was SO CUTE. I loved all of the vibrant, beautiful illustrations and the story itself was just as good. The writing was beautiful. That mixed with the illustrations had a very calming effect. My four year old enjoyed this book and I'll definitely read it to my preK class as well!

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This book tells about the animals and plants in a forest waking up with the sun. The illustrations are absolutely amazing, and filled with careful and beautiful details. The writing is very poetic and would make a nice story to listen to, but I think it would be quite hard for young readers to read. Definitely a book for looking and and listening to when it comes to young readers. I would recommend this book for parents of children in the age 3-6 range and for teachers interested in using this as a mentor text for either a lesson on language use/voice in writing or for creating art. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

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Written by Will & Courtney Kassner, and Illustrated by Darya Becklemesheva, this book will capture little minds and imaginations.

Reading Level: Easy
This book is written for children, and uses simple patterns to engage the reader.

Faith Engagement Level: Easy to Digest
The faith engagement is centered on the single concept of creation singing praises to God.

Reader Age Recommended: Ages 4+
While it may be a bit too advanced for kids to read on their own (due to length), kids will remain engaged by the rhythm and flow of this book.

​WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THIS BOOK FOR THE CHILDREN IN MY LIFE?
This book invites interactions from the readers - with silly sounds and rhythms throughout. Kids will be challenged by dancing animals, gobbling turkeys, hooting owls, and silly animals inviting them to participate in the praise of God. You may even find your little ones making silly flower crowns to wear with the wild animals in the book.

WHAT WILL THIS BOOK CHALLENGE KIDS TO DO?
The last page of the book includes a parent connection section that is designed to help parents support their child's growth and development after reading this book. This connection page includes Remember, Read, and Think (which includes a chance to write a song together among other activities!) points centering around Psalm 96 and how all of creation expresses their song of praise to God. While the page is at the end of the book, it may be helpful to begin a time of family devotions by reading the Scripture followed by the story, and questions.

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When the World Wakes Up. By Will Kassner, Courtney Kassner, Illustrator: Darya Beklemesheva. 2023. B&H Kids. (ARC eBook).

When the World Wakes Up is a beautifully illustrated book full of rhymes that brings to life the sounds, and evokes the senses of, nature: whistles and gobbles, red berries and dusky skies. There are six Scripture references hidden in the illustrations and there is an activity/discussion guide for parents in the back of the book. Overall, a very vibrant and thoughtful presentation.

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This was a nice book, but I didn't love the artwork. I was hoping for prettier illustrations but it just wasn't my favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

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Each new day is a day to celebrate the world we live in with those around us, and the Creator who made it all. Watch the animals in a forest wake up and celebrate together. The back of the book includes a discussion guide for adults to read with kids about how creation sings God’s praise and can remind us about His attributes.

There are verses woven into the illustrations on many of the page spreads for readers to look up on their own, and they usually relate to nature celebrating God and what He’s done. The illustrations are bright, lively, and definitely make you cheerful looking at them. The rhyme is well done, and the discussion guide in the back helps make things a bit more clear. Recommended for Christian families and schools.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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When the World Wakes Up pairs lively, rhyming text with subtle quotes from Psalms that celebrate God's creation. While the story refers to the world waking up each day, it would make an especially nice addition to a story hour as spring starts to unfold and the world 'wakes up' for the new season. The illustrations are bright and bold, and children will have a great time pointing out different animals on each page.

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The title of this book is rather sweet and promises much along with the cover art where the woodland animals seemed to be gamboling across the cover. I mean who can resist such a joyous and brightly colored cover?

It was to my surprise that <i>When the World Wakes Up</i> was opened it showed up to not only be a book celebrating the mornings of the world but also a read that leaned heavily upon the psalms' musical heritage. As such the book could be read as a more modern psalm in which not only God is worshiped but the natural elements of the world around us.

The text really doesn't have much rhyming but it does flow rather nicely for those who read it aloud to their own little ones. Meanwhile parents should be aware that sticking to the musical motif for its content there may be words that some of the youngest readers may not know how to pronounce or even what the word means.

What makes for an even more fun read is the fact that there are six hidden psalm verses tucked into the illustrations for the reader to find while these are not found on pages that are back-to-back. To the more average and experienced seekers these verses may not appear to be really well-hidden but they do add an extra element of fun to the reading while also contributing to an impromptu Bible study for those who would like to pursue that since the verses all relate to the pages that they are on.

Meanwhile the book is gorgeously illustrated with brightly colored sceneries and fun-frolicking animals that although not quite realistic will warm the heart

Along with the praise tips in the back of the book and fun activities this will make for a great Christian read for families who may want to find more ways of adding worship into their days.

**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

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I love the illustration, really nice and beautiful. And when a child read it, be/she can learn more about animals with amazing illustration. Great book 💙

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This book is absolutely wonderful! It has a beautifully written story and the illustrations are beautiful. My two great granddaughters, ages 2 and 5, loved it. It was a joy to read this book to them.
I received a complimentary copy from B&H Publishing Group via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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This is a lovely religious picture book for adults to read aloud to young children. There are themes relating to nature, the book of Psalms and a symphony which young children might not get without an adult pointing them out. The illustrations were good especially the fox adored with colorful flowers.

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This book is beautifully written AND illustrated. My 2, 4 and 6 year old really enjoyed the illustration and story. But it is the follow up questions at the end that really brought it home for me. It really helped me take the one step deeper with my 6 year old. We were able to have a fruitful conversation about the beauty in God's creation.
We also loved looking for the hidden bible verses in the illustrations.
I would recommend this for:
- Parents looking for ways take out the faith with their kids
- Parents and kids who enjoy beautifully illustrated stories.
- Families look for exposure to God's word.

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This book delighted both my children and I. The illustrations are beautiful and show the beauty of creation. The idea of creation as music and joy and God as the conductor was felt by all of us. This book paints a beautiful picture for children about how God is always here and how He orchestrates each day. The poetry was beautiful and we loved all of the animals Included.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to an advanced copy.

This is a beautiful book, both in it's poetry and illustrations. It chronicles the waking up of the animals in the forest and point back to God as the Maestro who conducts the entire scene. The illustrations are beautiful and very detailed. There are lots of details to admire, especially the verse references hidden throughout. Overall, a lovely book in every sense.

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What a fun book about the beauty of creation! I read this to my kiddos and both of them loved and requested it again the next day and the next. Beautiful illustrations. Great poetry. Definitely kid-approved! Thank you for an advance copy!

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When the World Wakes Up

This beautiful picture book starts the reader in a quiet morning. Gradually the animals wake up and the reader experiences the world around them getting louder. The illustrations are colorful. There are a lot of animals to see and practice their sounds. At the end, the reader is reminded that the earth was made by the creator. There’s also a parent’s connection at the back for further discussion and study. A wonderful book for a child!

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Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name. Psalm 96:1-2

A great reminder how good God is in his creation. There is nothing like it when your child is awe inspired by what God has created. It creates a humbleness in our hearts to worship God in Spirit. A great way to worship God together.

A special thank you B&H Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

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This was a sweet book with a great little message. I loved the descriptive language used to show the world waking up. The illustrations were beautiful and fit the book well. I liked the rhyming style of the book that made it flow well and easy to read. Definitely a great story book for little ones.

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When the World Wakes up is a book full of colorful, whimsical illustrations of animals ready for a new day. Rhyming poems are throughout the book as you meet new animal characters from foxes to deer to fish. There are Bible verse citations on some of the pages that correspond to the poem. While I enjoyed the artwork, I didn't think the writing was anything or new exciting. The back of the book has a portion for the parents that has discussion questions centered around faith.

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