Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
I love it when we have a good book to review, and I especially love it when I can snuggle with my kids around a book that helps them to understand God’s Word. This month, my six-year-old and I had the opportunity to review Truth Becomes Her’s The Adventures of Rooney Cruz Ringleaders by Erin Weidemann.
This book is the second book of adventures for Rooney, a young girl with an angel (Mari) on her shoulder, who takes her back to Bible times to teach her about the strong, kind, faithful women of the Bible. In present day, Rooney is auditioning for a play and wonders if she’ll be able to make it as the star. But things don’t always go as we plan, and Mari is there to help Rooney learn that Bible Belles already have everything they need to succeed.
While the story is good and interesting, I did feel that my daughter was getting inpatient with how long the chapters were. In fact, when I asked her for her review, she said, “I just think there could be less words.” I feel that it’s written for kindergarten through third grade but that the length of each chapter could be shortened to reflect the attention span of that age group. There are only nine chapters, but there are almost 200 pages! Granted, half of these pages are illustrations, but it is still a very big storybook for a young child, in my opinion.
Each chapter shows Rooney struggling with something in her own life as she sets her sights on performing in the school play. Mari comes to help by taking her back in Bible times, where she watches famous women from the Bible as their stories unfold. She sees Elizabeth find out that she is pregnant in her old age and watches as she becomes the joyful mother of John the Baptist. She sees the angel tell Mary that she is pregnant with God’s Son and watches as Joseph and Mary trust God to fulfill His greatest promise through them. She then observes Jesus ministering to the woman at the well and sees her conversion. She learns about Mary and Martha and how they ministered in different ways, including as they work through their grief when their brother Lazarus dies. And she ends her Bible journey after seeing how Mary Magdalene was transformed by Jesus, followed Him through His earthly ministry, and then was the first to see Him resurrected from the tomb.
I do like that the book takes your child through a journey through the New Testament, focusing on the women who were blessed to be a part of Christ’s ministry on Earth. It has been a great way to talk to my daughter about becoming a modern-day Bible Belle!
The book is hard cover, which I love, and full of thick, glossy pages. The illustrations by Megan Crisp are well-done and very eye-catching. My daughter especially enjoyed looking through the pictures.
We also received the Ringleaders Journal for Mothers and Daughters, which I had hoped my 12-year-old daughter would work through with me. But she felt that the curriculum was better suited for my younger daughter and refused to participate in any way. I like the idea of the journal, but it doesn’t really fit the same level that the devotionals do and just wasn’t a good fit for us. This paperback journal is a good fit if you have a younger child who likes to write.
The Adventures of Rooney Cruz Ringleaders A Devotional for Girls was a much better fit for my little girl. These devotionals are much shorter and provide a daily look into a passage from God’s Word. Most days include discussion questions, and I enjoy listening to my daughter explain her answers. This book is paperback as well, which makes it easier to write in.
Just a side note: On page 11 of the devotional, the reference is for John 1:57-60, but I believe it’s supposed to be Luke. There aren’t that many verses in John 1.
My daughter does enjoy the coloring book she received with the bundle. The pages match up with the book, so she has something to compare it to (she’s a bit of a perfectionist!). But it’s a good way for her to listen and interact with the story.
I really have enjoyed working through this book with my daughter, and I think it’s a great time of bonding for us. But I think we would enjoy it even more if the chapters were broken down a bit.
Check out what some of the other reviewers think:
katiecruicesmith.com 