Book Review: When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall

Editor's note: This book review was completed by my wife, Hannah. As a preschool teacher and soon-to-be mother, she's well situated to make assessments of children's books.

When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall uses rhymes and vivid illustrations to teach children how much God delights in creating them. My favorite part of the book is the beautifully painted illustrations. As the book goes through each body part, the illustrations show a little girl making a mess as she plays. From mud pies to scraped knees, we see her in constant action. The text background is always a sheet of notebook paper and sometimes has kid-style illustrations drawn on the bottom, adding to the appeal.

 The rhyming scheme starts off fresh and fun, but as the book progresses it lacks continuity. For instance, the 'hip' rhyme lacks an introductory page whereas all the other body part rhymes include one. I wonder if this is a printing error the publisher figured we wouldn’t notice (I’m thinking of the plot line from Elf now). The number of rhyming phrases also changes from page to page, which makes the book sound confusing and choppy to read aloud.

 Although the pictures make this book worth skimming, for those looking to buy a book on God's love or creation other children’s books are more appropriate. I’m thinking of God Gave us Love by Lisa Bergren and Laura Bryant or Because I Love You by Max Lucado.

To buy the book, visit Amazon.com (direct link).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."