Written by Bob Hartman and illustrated by Krisztina Kallai Nagy, the Bible—designed especially to be read aloud to children ages 4 through 7—features more than 50 stories from Scripture, including 20-plus new Bible story re-tellings of old favorites such as David and Goliath and Noah and the Ark as well as lesser-known stories.

Hartman said the stories of the Bible "are meant to be told," adding: "That's how many of them were handed down in the first place—shouted by prophets, proclaimed by preachers, whispered as prayers and spoken out loud by one person to another."

Featuring humor throughout, The Lion Storyteller Bible includes an appendix of Hartman's tips for storytelling. The original edition has sold more than 130,000 copies and has been printed in 11 languages.

A pastor in Pittsburgh and a former storyteller in residence at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, Hartman is also the author of numerous other books, including The Three Billy Goats' Stuff! (Lion Children’s) and Telling the Bible: 100 Stories to Read Out Loud (Monarch).

"I am always amazed by the power of a story to capture, entertain and delight," Hartman said. "My hope is that, having seen God in these stories, children will learn to trust God, to listen for His voice and to love God in return."

To order The Lion Storyteller Bible, call Kregel Publications at 800-733-2607, or go to www.kregelpublications.com.

Cat Hoort is the trade marketing manager at Kregel Publications.

Standard Publishing is relaunching its popular line of books for babies and toddlers with several titles this month.

The "Baby Blessings" line features new and revamped products designed to help cultivate the first steps of a child's spiritual growth.

"Baby Blessings" has "historically been a dynamite line for us and for retailers, but it was time to update it," said Bob Wallace, Standard Publishing's marketing manager for children's products.

"We are so excited to be reintroducing this line, with some familiar, well-proven titles as well as some new ones," he added. "The reaction from retailers thus far, at the International Christian Retail Show and other events, has been phenomenal."

Featuring soft fabrics in the cloth books as well as textures and padding in others, the line is being marketed as appealing to and safe for small children. With colorful illustrations and rhyming text, the books are designed to stimulate interest, as some titles include pockets to hold photos of the child, while others feature music of favorite songs such as "Jesus Loves Me" and "Away in a Manger."

Seven titles will be released in September, with two more in January. To be published this month includes the Baby Blessings Bible (978-0-784-72372-2, $16.99), which received a Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and has sold more than a million copies. Featuring 10 of the best-loved stories from both Old and New Testaments—from creation through Easter—the 24-page, soft-cloth board book includes a closure tab and carrying handle.

The other titles to be released in September include Baby Blessings Christmas: (978-0-784-72374-6, $12.99); Away in a Manger (-3-9, $12.99); Jesus Loves Me (-0-8, $12.99); God Bless (Baby's Family Photo Album) (-65-4, $12.99); Baby’s Bible (-66-1, $14.99); and Noah's Ark: (-69-2, $14.99).

Two additional titles to be released in January are Baby's Bible Friends: (-67-8, $14.99) and Tell Me About Easter (-94-4, $12.99).

To order, call 800-543-1353. For more information, visit www.standardpub.com/retailers.

Joni Sullivan Baker is managing director of Buoyancy Public Relations.

Woodhouse's daughter, Kayla, suffers from a rare nerve disorder—hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy (HSAN)—which causes her to feel no pain. In the book, the author details the steps taken to give Kayla, whose body temperature must be regulated in a cold home, as normal a life as possible—which frequently plunged the family into difficult financial straits.

In the midst of tough circumstances, however, Woodhouse says that God gives grace to her family. "Life can be full of joy," she writes. "God is there, even in the hardest circumstances. Learning how to grab on to God's joy has made running the distance easier for me and my family, and it will for you as well."

The book features a foreword by recording artist David Phelps and offers a detailed account of the encounter with the reality TV team that constructed a house safe for Kayla.

"Sunday, September 30, 2007, is a day none of us will easily forget," Woodhouse writes. "It was mid-morning when we heard Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition shout through his megaphone, 'Good morning, Woodhouse family!' "

Woodhouse also confronts the idea of what is normal. Faced with the constant question in TV interviews of whether or not daughter Kayla will "ever have a chance at a normal life," Woodhouse replies, "I'm quick to share that God made Kayla just the way she is, and she has an abundant, overflowing life ahead. But it's not like everyone else's normal."

The author continues: "I learned a long time ago that my life would never be anyone else's 'normal,' and I'm okay with that."

For more information or to order Woodhouse Family: Welcome Home!, call Tyndale House at 800-323-9400, or visit www.tyndalebooksellers.com.

Randy Alcorn, the best-selling author of Heaven, addresses one of Christianity's most frequently asked questions in If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil.

"It's a question many people have—mostly from a distance—regarding evil others endure and commit," he told Christian Retailing. "But then there's a point in everyone's life when it's a question they have to face on a personal level—now it's their spouse crippled as a result of a stroke, they've undergone a divorce, abandonment, abuse—and their life is crumbled."

The book was somewhat inspired as a response to some of the arguments proposed in books by the so-called "New Atheists," such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, regarding not only the existence of God but also His nature. Alcorn writes about Antony Flew, the British atheist who converted to theism.

"He really felt the arguments for atheism had been effectively rebutted by arguments of Intelligent Design," Alcorn said. "But that's not the whole story—he hadn't come to faith in Christ. He had simply become someone who believed there was a God, but it's the problem of evil that kept him from believing in Christ."

Alcorn doesn't target ardent atheists; instead, his book is aimed more toward Christians who struggle with understanding God's ways.

"To some people, there's a God who says He simply doesn't have the power, and some Open Theists think God doesn't have the knowledge (to overcome evil), that He doesn’t know the future," he said. "It's an attempt to take God off the hook."

After reading more than 100 books that dealt with the problem of evil and suffering, Alcorn said he found "remarkable" the number of Christians who profess faith, yet embrace "viewpoints that offer a solution that is dependent on limiting God."

Although the book addresses the problem of suffering and will appeal to those who are experiencing pain, Alcorn suggests it's also a good read for believers who want to help those struggling with such questions. It also discusses truths that are important to hold onto in crisis moments.

"We need to learn before we get into situations," he said. "You need to be more prepared because it's inevitable that it's coming."

For more information, visit www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook, or to order, call Random House Customer Service at 800-733-3000.

Aug. 25. His first new studio album in nearly three years is perhaps his most personal to date, with songs of hope, loss, joy and redemption.

Many of the album's songs were inspired when Schultz rode his bicycle from coast to coast to raise more than $250,000 to benefit the James Fund, which provides assistance for widows and orphans. The first radio single from the recording, "He Is," was inspired by stories of families battling cancer.

"He is, He was and always will be. It's a pretty important message—no matter what kind of rough road you are riding through," said Schultz, recalling the time he spent with a cancer-stricken girl who came to one of his concerts with her father. "When the cancer started to get bad, I flew up and spent a day with her, and prayed with her and her family. She was never going to blame God for her cancer. She just always knew there was a bigger purpose in it."

The CD was produced by multiple-GRAMMY winner Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, CeCe Winans), Shaun Shankel (Beyoncé, Hilary Duff), Bernie Herms (Natalie Grant, Avalon) and Paul Mills (Third Day, Bluetree). It includes collaborations with such songwriters as MercyMe's Bart Millard and Barry Graul, Matthew West, Joy Williams and Herms.

To order Come Alive, call 800-876-9673, or go to www.worddistribution.com.

'Comatose' follow-up opens 'a new chapter' for hardworking rock quartet

It has been three years since GMA Artist of the Year nominee and two-time GRAMMY-nominated Skillet's last release, but the rock band that brings Awake to stores this month has been far from idle.

Many of the group's 2008 and 2009 shows touring Comatose, the band's 2006 release, were sold out, placing the four-piece in Pollstar's Concert Pulse Top 50 Tours list. The band also opened for mainstream acts Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace, and toured with Flyleaf.

Comatose produced more No. 1 singles from one recording than any other artist in the industry since Christian radio charts began.

One of the hardest-working and most broadly appealing acts, Skillet features its raw energy and multi-textured music on Awake. First single "Hero" has become a Christian radio favorite this summer.

Produced by Howard Benson (Daughtry, Flyleaf, Papa Roach) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Awake's songs speak to real-life experience. "Hero" declares that anyone can be a hero to someone, while "Monster" tackles the inner struggles people deal with that others don't see.

Other subjects include loss ("Lucy"), making the most of every moment ("One Day Too Late") and eating disorders ("Never Surrender").

For lead singer/bassist and primary songwriter John Cooper, Awake marks a "turning of a page" for the band. "This album is even more immediate than Comatose, but there's also a noticeable maturity," he said. "Some of the songs are complex, others are just really intense rockers, and, overall, there's a real sense that we're opening a new chapter."

The release is being supported by a street-week "Buy Awake, receive a free T-shirt" promotion. Skillet begins its Awake & Alive U.S. tour Sept. 24.

To order Awake, call Provident-Integrity at 800-333-9000, or visit www.providentmusicgroup.com.

Velvet Kelm is president/owner of The Media Collective.