I love this book! It’s the Christmas and Easter stories told by the eloquent Madeleine L’Engle illustrated with frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto. You can see my review of the book here, but this post is about how I’ve used the pictures and story in this book to meditate on the Christmas story … Read more
Wrap up 24 Christmas-y books then unwrap and read one a day during Advent. All you need to do is collect* and wrap up 24 Christmas books and number them 1—24. Open one a day and share together. I found seven Christmas books for £5.80 in three of my local charity/ secondhand book shops, so … Read more
Title: Breathe – child’s guide to Ascension, Pentecost and the growing time Author: Laura Alary Illustrator: Cathrin Peterslund Published by: Paraclete Price: £14.82 Good for: Families with children aged 4–11 years wanting to explain and connect with the stories of Ascension (Jesus returning to heaven) and Pentecost (the Holy Spirit comes to Jesus’ friends) in a simple … Read more
Title: Dave the Donkey Author and Illustrator: Andrew McDonough Published by: Malcolm Down Price: £5.99 Useful for: children age 3-8 Best bit: Fun re-telling of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, death and resurrection from the view point of the Palm Sunday donkey! Worst bit: Very fast re-telling, with few details of the Easter story – for … Read more
It’s sticker activity book, so it’s got limited uses? Really?! How about these 10 ideas of things you could do with A GodVenture through the life of Jesus: Use it with your family for 12 weeks, using one page each week. Use it with your family during the summer holidays Lent, starting at page 16 (Passover) which gives you … Read more
Updated February 2022 Easter is a harder story to tell than the Christmas story, but such a vital one, as it is central to our faith. There’s so much detail, so many layers of meaning and relevance, it can be hard to know what to leave in and what to leave out. For under 5s, … Read more
Title: The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet Author: J. D. Peabody Published by: Hodder Faith Price: RRP £11.99 Good for: Children age 6-12 years old, especially those who love adventures Best bit: Wonderful relationship between the children and their Dad, plus brilliant idea of ‘ink’ being the most precious thing in the world. Worst bit: Although there’s an ending, the story … Read more
Title: Pembrick’s Creaturepedia Author: Andrew Peterson Published by: Hodder Faith Price: £8.99 Good for: Anyone who’s enjoyed The Wingfeather Saga and who likes non-fiction books or sketches with lables! Best bit: That this is a book referred to in the Wingfeather Saga so it feels like you are holding a copy of a book which the characters had! I also love the … Read more
Title: All about Christmas Author: Alison Mitchell Designer: Andre Parker Published by: The Good Book Company Price: RRP £10.99 reduced to £9.34 here Good for: Children age 5-11 who’d enjoy a detailed non-fiction book about the Christmas story Best bit: Loads of info and pictures Worst bit: Text a bit small for the age group, and often quite a lot of text on … Read more
Title: The Christmas Surprise Author and Illustrator: Steph Williams Published by: The Good Book Company Price: RRP £2.99 reduced to £2.54 or 10 for £2.10 each Good for: a gift for young children unfamiliar with the Christmas story Best bit: It’s funny! And it talks about what Jesus’ name means (rescuer) Worst bit: Not really anything. I probably wouldn’t have put … Read more
Title: Seek and Find – the first Christmas Author: Sarah Parker Illustrator: Andre Parker Published by: The Good Book Company Price: £8.99 on Amazon Good for: Families looking for a fun, interactive way to share the Christmas story with younger children Best bit: Quality hardback board book with great illustrations which cover most of the page Worst bit: My children would love a … Read more
Title: Iola: The Joy issue Created and published by: Abi Louise Price: £12 Best bit: It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, but the quality of this bookazine* is gorgeous, it’s fab to hold, the pages are thick and beautifully designed, there are no adverts and the images and articles are perfect for a relaxing, soul-soothing read. … Read more