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: 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
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
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
Title: Advent Journal for All ages Author: Nick and Becky Drake from Worship for Everyone Illustrator: Connie Buck Published by: Worship for everyone and Gas Street Church Price: £7.99 each, two for £15, or 3 for £20 Good for: Anyone wanting a quick but real way to connect with God during Advent, especially those who would like four themed songs … 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
Author: David Sims Illustrator: Becky Rawlins and Hope Gwilliam RRP £15.99 (it’s full colour and 124 pages long!) Published by: David Sims Perfect for: families with children age 7+ wanting a daily Advent devotional Best bit: gorgeous design and artwork, a delight for eyes! Worst bit: a lot of material, with choices, but some people might think … Read more