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
Title: On That Easter Morning Author: Elena Pasquali Illustrator: Alison Jay Price: £9.99 Published by: Lion Children’s Available here Good for: children age 3-8 years old Best bit: stunning artwork and gentle, Biblically accurate storytelling, and the wonderful two-page spread picture of the last supper aka Passover Worst bit: doesn’t mention Pentecost, which I hoped … Read more
Author: Madeleine L’Engle Illustrator: Frescoes by Giotto Published by: Simon and Schuster Available second-hand from sellers on Amazon and Abebooks “Possible things are easy to believe. The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, song to our lips.” Good for: Families with children aged 7—14 and adults who like … Read more
Title: Goodbye to Goodbyes: A true story about Jesus, Lazarus and an empty tomb By: Lauren Chandler & Catalina Echeverri (I love how the author and illustrator make this book – as with many of her books, the pictures Catalina creates communicate so much of the story) Published by: The Good Book Company Price: RRP … Read more
Title: Bethlehem Town Written by: Andrew McDonough Series: Lost Sheep Books Published by: Sarah Grace Publishing Price: £5.99 Buy from: Malcolm Down Publishing Useful for: parents of children ages 3-10 years old Best bit: The fun, quirky, colourful pictures and well-rhyming text, describes the birth of Jesus taking place in a house, which from what I’ve … Read more
Title: Story Stacks Author: Becca Stileman Useful for: parents of children age 3-10 wanting to do faith together at home, childrens groups where Bible stories are shared Best bit: large sturdy, bold character cones Worst bit: the cardboard box they arrived in was a bit worse for wear to use to keep them in Price: RRP £34.99 for 25 … Read more
Title: Diary of a Disciple Author: Gemma Willis Useful for: children age 8-12ish or anyone wanting a new slant on the Jesus story Best bit: brilliantly retold and designed Worst bit: you’ll finish it quicker than you want to Price: RRP £10 Only £6.99 here at time of writing It’s not often I come across a book I feel deserves … Read more
“People who learn to ‘sit still and be quiet’ in church during the early years of their life are more likely to continue to ‘sit still and be quiet in church as adults.” Sharon had me with this quote… let me give a few headlines and then you can read what else I discovered: Title: … Read more
Title: The Big Bible Activity Book Written by: Maggie Barfield Published by: Scripture Union Price: £11.99 Buy from: Scripture Union Useful for: parents of children age 1-6 years old Best bit: My daughter (age 4) said it was the stickers. Of course. We love stickers. For me, the best bit was the fresh new contemporary … Read more
Title: Comfort in the Darkness – helping children draw close to God through Biblical stories of night-time and sleep Author: Rachel Turner Useful for: parents of children aged 0-10ish looking for Bible stories and activities to explore God and nighttime. Best bit: brilliantly re-told Bible stories and succinctly written ideas to help children in their relationship with God. Worst bit: no pictures … Read more
Title: 40 days – Matthew: A Conversation with God Author: Jo Swinney Useful for: anyone wanting a simple journal-style book to explore the book of Matthew as a family, group or individual Best bit: Lovely book (nice paper, faux leather cover like a Moleskin book, nice font, text colour and spacious layout) with lots of space to read, … Read more