Way Back Wednesday ~ Rose’s Garden – Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is one of my all time favorite authors.  His books always appear simple but supply BIG messages.  Rose’s Garden takes the reader on a fantastical journey around the world with Rose and her vehicle of choice – a magical teapot.  While on her travels, Rose gathers seed from each locale.  She finally finds a special patch of land that needs a bit of color, but before she can begin the transformation process with the help of her seed collection, some hungry birds eat all but a few of her seeds.  Determined to see her plan through, she plants her remaining seeds.  Ultimately her seeds coupled with some extra special flowers presented to Rose by the neighborhood children turn the barren patch of land into a beautiful garden.  Rose’s Garden is a very sweet story that highlights the powers of faith and determination.

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate – Rachel Bright

Love Monster is such a cute character.  I was excited to see that he is now featured in a number of books.  Love Monster and the Last Chocolate is a very sweet story that focuses on the importance of being a good friend and the rewards of showing kindness to others.  We loved this one!

Ninja Bunny – Jennifer Gray Olson

Our daughter is very involved in Tae Kwon Do so this this little picture book caught her attention when we were at the library.  Ninja Bunny is a cute story that features a bunny that wants to be the very best ninja ever.  As he works on improving his ninja skills, he learns that great ninjas need great ninja friends in order to be as successful as possible.  Ninja Bunny provides an entertaining story with a great message about the importance of friendship.

 

Christmas Favorite – Flashback #4

God Gave Us Christmas begins with Little Cub asking his Mama about who “invented” Christmas.  The Little Cub wonders if it might be Santa.  Mama Bear explains that God invented Christmas and ultimately takes a journey with Little Cub in order to let him see that God is everywhere and how He gave us Christmas.

I really appreciate how this book directly addresses why we celebrate Christmas but also includes an explanation about Santa:

“Did God give us Santa?”

“Santa Claus reminds us about many good things like generosity and care.  But it is God and Jesus that we celebrate most come Christmas.”

God Gave Us Christmas is a sweet and wonderful Christmas book which includes beautiful illustrations.

Christmas Favorite – Flashback #3

A Magical Christmas is a lovely story written in rhyme.  Little Mouse wants to know what exactly is the magic of Christmas.  In order to find the answer he goes and asks each member of his family, but each family member has a different answer.  Finally on Christmas Day Mommy Mouse shares with Little Mouse that all the answers were correct because…”The magic is love, Little Mouse.”

The illustrations in this book are particularly noteworthy.  They are simply beautiful.  Each page includes sections that are gently enhanced with glitter which truly bring the illustrations to life.

Christmas Favorite – Flashback #2

Mary, Did You Know? is a picture book version of the popular Christmas song with the same name.  The illustrations are stunning, and the scriptural references on each page along with song lyrics are a thought provoking combination.  This is a new favorite for our family!

Christmas Favorite – Flashback #1

Throughout the month of December, I will be re-sharing some of our family’s favorite Christmas books that have previously been featured on the blog.

Today I am happy to re-introduce Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh.

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a delight.  Olive is really a dog, but she becomes confused while listening to Christmas music as she is wrapping presents.  Rather than hearing about: “…all of the other reindeer…”, Olive hears her own version of the lyrics: “Olive, the other reindeer…”.  Although she was certain she was a dog, Olive doesn’t want to disappoint Santa, and she immediately heads to the North Pole.  Before long, it is clear that Santa really does need the special skills that only Olive can provide.

The Smallest Gift of Christmas – Peter H. Reynolds

Our family loves the work of Peter H. Reynolds!  We were excited to add his Christmas book to our collection.  The Smallest Gift of Christmas is a sweet story that helps to refocus away from the materialism that can overwhelm the celebration of Christmas. A great tale to help set the tone this holiday season.