Some book reviews…just before Christmas!

This was an easy read, but a good book.  The chapters are very short, so I read this book, a chapter or two at a time, right before bed.  It made for great end-of-the-day reading.  McLeroy goes back to familiar bible stories, but looks at them from the angle of a specific item in the story (a fig leaf, a head of barley, Rahab’s scarlet thread) and why God would keep those items in remembrance of those events.  And then, why we should, too.  To be honest, not every chapter was meaningful to me, but then, some of the chapters spoke clearly to me.  And she ends the book with her own “collection” of spiritual markers.  And challenges her readers to do the same.  There is also a discussion guide at the end of the book, and I do think the material would make for good small group interaction.  So, overall, I did like this book.  I will probably keep it and read it again sometime and see if different things jump out to me at a different time.  

These two books are part of a series (there are two other books), obviously for children.  The material is filled with truth about how God has filled our lives with himself, and in Christmas, Bergren does a very good job reminding us that Christmas is about God, not Santa.  Also, the artwork is lovely (though, personally, I liked Christmas a little better of the two).  But I have to be honest.  I didn’t love these books.  And perhaps I am looking at them with a too-adult perspective.  But the conversations between Little Bear and her Mother (Christmas) and Little Bear and her Grandpa (Love) seemed a little too contrived to me.  Of course, a small child might not find these characters and conversations contrived at all.  But my little ones are too little for me to test my theory on.  So, if your little ones are a little older, these might be worth a read.  And, in a couple of  year, I may be surprised how much my kids like the books.  I hope so!

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Links to the website:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074815

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074471

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400071753