Top Ten Easter Picture Books

So, here it is...my top ten Easter picture book selections to commemorate the Lenten season...enjoy :)

1. The Very First Easter by Paul Maier     

2. The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children  by Mary Joslin

3. Stations of the Cross by Lawrence G. Lovasik

                    

                                               4. The First Easter by Carol Heyer

5. God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren 

6. An Easter Gift for Me by Crystal Bowman

7. What is Easter? by Michelle Medlock Adams

8. The Easter Story by Patricia Pingry

9. The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs

10. The Week That Led to Easter by Joanne Larrison

                                                                   

Top 10 Nativity Picture Books

1. The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier

     One of my very favorites of the nativity....absolutely the most beautiful illustrations that portray Jesus's birth. The Very First Christmas

2. Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell

The nativity from the perspective of a bunch of farm animals. Very cute :) Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers :)

3. The Christmas Story by Ruth Morehead

These cute kids put on a Christmas pageant of the nativity...perfect for toddlers and preschoolers :)

4. The Christmas Story by Kay Chorao

Beautiful Renaissance illustrations. 

5. The First Christmas by Carol Heyer 

Stunning, beautiful, and bold illustrations. Perfect for your preschooler to understand what Christmas is all about.

6. The Christmas Story by Jane Watson 

Another perfect book on the nativity for toddlers and preschoolers. Engaging and beautiful words and illustrations. 

7. Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer

The nativity from a camel's point of view. We also learn a lesson of giving/sacrificing for others...he ends up giving his blanket to the Christ child 

8. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck

This is a touch-and-feel  Nativity book. Feel the Donkey's fur and peek at the wise man's jewels. Another great nativity book for toddlers and preschoolers.

9. The Animals Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum

Rhyming story of the nativity from a group of animals point of view.

10. This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten

Yet another great one :)

Religious Icon For Little Girls :)

In a world full of Dora's and Strawberry Shortcakes, it's difficult to come upon a religious icon that appeals to young girls.

Because of this, I consider myself blessed to have come across the book series Alice in Bibleland by Alice Joyce Davidson.

Alice, a little blond girl around the age of 4-5 years old, is modestly dressed, and travels to Bibleland via her Bible that has transformed in to a "great big giant screen." Here, she witnesses firsthand some of the greatest stories in the Bible; Noah, Jonah, the Nativity, Moses, David & Goliath, Easter story, and many more. Like Dora, these stories have great adventure appeal, but with a religious and valuable twist.

Not only does my daughter have a religious icon to look up to, but is now learning and memorizing stories from the bible! Thanks to the writer, memorizing these stories is a lot easier because she implements rhyming into each one of her books to help convey God's word to little ones :)

Now..I'm just waiting for someone to make these books into a movie :) Wouldn't that be nice!

A Special Bedtime Ritual

A Special Bedtime Ritual 

In our family, reading in as essential part of our daily activity. That's why it's not a surprise that books are part of our nightly bedtime ritual. After our nightly prayers, my son has a book already selected and laid out on his bed for me to read to him. Sometimes if mommy is extra energetic and motivated, I might read more. After performing an array of character's voices and answering questions about the story's plot, it's time to unwind the bedtime ritual. Sometimes I will sing a song.....and sometimes he or she will fall asleep mid chorus.... or maybe they are pretending to fall asleep because my voice sounds so horrible (LOL!) After the story/stories some nights I do something extra special... I tell them at least 10 reasons why I love them. In my opinion, this is the most special bedtime ritual of them all. 

How do I have the time and energy to spend this allotted amount with each child?

My husband and I currently have two children and we take turns with each child. This way, each child has a night with mommy or daddy to pray, read, sing, and talk. Eventually, as our family grows, we will have to probably gather in one room. As for now, this ritual works great.