Recently, a friend whose son is not quite one said to me, “I spend so much time pointing to animals in books and teaching Caleb the sounds, he must think that knowing the names and sounds of animals is one of the most important things in life!”
This Advent season a little board book called, Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate, has been a favorite. The suspense builds as all the barn animals get ready for a special arrival and wonder who is coming. They dust the beams, lay eggs, and make room. At last they welcome Mary and Joseph as each snout pushes in for a better view of baby Jesus lying in Mary’s arms.
Isn’t it perfect that God became a baby to be near to even the youngest child? And not just near to us, but to all of creation! This big and beautiful world is full of creatures that reflect God’s glory and goodness in their own barking, mooing, and squawking ways. This Advent the animals are helping my daughter to welcome the one who really is the most important thing in all of life.
What Advent and Christmas storybooks have you been using at church or at home this year?
Comments
Love this book! It has become a tradition in our family and it holds the attention of even the littlest ones (one who is almost 1 year old).
My all-time favorite Christmas storybook is The Nativity by Julie Vivas. The illustrations are divine!
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