The Parable of the Lily

Easter is coming soon and now would be a good time to introduce your little ones to the story of the Easter lily.

There are many books about Easter to choose from. The Parable of the Lily, written by Liz Curtis Higgs and illustrated by Nancy Munger, is a lively, engaging story about a girl named Maggie who receives a mysterious gift shortly after Christmas. It looks like just a box of dirt to her. Not understanding what it really is, she puts the box in the cellar with the other gardening items. When the weather gets warmer, and her father is working in the garden, Maggie knocks the box off from the cellar shelf in her haste to get her gardening tools. She spills the dirt, and a flower bulb that was buried in the dirt, onto the floor. When she cleans the mess up, she tosses dirt and all outside into the yard. Several weeks later, when she wakes up on Easter morning, she finds out how special the gift really is. A beautiful Easter lily is blooming in her garden.

Although The Parable of the Lily isn’t about Jesus’ death and resurrection, there are Bible verses interspersed throughout the text that connect what’s happening in the story to life of Jesus. The bright, colorful illustrations help convey the story line.

What I like: I liked the whole book. The story was written well and the illustrations helped enhance the story line.

What I dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 3 - 7 .

Publishing Info: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006; ISBN 0785272313; Hardback $7.99.

Buy now at Amazon $7.99.

Special Info: The Parable of the Lily is part of the Parable Series (all written by Liz Curtis Higgs) which includes The Sunflower Parable, The Pumpkin Patch Parable, and The Pine Tree Parable. You may wish to visit the author’s or the illustrator’s website.