Jesus, Me and My Christmas Tree is another oversized, die-cut boardbook by Crystal Bowman. Narrated by a young girl in pig-tails, this book describes the significance of specific items on her Christmas tree."My tree tells a story of long, long ago
from the star on the top to the present below.
When God in his mercy and wonderful love
sent his son Jesus from heaven above."
One by one she points out angels, a manger, bells, a star, the lights and the presents. She relates each one back to Jesus and the story of His birth. The book ends by encouraging readers: "So as you gather around your tree, remember Christ came for you and for me."
Once again, Claudine Gevry fills the book with bright colors. The illustrations show the young girl decorating her tree and dancing around it; balancing presents and playing with her dog and little brother.
What I Like: I like that every ornament - even things not necessarily "Christian" - is used to point children to Jesus. The book is just fun - it's so colorful and, when opened, is the shape of a Christmas tree.
What I Dislike: Normally, I like rhyming text -- I think it helps kids remember better -- but in this book, it seems too cutesy for the subject matter. I feel the book would be more effective if told through simple prose. Also, many things this girl puts on her tree, we don't put on ours. We have a nativity scene with a manger, but we don't put it on our tree. We don't have bells or angels ... I feel like I need to buy a bunch of new ornaments before my kids will internalize the message of this book.
Overall Rating: (upper side of) Good.
Age Appeal: 3 and above (according to the publisher), but I think children as young as 1 will enjoy this short, colorful book.
Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2005; ISBN: 0310708745; Boardbook; $6.99
Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $5.49!
Or buy it at Amazon for $6.99.
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