family favorites

I mentioned in my last post that we have a small selection of Christmas themed books that stay tucked away in storage for all but one month of the year.  Some of them are silly, some of them have meaning, some are just colourful retellings of the Christmas story.  

As I pulled them out one by one, my heart was full of happy memories reading together.

Here are our top 3 faves:

find it!

This sparkly board book was a treasure when I came across it because it provides a beautiful way to share the real meaning of Christmas while enjoying popular Christmas traditions.

best line from the book:

"The tree that's green when others die

Tells us Jesus came and why...

To give us life, and so we say,

'This Christmastime and every day

Live in us, dear Lord we pray.'"

find it!

A dear friend gave us this book long before our elephant-crazed daughter was born.  The illustrations in this book are the most adorable, and it was the book that caused us to fall in love with little Humphrey!

best line from the book:

"Lottie draws a lovely letter for Father Christmas,

remembers to leave a treat for Rudolph,

then puts her babies to bed.

Mummy reads a special story all about baby Jesus

and has an extra long cuddle."

find it!

We discovered this book at the public library and immediately went out to purchase a copy.  This book was "our story" in 2006 and it made us cry. (and i mean us).

best line from the book:

"Mortimer sniffed.

Moritmer snuffled.

A tear rolled down his furry cheek.

'There was no room for you in the inn. 

But I know where there is room,' he said.....

...He laid the baby in the manger.

'This belongs to you,' he said.

Mortimer smiled.

'You look warm and cozy now.'....

....There was no place for Mortimer to go except back to the cold, cramped, creepy hole.

As Mortimer scuttled down the tree, he said a prayer:

'Jesus, you were born to save the world.

Perhaps you could also bring me a home?' .....

...'Thank you Jesus,' said Mortimer.

'You've made room for me, too.'"

(ok, so that's WAY more than a line....)

What truth from a child's story.

He makes room for us, too.