Customer Reviews

Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I borrowed this book from our library last year when I was searching for ways to supplement Jesse Tree and make it more accessible to my small children, then almost 6 and 2. This book was magical for my kids, they loved and begged for it every night. It had so many wonderful messages within and truly enhanced our Christmas season. I am buying it this year because my daughter has already started to ask if we will read it again. Throughout the bear's journey in the book, he encounters different people, creatures and situations that each send gentle and wonderful lessons that really rang true with my children and made me fall in love with this book. Our family adored it and looks forward to it in many years to come. If you are looking for The Christmas Story, this is not it, but a beautiful parallel, in that the main character is going to visit the Christ child and each day is a part of his journey. There are lessons of love, giving, and even not judging books by their covers.

My son and daughter (5 and 6) love this book and can't wait to read it each night of Advent. They love that it has a bookmark and they can keep track of the night. Plus, it is a rare opportunity to help instill a deeper meaning to Christmas.

My daughter loves me reading this to her every night leading up to Christmas. I also enjoy reading them to her. Each of the stories are only a page long and very good for those with young children who might not want to sit still for a very long time. There is a Advent Calendar that you can get to go along with the book. Also, it is design so you can also read each of the stories as a bedtime story.

My children are ages 3, 5, and 7. This book captivated them and fostered conversation about the daily themes. (See my comment on the 2-star review for a list of the daily themes.) It did a nice job of building the anticipation and sense of wonder and unfolding revelation that is Epiphany. Some of the stories seem a little circumspect, but I'm OK with that, because it opened the door for discussion. My kids looked forward to reading this every night. I don't know that it would be appropriate for kids over 10, but I'd highly recommend it to parents of younger children.

Such a lovely children's Christmas book. The illustrations are gorgeous and the 24 meaningful stories are just one page to be read in 10-15 min. I also got the matching calendar, but its not necessary to enjoy the book. This will be a cherished holiday tradition for my grandkids for years to come.

Benjamin bear, like all small children, is anxious for Christmas to come. As Benjamin bear opens the doors on his advent calendar, Mother bear tells him twenty-four little stories about another little bear's journey. The first door on the advent calendar reveals a glittering star that leads Benjamin, little bear and us day by day to the manger. These stories with their short reflections on human kindness and God's love are the perfect way to teach tiny children about the true miracle of Christmas, the birth of the Christchild in Bethlehem.

I was looking for an anthology of short Christmas stories so I could read one to my kids each day. This sounded perfect, but I'm a little disappointed because each day's reading is more like a thought or journal entry than a story. It describes what bear sees when he opens his own advent calendar and then has a short (1/2-2/3 page) entry describing who bear meets that day and what they do together. Then, it ends with Bear asking his mother a question and she answers with the moral of the story. It feels kind of Aesop's fables to me--a little forced. It's a sweet and imaginative concept, the "stories" are a good length, and I can see it being a nice tradition with young kids, but you DO need the advent calendar IMO. Then your kids will see what Bear is described as seeing in his own advent calendar and your kids will be able to relate to the book better. I didn't buy it because I read on another review that you can enjoy the book fine without it. I think perhaps I'll make a reuseable one of my own and try this from the beginning next year (I tried to start after the first of December and it's not very easy to start in the middle either). The illustrations are beautiful and it arrived when it was supposed to.

When my kids, 10 and 7, heard Christmas was around the corner, they responded with "Where is our advent book?" I have read this book every year for 10 years to my kids. They know what is coming next and they are still excited. This is the best book in our home. I look forward to snuggling with both kids on the couch with hot chocolate and our story. I highly recommend this to all families.

We have a 4 year old son who looks forward to following along with Little Bear's journey. Each night after supper we sit down as a family and review some of the friends Little Bear has meet before we read that nights story. The stories are short, perfect for children with short attention spans, and helps open up a dialogue about the real meaning of Christmas.

I highly recommend this for Christian families with young children. It is a fictional story of a bear on a journey to find Jesus. So if you are looking for Bible verses, this is not it (we read something else at dinnertime for that). BUT my 2 & 4 year old girls looked forward to this story every night. It was a perfect short length for each story (1 page), with good messages around God's love and Christiam values that the bear discovers each day. I am giving this book as a gift to many friends. It was the perfect level for my little ones to engage in the anticipation of Christmas as Jesus birthday.