Customer Reviews

Before and After Christmas: Activities for Advent and Ephiphany

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I am a former art teacher with an M. Ed. in Art. I also am a church librarian. In answer to my Sunday School teachers' need for craft resource ideas, I selected Trafton's books "Before and After Christmas" and "Before and After Easter" for them to use as resource books. These satisfy a real need for Sunday School crafts based on scripture. Each craft lesson is laid out with a Bible verse, followed by a tradition or a legend which illustrates the verse. Then follow the materials list and directions to complete the project. The books are well-designed, the directions easy to follow and nicely illustrated. I'd suggest you use them if you need additional ideas for Sunday School.

Written by Debbie Trafton O'Neal this book offers something for every day of Advent through Epiphany. The content is broken into daily sections. With the exception of December 25th, these are not dated, but rather numbered, so that readers may skip around if they choose. Each "day" includes a Bible passage (one to three verses, all quoted in the New International Version), a reading and an activity.

The readings cover a multitude of topics associated with Christmas: legends, traditions, signs and symbols, historical accounts and international customs. The author crosses denominational boundaries by providing stories from Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic tradition.

The activities are always related to the reading. These range from crafts and recipes to songs and service projects. Each activity encourages family interaction. It also prompts readers to internalize the story with personal application.

David LaRochelle provided the illustrations. Simple watercolors embellish stories and offer diagrams for various activities. As a bonus the book includes two punch-out ornaments that readers may hang on their tree or in a window.

What I Like: This is a great book packed with information and ideas! I like that most of the crafts and activities may be done with items already found in most homes. No special shopping trips required. I like the inclusion of Scripture with each "day." The author includes fascinating, lesser-known stories. I like that she makes clear distinctions between traditions, legends and biblical facts. Children can quickly become confused when hearing so many stories. They can learn a lot from these stories, and it's important that they know which are true and which are just stories.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Tanya -- Christian Children's Book Review

This book and the author's "Before and After Easter" are among my favorite resources for creating special family worship opportunities during Advent and Lent. I began using them with Sunday School children, and when I had children of my own, began incorporating them when our oldest was three years old.

The activities are all fairly simple. Most of them are easily adaptable for varying age levels. Despite simplicity and adaptability, they are very meaningful and create many opportunities for further discussion/ exploration by even the youngest participants. Bible readings/ quotes/ concepts are integrated seamlessly.

I think one of the nicest features of this little book is the gentle illustrations that appeal to children. The pictures are not cartoonish, but are simple and beautiful. My children love to flip through the books. They find pictures and request project based on what they see.

Bottom line -- this is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to expand family worship of Advent!