The Advent Storybook

I purchased the book in October and have not used it yet with my kids (ages 2-7) -- but I will in December! I am already excited about the illustrations and content.Each page starts with the biblical reference for the story, plus an additional verse that points to Christ. The story is brief and easy to read. Each page ends with a question. I love that it's content-heavy without taking a long time. (My young ones won't sit for a lengthy sermon every night.) Every story points to the Promised Son who is coming! Parents of toddlers can skip over some of the content, if necessary, and still impart truth.Last year, our family used selected readings from The Jesus Storybook Bible in December; it's a great resource too! But the text and illustrations are very familiar for my kids. I wanted something different this year. The Advent Storybook is a wonderful book that I will recommend to other families. I especially like that the skin tone of the people is historically accurate AND when the Wise Men arrive, Jesus isn't in the stable. Both are details that many other books get wrong.We have tried to adapt a Jesse Tree type project as well and it was a bit too much for my kids right now. I am hopeful that The Advent Storybook will be a happy medium -- without sacrificing truth! It's really all you need for advent.We plan to preview The Easter Storybook next!P.S. If you haven't watched the video in the description, it's helpful!

This is a beautifully illustrated book that connects the entire message of the Bible from Old Testament to New. So often our kids hear the stories of the Bible but have a hard time putting it all together to flow as one coherent story, but this book does just that. I love how each day's reading points to our need for a Savior and God's promise to send our Rescuer and ends with the fulfillment of that promise on day 25.I love that each reading is not too long. I think it is the perfect length for this age range (4-8 years old). However I do think this is a great book for even kids older than 8. The questions following each day are thought provoking and serve as a starting point for great discussion.The illustrations are wonderful-very colorful and bring the stories to life. Very well done! If you are wanting a meaningful Advent tradition that also brings a smooth, seamless connection to the message of the Bible, buy this book! You will love it!

I have been disappointed by multiple advent devotionals for my kids (2.5 & 5), but so far this one has been so wonderful! The Bible stories are well summarized, and the daily question is just perfect for their ages. I love Ian Dale’s illustrations. It’s important to me that my kids see Jesus illustrated in a realistic way.

This is a fun way to get nightly reading in that children can look forward to around Christmas holiday season. The price was good. This would be a great gift for other children as well.My kids ( 6&10) loved it and we will be making it a tradition moving forwards!

I loved the idea of this book. We wanted to include a simple daily Advent ritual that would also help our 4 year old learn some of the stories of her faith. The concept here is great. The artwork is nice, the daily stories are just long enough, and the vocabulary is chosen for a young audience.What I don't like, and the reason that I'll be looking for a different book next year, is the curriculum. I can see what this first-time author was trying to do here, but it's not well executed. The writing was sometimes awkward. The stories, instead of being drawn from the events that lead up to the birth of Christ, are drawn from the Old Testament. The author is attempting to draw a story arc over salvation history, but she misses key events like the Immaculate Conception, the visit to Elizabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist. Instead she focuses on events from the five books of Moses, which is fine, but that's only a small part of the Bible, and it doesn't explain anything to a young child about the feast of Christmas itself. As we went on throughout Advent, the stories in this book did not relate to the feasts we were celebrating or the readings we heard at church. Overall it just didn't cover topics relevant to us. I would not recommend this book to Catholic families.A note about age appropriateness: Many of the stories in this book are too heavy for a 4-year old: Daniel and the lions' den, the near-sacrifice of Isaac, basically all of the story of Joseph, etc. I found myself editing the stories as I read them to avoid having to explain some of the really terrible activities in the Old Testament.

This was our family Christmas book this year. It reminds me a lot of the Jesus Storybook Bible (Sally Lloyd Jones) in the writing style and the way that the need for a Savior and the foreshadowing of the Messiah is woven throughout all the Bible stories. The countdown features twenty-five familiar Bible stories but explains their place and purpose in the redemptive arc of God’s story. Although the younger ones won’t get the connection at first, older elementary will understand the big picture.While an older 3yo could probably sit for this, I would recommend for 4 and up. The readings could take as few as three minutes, but they could be expanded for older children with the discussion questions and Scripture verses on each page.Side note, this book includes my favorite Bible story from when I was little: Shadrach, Meshsch, and Abednego. Most anthologies don’t have that one included.