Share the Joy: A Christmas Life-the Flap Book
Anyone who has spent time with young children in the days leading up to Christmas knows the energy that they bring to the season. The wonder with all the lights, the charge as the decorations trim the tree, the excitement while decorating cookies- there’s nothing quite like it. There’s so much energy around the season that it’s little wonder that wee ones have trouble settling down and finding pockets of calm. That’s where I harness the power of stories- whispered family lore, songs sung to tell about the anticipation of the birth of Jesus, and a special trove of board books especially for the youngest of our crew. When Paraclete Press sent me a copy of Share The Joy; A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book by Valerie Ellis, my toddler and I pulled up a spot on Cozy Yellow (our favorite couch) and had ourselves a little read, after which I promptly popped this book into my little trove of board books to help with the energy around Christmas.
Share The Joy is a sweet little book, designed for the youngest in our midst. Each page spread features a different family with different cultural representations of how they observe Advent and Christmas. There is a lift-the-flap in each spread to show more of the family’s practices. The words are presented in clear fonts and set to the cadence of simple rhymes. The flaps are durable enough to hold up to the little hands that will eagerly lift/accidentally over-extend, and the pictures feature enough details to hold up to multiple readings. The adults will not get bored, nor will the children.
This little book has many uses in your ministry. If you haven’t chosen an Advent or Christmas gift for young families in your congregation yet, this would be a lovely option. This would be a good addition to your pew baskets and prayground. This would be a lovely springboard for an Advent midweek enrichment art ministry or for during the long Christmas break; have people illustrate what their family does during the seasons of Advent and Christmas using watercolors, oil pastels, or chalk. Use the illustrations to create a church family display or as the covers of Christmas cards to be sent to homebound congregants. You could also use one page spread per week of Advent and Christmas, making it a springboard for discussion on what our siblings around the world do as we prepare for the birth of Jesus. This is especially easy to tie into the RCL, year B and Narrative Lectionary readings this year. Just be sure to follow copyright practices if you are livestreaming to a public platform. This little board book packs quite an effective punch for children and family ministries in addition to being a delightful part of a family’s read aloud life.
