Tuesday, October 23, 2012

"The Sparkle Box" Children's Book Review and GIVEAWAY *Closed*

Congratulations to the winner, Marissa!

Christmas is quickly approaching!  With it only being a couple months away, I'm already looking forward to the traditions that we enjoy doing as a family.  A couple of my favorites tend to be picking out our Christmas tree together and doing our Advent calendars.  Although I haven't thought of it as a tradition before, something else that our family enjoys doing more this time of year is giving to others.  The book "The Sparkle Box" is a great way to introduce children to giving at Christmastime and shares why it is so important:

About the book
Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, looking forward to holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift: a sparkly box sitting on the mantel. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's mom explains that the things that they've been doing are, in fact, a gift for Jesus, for Jesus said that whatever we do for those in need, we do for Him.

Author Bio
Author Jill Hardie and her family began placing a gift for Jesus under their Christmas tree as a way of bringing more meaning to the holiday. The first time they opened His gift, the commercialism of the season melted away and they felt a profound joy and peace. Jill hopes that The Sparkle Box will spark a new Christmas tradition, bringing light into thousands of lives.

Illustrator Bio
At a very early age, Christine Kornacki developed a love for painting and bringing stories to life. After receiving a BFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, her dreams of illustrating children's books began to take shape. She spends her days painting in her studio, which adjoins a charming cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.
 
My Review
Our copy with the Sparkle Box that comes in the inside back cover.
 
The Sparkle Box has a lot of things I love wrapped up in one book.  It's a well-written, beautifully illustrated, heartwarming children's book that focuses on Jesus, giving, tradition and Christmas.  :-)  On top of all that, it also comes with a Sparkle Box, so that those who purchase it can easily start the tradition as well.  It's a wonderful book to share with children, and even adults, at Christmas.

I highly recommend The Sparkle Box as a must read this Christmas.  I know I can't wait to share it with my kiddos and start a new, meaningful, tradition!

Buy It
The Sparkle Box hardcover 10x10, 32 page book, with enclosed sparkle box, can be purchased at Ideals Books for $19.99.  It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Be sure to visit the following sites to learn more about The Sparkle Box:
 
Thank you to FlyBy Promotions and Ideals Books for providing me with this book to review, as well as another to share with my readers! :-)

GIVEAWAY!
One of my readers is going to be blessed with their very own copy of The Sparkle Box!  To enter to win, please leave a comment about a Christmas tradition you enjoy or a favorite way you like to give during the Christmas season :-)  Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so that I can contact you if you win!

Giveaway will end Wednesday, November 7th, 2012 at 10:00pm EST. Winner will be chosen that night and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

6 comments:

Marissa said...

I love this! We do advent calendars every year. One year I even made my own! The Sparkle Box would be a wonderful addition to our traditions. I also LOVE the name :)

annies home said...

first want to say what a great review of this book it sounds like a great book to give at Christmas to help spread the message

we often select a name off the angel tree this way we are not for sure who we are helping only their age and size and love it because we know some little one is having a great christmas with presents under the tree because we helped out

Debby@Just Breathe said...

The book sounds wonderful and definitely an important lesson for children to learn. I often make boxes or donate money to Samaritan's Purse each year. Well for me I have to go to church on Christmas Eve, it warms my heart.
I also watch It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve.

Alexis AKA MOM said...

What a wonderful book!!

I love to have PJ's the boys open up the night before then we tuck in the boys read a good Christmas book and then we wait to see what Santa brought us :)

Donna Farrer said...

Can't, Can't, Can't wait for Christmas! This book looks so great! Might be a great one to snuggle the kids into bed with this holiday season! I tend to buy many books for stocking stuffers, recently got my kids a copy of A Mango in the Hand by Antonio Sacre. Written in proverbs so I am sure it will generate some conversations in our house! I picked it up at antoniosacre.com. If you have any other good reccomendations for stocking stuffer books I'd love to hear! Thanks again!

coleycoupons said...

i love cutting down the tree the day after thanksgiving

 
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