"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:

Website: http://www.idealsbooks.com/The-Sparkle-Box-Jill-Hardie/dp/0824956478

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdealsBooks

Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/49762666

Author Video: https://vimeo.com/49763494

 

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.

Easter 2011

I apologize ahead of time for the long post, but we had a lot of fun this Easter! :-)

The eggs the kids made out of marshmallows.

Blake's entry into the newspaper's coloring contest.

Morgan's entry into the newspaper's coloring contest.

Morgan couldn't wait to get me an Easter present, so she and my mom picked me up some beautiful flowers when we went shopping last week :-)

We dyed Easter eggs.

Morgan got this little toy from someone at school and I had to take a picture...I actually got all the balls in the holes! LOL!

The dessert I made for Easter day.

The cake I made from the leftover batter from making cupcakes....I'll tell you more about the cupcakes in a bit :-)

What the kids woke up to...the Easter bunny spoiled them with what is mostly winnings of stickers, books, a couple movies and stuffed animals. :-)

Hunting for Easter eggs.

Blake carrying his like when he carries real eggs in from the barn...can't let it break! ;-)

Ready to watch TV for the 1st time since lent!! (With one exception...they watched The Jesus Movie the 1st week of lent.)

Ready for church! :-)

After church, was dinner and a candy hunt at my parents' house....can you see the excitement!?

***********

In the time leading up to Easter, I tried to do several activities that I found in Focus on the Family's 'Thriving Family' magazine to teach the kids about Jesus. Here is what we did:

The kids made palm branches for Palm Sunday and learned about how people waved the branches and shouted 'Hosanna' to Jesus at he entered Jerusalem and discussed what 'Hosanna' meant.

We baked bread another day and discussed how Jesus is "The Bread of Life". 'Just as bread gives us nutrition and sustains us physically, Jesus offers us eternal life and sustains us spiritually.' (Quote taken from the magazine.)

During the week we also did our Resurrection Eggs and read our books about Jesus and Easter. Thursday, we took a higher value of money and asked if the kids would trade it for a few pennies, which they wouldn't. We talked about how Judas traded Jesus for 30 silver coins and how he made a bad choice and how that must have made Jesus feel.

Then, Good Friday, we put a carnation in water with red food coloring and watched what happened. We read 1 Peter 1:18-19. We talked about how Jesus was a "lamb without blemish or defect" (the white carnation). And when he died, he took our sins upon himself (the red petals.)

Easter morning we made Resurrection Rolls. Unfortunately, Jesus was still in the tomb when the rolls were done and Morgan made sure to point it out!! LOL! OOPS! It was worth a try and they were DELICIOUS!

At my parents, we went over the Resurrection Eggs again with my nieces, so they could hear the Easter story in a fun way.

And we read Matthew 27:62-66; 28:1-4. I had the kids try to push a large stone and talk about how one even larger couldn't keep Jesus in the tomb.

And finally, the cupcakes!!! I made cupcakes and my sister picked up trick candles. They each got one trick candle on a cupcake and blew it out. Of course the flame came back, to their surprise, so they tried again (and again and again...). We discussed how Jesus is "The Light of the World" and that even though everyone thought Jesus's light went out when he died...it hadn't...he was still alive! :-)

The Best Thing about Easter...

...is Jesus! Despite all the candy, eggs, bunnies and all other things associated with Easter, I want my kids to know what Easter is really about. In the past, and even a couple times so far this year, we've read the book, The Best Thing About Easter. In the book a young girl takes us through all the fun things about Easter, but none of those things are the best thing....the one best thing about Easter is Jesus. The little girl goes on to tell us why Jesus is the best thing by telling the Easter story. It's really a great book, super cute, and keeps the kids very entertained!

This year, after seeing it on a blog (I can't remember which one now), I decided to make some Easter Story Eggs or Resurrection Eggs. (Instructions can be found here.) It was really easy to make and Morgan has asked to go through it over and over again! Both of them LOVE being able to open up the eggs and see the little surprises inside. (Blake always wants to keep the money! LOL!) And as they open them, I tell them what each item represents and read a corresponding Bible verse. I don't know how much of it they understand, but at least they are hearing the Easter story in a fun way and hopefully the message of Jesus will grow in them as they grow.