Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary; Illustrated by Ann Boyajian is a simple but unique book to teach children about the heart of the practice of Lent in the lead up to Easter. While there are numerous resources explaining Lent, especially for adults, what makes this book different is the theme of 'making room' in our lives as opposed to being just a time of penitence.
I'm making this observation as one whose Church Family celebrates Easter and Advent while not officially observing the season of Lent but for the first twelve or thirteen years of my life I was brought up in the Catholic faith, so I do remember aspects of these liturgical traditions but I never really understood their meaning at the time.
Make Room explains them in a way that I never comprehended as a child. Lent in my mind brought back memories of eating fish and having ash smeared on my forehead - externals that didn't reach my heart back then and therefore were easily discarded later on.
Over the past few years I've been contemplating liturgy and tradition and how to meaningfully incorporate them into our days. We've focussed mostly on Advent, but Easter seems to come upon us all of a sudden and while we celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, I don't think our observance of this time truly reflects its incredible significance. Unlike Christmas, where there is still evidence to be seen around us in the form of manger scenes, Christmas Carols, and 'goodwill to men,' the celebration of this most world-changing event is overshadowed by an avalanche of bunnies and chocolate.
In Treasuring God in Our Traditions, Noel Piper writes:
"Traditions are a vital way of displaying our greatest treasure, of showing what - Who - is most important to us."
Laura Alary explains the season of Lent as a journey mirroring the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness where he made time to listen to Father God and to get ready for what He had come into the world to do.
Whether your Church tradition includes the observance of Lent or not, Make Room is a book to share with your children to help prepare their hearts for understanding and appreciating the Easter message.
Make Room is published by Paraclete Press and contains 32 pages with winsome full-colour illustrations throughout. (See their website for a view of the inside of the book) It would be ideal for a family read aloud for ages 6 to 12 years.
Paraclete Press has kindly given me a copy of this book as a giveaway. If you would like to enter to win the book you may choose one or all of these ways:
* Leave a comment below
* Like journey & destination's newly created Facebook page
* Comment on the Facebook page
I'd also love you to share any traditions your family has to celebrate this season. A winner will be chosen and announced on Friday 3rd March.
Entrants from anywhere in the world where there is a postal service are welcome to enter!
13 comments:
Someone recently mentioned this book on a FB group and I put it on my wish list, sight unseen. This post prompted me to look at the sample, and OH MY!! It is beautiful is so many ways! Thank you!
Even I am lacking an understanding of the meaning of Lent. This would be such a nice book to share with my children during Morning Time.
I always loved observing Lent growing up. U usually gave up sweets and eating between meals, which meant one year eating one meal a day for forty days but that's another story.
I've been looking for a good devotional this year. I'm considering Dorothy Sayers' The Man Born to be King.
Sharon, would you believe that I was looking online last night to see if I could find an audio version of that play?! I think BBC did it at one stage.
I've been online looking at Amazon and ebay. The books are very old and not very cheap. I never thought of an audio version.
For you, the approach of Easter must coincide with approaching autumn and cold weather. That's so interesting since I've always associated Easter with "rebirth" and Spring.
As far as the Sayers goes. Please let me know if you have any luck.
March 1st is the first day of autumn here but we don't have severe winters. Autumn is generally a lovely time of year although it typically rains over Easter.
There's this one, also on Kindle & pdf: https://classicalacademicpress.com/product/the-man-born-to-be-king/
Hi Carol. I'd love to enter the competition. I was brought up in a Pentecostal Church and Easter for us was a time of celebration at church. Now in my adult life we as family celebrate Easter as a journey called Lent. Since we attend an Anglican church I love the emphasis in the journey of Lent as preparing our hearts to celebrate the Gift of Eternal Life through the Suffering and death of our Master and Lord Jesus, on the cross. We don't have special diet requirement for this special day though. I would love to get a copy of this book. Thanks . Nat
This sounds like just what I was looking for as I think about beginning some family traditions around Lent/Easter!
That's how I feel, Natilla. It's the idea that we're preparing our hearts that speaks to me.
Hi Erika, it's exciting to think about building family traditions when your children are little. Unless your church tradition uses some sort of Liturgy, Lent/Easter definitely requires a bit more thought and planning.
This looks like a wonderful book! I have been trying to teach my two little ones about the meaning of Lent and Easter; I'm thankful that you're offering this book.
Thanks for sharing this at Literacy Musing Mondays. Hope to see you next week!
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