A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker

What a great book! A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker and illustrated by Marijan Ranljak does a nice job of trying to get the real meaning of Christmas across to children. All too often we get mixed up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that we forget to reflect on what Christmas really means. This book offers young readers a wonderful perspective on Christmas and what the celebration is truly about. The book is told through the eyes of a young child at Christmas. First a child is thankful for a loving family and then recounts those involved in the Nativity, Gabriel to Baby Jesus. The book ends with the young child acknowledging that Christmas is more than toys and such – which was a huge area of interest for my 4 year old. The last page really opened the door to some great conversation about the importance of Jesus in the Christmas season. The illustrations are great; the child acts out the various parts of the story in an easy to understand way for children. This would be a great pre-Christmas present to your child. The way the book is written will spark some great conversation that allows families to reflect on Christmas.