Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on
I have to start with a confession: I tend to be a bit distrustful (even cynical) when it comes to books marketed as "Christian." I usually do a ton of research beforehand, but I took a chance when I entered MeghanTucker.com's giveaway of Itsy Bitsy Christmas, a new children's book by Max Lucado.
I was very pleasantly surprised! This story gives children the most basic message of Christmas: "God sent Jesus for us all." Period. Its simplicity makes Itsy Bitsy Christmas a truly ecumenical book (says this progressive/moderate-to-liberal Christian).
This is probably as close as a Christian author can get to not having a denominational leaning, and I so appreciate that in a children's book. The most direct theological statement in the entire story is: "God sent [Jesus] to love us, help us, and save us." Mary and Joseph make an appearance, but they are not named, and there's no story of Jesus's birth. Instead, the book focuses on the animals in the stable (two mice in particular) and their quest to find out who is the king who has come to town, and why he would bother with their seemingly insignificant little village.
It's sweet, it's funny, and Bruno Merz's illustrations are incredibly cute. Geared for ages 2-7, this was a huge hit with my 4-year-old! I'm sure we'll be reading this one often during the Advent/Christmas season.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 30 November, 2013: Reviewed