“Little Star” by Anthony DeStefano

If you are looking for an original, Christ-centered Christmas picture book, then “Little Star” by Anthony DeStefano might just be the one for you.

A little boy is looking out his window for the Christmas star and his father tells him why he cannot see it in the sky. He tells the tale of a little star who is often overlooked by the bigger stars. They are all talking about the upcoming birth of Jesus. When the great event occurs, the little star puts forth all of his energy to cast light upon the infant Jesus to keep the baby warm and help others to find Him. He burns himself out in the process, but is remembered forever for his place in history.

You can look at this book at many levels. Behind the story in the forefront lies a loving relationship between father and son. Parents who have been sharing the lives of the Saints with their children might also want to talk about the way the little star gave his life for Jesus as did many of the Saints. Children can also be invited to discuss bullying (as displayed by the bigger stars) and using their little talents to glorify God in their own ways.

“My goal was to try to encapsulate the whole gospel message in a simple Christmas story,” said DeStefano. This he has done, and has received rave reviews on Amazon.com and elsewhere.

A few months ago DeStefano’s first children’s book was published - This Little Prayer of Mine. He has also written a couple of bestselling non-fiction books — A Travel Guide to Heaven, and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To — both published by Doubleday. You Tube has a video of Pat Boone reading the new book to a group of children.

With realistic, colorful illustrations of the humans in the story mixed in with the fanciful cartoons of Little Star, Mark Elliott has captured the meaning of the story in a way that will be easily understood by children. My own four-year-old was a little scared of the pictures for some reason, but that is for you decide if you think the paintings will appeal to your children or not.

The author sent me his book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Runaway Bunny

Margaret Wise Brown’s classics “The Runaway Bunny” and “Goodnight Moon” have earned their place on millions of children’s bookshelves. It is difficult to pin down exactly why the stories are so enchanting.

Aha, because they are based on scripture.

In “The Runaway Bunny”, a bunny tells his mother that he will run away from her. She tells him that she will follow him wherever he may go. Clement Hurd’s enchanting illustrations show the mother rabbit as as she takes the form of the wind, a tree, and several other shapes. The boy bunny decides he might as well stay in his cozy home with his mommy who loves him.

As I read this to my toddler, the Psalm came back to me and I knew I was reading Brown’s interpretation, whether she knew it or not.

Psalms 139: 1 - 12
"1 O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me!
2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, ‘Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light’ –
12 Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one."

Subway Sparrow

I read a wonderful picture book with the children today. “Subway Sparrow” is a first book written and illustrated by Leyla Torres. A sparrow accidentally finds its way onto the D train of the New York City Subway Metro in Brooklyn. Together, a young girl, a teenage boy, a Spanish-speaking gentleman, and a Polish-speaking woman gently catch the bird. Wrapped in a silk scarf, they carry it through a crowded platform, bring it aboveground, and set it free. This is a modern-day Good Samaritan story, painting a beautiful picture of the melting pot of New York as a group of individuals with big hearts, who join for a common cause to help a small stranger.

Winner of the 1993 Parent's Choice Illustration Award. Published by Garrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1993; also published in Canada by HarperCollins CandaLtd. Available in Spanish as "El gorrión del metro". A free teaching guide (in both English and Spanish) is available at the author’s website: http://www.leylatorres.com/subway.html

For the young bird lover in your life, I highly recommend the singing Aububon birds. They are vividly colored, plush stuffed birds with real recorded sounds of bird calls. You love to see all of the series found here… http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/beidler/singbirds.html

“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. . .So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29,31