Book Review: Christmas: Stories & More, by Inscribe Christian Writers' Fellowship

The Christmas book reviews continue!

A few days ago, I shared with you my favourite new children's book, 

Beneath That Star, by Sally Meadows.

(Full disclosure, as revealed in my previous review: Sally and I are friends, but I also promised her an honest review. Thank you for trusting me with that, Sally!)

Sally gave me her book when we visited her as part of our latest Infinitely More Western Canada Tour. As we chatted about our recent projects, she showed me a copy of a Christmas anthology that features two of her stories. Of course, my heart leapt when I saw a whole book filled with Christmassy things, so I asked if I might review that one as well!

I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but look at that face!! 

How could I not be excited to read Christmas: Stories & More??? 

Inscribe Christian Writer's Fellowship (ICWF) exists to "stimulate, encourage and support Christians who write, advance effective Christian writing, and promote the influence of all Christians who write." It has members from all provinces, writing at all levels and in all genres.

Christmas: Stories & More features over 40 ICWF writers sharing their thoughts, memories, and dreams for the Christmas season. Because of the range of storytellers, each piece is unique in scope, subject, and voice. The "Stories" include both fiction and real life accounts, giving sweet, and sometimes bittersweet, insight into different festive moments. The "More" is what really makes this anthology special - a collection of devotions, poems, recipes, gift ideas, and even dramatized readings!

What I love most about this anthology is how it's structured and organized. This isn't a book you sit down and read in one sitting. It's a lovely collection of festive bon-bons, designed to be tasted and treasured one at a time. (Of course, if you like to indulge in a whole box of bon-bons in one sitting, be my guest! I'm certainly not the one to judge... )

Each piece is short enough to be read on your afternoon break, or as you take the subway, or just before bed. It would make a lovely book to include in your Advent devotions, or to read one story a day during the 12 Days of Christmas. Even the recipes include a bit of family history to give them a personal perspective.

Sometimes, it can be a challenge to get people excited about reading a book by unknown writers. Let me ask you to get excited! Not only is this a lovely book, but it's so refreshing to read stories about Christmas told by Canadian voices.

Christmas: Stories & More is a charming and beautiful addition to your Christmas reading list.

I hope it finds a spot under your tree this holiday season!

To learn more about ICWF and Christmas: Stories & More, please visit 

https://inscribe.org/press/christmas-anthology-2017/ 

Book Review: Beneath That Star, by Sally Meadows

Today's book review combines two of my favourite things: 

Christmas and a children's picture book!

I have a long held love of children's literature. As a child, I wore out my parents' car driving back and forth to the Arts & Culture Centre Library. As an adult, I spent many years teaching music and creative arts to young children, and I loved poring over their books to help translate the stories into songs and art projects.

I was thrilled when I received the opportunity to review Beneath That Star, 

written by Sally Meadows and illustrated by Sarah E. Nickel.

In full disclosure, I have to confess that Sally is a good friend of mine. I offered to review her book because I believe in her talents. That said, I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't feel I could offer an honest review!

Beneath That Star has an interesting origin story. When the idea first came to Sally, she wrote it into a song, which she recorded on her Christmas album. Sally shares, "It was when I was in the studio recording my Christmas CD, Red & White, when the idea of expanding on the song’s story through a children’s picture book came to me."

I love this idea! In song form, the story can reach the adults who bought the CD, but in book form, we have the chance to inspire young readers with a new Christmas tale.

The heroine of our tale is Saray - a young girl living in Biblical times with her loving family. Saray has big dreams, but her family sees only her limitations. A tragic accident has left her dependent on a cane, and as a girl, her path in life is firmly set.

But Saray loves God and seeks his presence in her life. One night, she hears a strange voice calling to her. Was is God or a dream? Then, she sees a star in the sky and dares to follow it. What happens next changes her life forever.

Sally's attention to detail paints a engaging portrait of what happens when the divine enters the everyday. Sarah's beautiful illustrations highlight the story, and would easily allow even the non-reading child to follow along.

There are two added bonuses at the end of the book. One is a set of questions, designed to spark conversation and allow you apply the themes of the book to real life. The second is a Sally's behind-the-scenes account of creating Saray and Beneath That Star. (The keen reader will also notice that she includes the inspiration behind our Infinitely More name!)

Beneath That Star is an uplifting and inspiring story for any child (or adult) who has felt invisible to God. I hope you'll consider sharing it with a child you love this Christmas!

To learn more about Sally Meadows' books and music, please visit www.SallyMeadows.com