Three new books from Positive Spin Press will delight parents and children alike. All three star a sprightly fairy named Eve who is, along with her fellow fairy friends and family, beautifully illustrated. My daughter enjoyed hearing the stories, which are told in lovely rhymes befitting a fairy and her tales, but she loved the pictures most of all. More often than not she sat on my lap and made up her own stories about the beautiful, whimsical drawings.
Author Lisa Sferlazza Johnson and Illustrator Tucker Johnson (who happen to be married as well as fantastic collaborators) created All Hallow's Eve, Christmas Eve and Winter's Eve. Their first book, All Hallow's Eve was born of their desire to create a story explaining the holiday of Halloween to young children. According to the Johnsons, Eve's story, in which she "sprinkles fairy dust as she exchanges her toys for collected candy," has taught their daughter, Josie, the merits of "sharing, friendship and kindness.”
Winter's Eve is the charming story of Eve's fairy friends traveling across the globe in winter, each to a different locale, and how they share the celebrations they find there with her. The book presents children with a lovely sentiment: "the wintertime is special because as our wings slow down It reminds us every year to stop and take a look around. We see the brightness in the past each in his own tradition. That serves to find the light in you! That's every person's mission."
The books are equally wonderful and children will love them all but my favorite, as a parent, is Christmas Eve. I've never before found a children's book that so gracefully bridges the gap between Santa and the true reason for celebration: the birth of the baby Jesus. Christmas Eve does this job artfully by having our beloved Santa be the one to tell Eve (and our children!) the story of the birth of Jesus and how, "...it's not about size or the grandness of gift but of spirit and how we can help it to lift!" At last, a book that describes the true meaning of Christmas and includes jolly old St. Nick and the fun he brings to the season.
The Parent Bloggers Network has three copies of each book to give away! Leave a comment on this post to win.