priest, speaker, author
Anna's mostly monthly recommendations of picture books exploring Christian sacred stories, faith and God at home. Picture books are accessible, inspire imagination, powerful and often already a part of family life.
"Jesus, the Word," by Episcopal priest Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones and Shelley Hehenberger, shares the basics of the Christian story in a way that invites wonder and curiosity. As we approach Holy Week and Easter, this book encourages conversations around the questions “Who is Jesus?” and “Why do we celebrate Easter?” Its lyrical words, bright illustrations, and inviting theology make it a bookshelf essential for me for any season.
Read More“Make Space for Jesus: Learning about Lent and Easter” by Laura Alary and Ann Boyajian is one of the ways I am entering into Lent at home. Alary’s words are beautifully simple and accessible for children. They are clear and invite mystery. They touch on the traditions of observing Lent and tell how Jesus’s life connects to those practices. They help me find the language to share this season with my child.
Read MoreOne of my joys this year is remembering that Easter is a whole season and that the good news of Jesus’ resurrection does not need to be crammed into only Easter Sunday. For the season, one of the books my family is reading is "This is the Mystery of Easter" by Amelia Richardson Dress and Lilly J. Moore. The strength of the book is the text. In the author’s notes, Dress shares that when writing, she considered all of the questions children (and adults) have asked her about Easter like: why did Jesus die? Did God want Jesus to die?
Read MoreGrowing up, my ideas of what happened after Jesus’ crucifixion were fuzzy. What did all of the big words mean: resurrection? ascension? Pentecost? When did they happen? Why? I did like picturing tongues of fire. What I appreciate about “Jesus is Risen!” is that it tells Jesus’ story as a single narrative from the empty tomb to Pentecost, rather than as disconnected events remembered on different days of the liturgical year.
Read More“The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children” by Katherine Paterson and Francois Roca invites the reader (and listener) into Jesus’ sacred story in a way that encourages wonder. As Easter Sunday approaches and we celebrate all of Jesus’ story, I encourage you to share this story with the young ones in your life in your own words and, if you’d like, the words of others.
Read MoreI am a priest, an author, a wife, a daughter, and an expectant adoptive mother. Welcome to my website.
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