Saturday, October 1, 2016

BookLook Review: Itsy Bitsy Christmas by Max Lucado

I was offered the chance to review a sweet Christian book titled, Itsy Bitsy Christmas: You're Never Too Little For His Love, written by the talented author Max Lucado. The 30-page hardcover board children's book with beautiful illustrations was illustrated by Bruno Merz and published by Tommy Nelson.

The month of October just began which means Christmas is quickly approaching. Are you already prepping activities and events? I am gathering books to read during our Advent Book Tree Countdown. It is one of my daughter's favorite Christmas tradition.

Story Summary
Itsy Bitsy Christmas is told from the perspective of the two small stable mice. The story centers around two sibling mice named Itsy and Bitsy who live in the little town of Bethlehem. When in town one day, they notice the hustle and bustle of the crowds of people. A donkey tells them that a King is coming and the mice rush home to share the news with their stable friends. Their friends doubt the news stating that they are not important enough or too small for the King to care about them. They discourage the mice from looking saying that He doesn't care about them, because they are too small. The mice don't give into the nonsense and continue their search for the King. They return home sad and disappointed after not finding Jesus. Upon their return home, they find the King in the manger at the stable and cry tears of joy. They never expected to find Him at a stable. All of the animals acknowledge that they are loved by Jesus even though they are small.

Price
Thomas Nelson $8.99
Amazon $5.72 (board book version)

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice. 

Overall Thoughts
Itsy Bitsy Christmas is a well-written children's Christmas book. The age-appropriate book is geared towards children ages 4-7 years old. My daughter is almost 9 years old and enjoyed the story so I am thinking the book would be suitable for ages 2-9. The precious 7" wide by 9" long stable-shaped book is an account of Jesus' birth with a message for everyone to hear. Texture is added to the cover with sparkles of gold glitter accents on the roof line, hay, and the word Christmas. Children will love the cover.

Older children may read the book aloud to their younger siblings. Some children may think that the book is babyish, because it is a board book. However, it is not your average board book which usually contains large font and fewer words. Each page contains several paragraphs of content with sentences varying in length and number of words. In fact, younger children may not be able to sit still because of the length of the story but the adorable characters and story line may grasp their attention.

This would make a great Christmas or Christmas Eve gift. It is a cute version of the nativity story. The simple message of the story is one of importance especially around Christmas time: Jesus loves everyone unconditionally no matter your age or size. We will definitely add this book to our Advent Book Tree Countdown where we read one or more Christian Christmas themed books each day. I will give this book to my daughter on Christmas Eve and we'll read it aloud after she opens it.

When I signed up to review this book, I thought I would receive a hardcover version, but I didn't expect a board book version to arrive in the mail so at first I was a little disappointed. After seeing the books cover and reading the story, the message pleased me. It was one that I wanted my daughter to read and I am confident that my 8-year-old daughter will enjoy this book.

Recommendations
Yes, I HIGHLY recommend this faith-based book for toddlers to children around age 9. Individuals young and old alike will appreciate the story' message. Christian families will appreciate the focus on God's love and the birth of Jesus as the true meaning of Christmas and His love. This book is not filled with ideas of Santa and doesn't commercialize Christmas. Sunday School teachers may want to read this book during the Christmas season.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary, free copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers Review Program in exchange for an honest, unbiased review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 
I review for BookLook Bloggers

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