Easter 2023 Book Recommendations
Reviews of Greenlee is Growing by Anthony DeStefano and All You Holy Women, Pray for Us by Adam and Angela Smyth
+JMJ+ Hi, everyone! It's been a while since I've posted here. Can you believe that we are two weeks into Lent? Where is the time going?
At this time of year as my thoughts turn to warmer weather and springtime, I start to think a great deal about new life and the different seasons of our lives. Easter, the season of rebirth, is coming soon! We have been given access to new life in Jesus because of His death and resurrection. How amazing it is that we have a Savior who can heal us! How blessed we are that our Savior brings us so much hope! Whether during times of joy, sadness, calm or chaos, He is there to walk with us.
These days, life often feels like such a blur between caring for five children (including a baby and a wildly energetic 2-year-old), homeschooling, writing, and everyday tasks. There have been beautiful days, difficult days, and everything in between. I often have to remind myself to be grateful for each moment. Yes, I try to be grateful even in the totally crazy moments. All too soon, I will find myself in a new season of life and I will probably look back and miss even the wild parts of the last one. Every moment of every season of life has purpose and is precious. However, I can say without hesitation that I could not get through without God's grace.
Anthony DeStefano’s latest children’s book Greenlee is Growing is a story about the seasons of life and of the heart. It has really tugged at my heartstrings especially as I watch my children grow (all too quickly) and as I continue to navigate through the seasons of my own life.
The gentle story of Greenlee is beautifully illustrated, and readers can expect Anthony’s sweet signature rhyming. I say this about all of Anthony's books, but he really does have a gift for telling a story, not only to children, but to adults too. His books grow with you, their deeper meanings becoming more and more revealed the older and wiser you grow. I love that!
Greenlee is Growing is available HERE (non-commissioned link).
All You Holy Women, Pray for Us by Adam and Angela Smyth is a book much loved by my daughters and one I have shared about before. I’m bringing it back for you in the hopes that you will consider adding it to a child's Easter basket this year.
This is a delightful, sturdy board book, perfect for little hands. Through sweet illustrations and prose, readers will learn about some of the great female saints of the Church. St. Faustina, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Josephine Bakhita are just a few of the saints included. Our older daughters (ages 10 and 6) are now reading it to our 6-month-old daughter. Watching them get excited to share these wonderful saints with their little sister warms my heart.
What a gift these female saints are to the Church and to our world! Their lives are such wonderful examples of holiness and true femininity, especially in today's world where such example is often poorly lacking. Their lives of holiness can help us to grow in holiness in all the seasons of our lives.
All You Holy Women, Pray for Us is available HERE (non-commissioned link).
Greenlee is Growing and All You Holy Women, Pray for Us are books that can beautifully accompany any child on their walk with Christ. May God be with all of you as you continue your journeys through Lent, and may the saints help to guide and inspire you throughout whatever season of life you are in right now.
Disclaimer: this post is in no way sponsored by Sophia Press or Convergent Books. I received copies of these books in exchange for my honest feedback and am sharing my reviews in this blog post.
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