Waterbrook Multnomah sent me the most GORGEOUS children’s book to review this holiday season!
God Gave Us Love and God Gave Us Christmas both by Lisa Tawn Bergren continue her God Gave Us series about a family of bears.
In the original book God Gave Us You, she tells the tale of how baby bear came to belong to Mama and Papa bear, through God’s Love. In the second book, God Gave Us Two, Mama bear has twin cubs and she explains to baby bear how they are further expressions of God’s love.
God Gave Us Love is gorgeously illustrated by Laura J Bryant (who illustrated the first 2 books as well). It is told by Grandpa bear as he tells baby bear about how the love we feel for our family and for our friends, is an expression of God’s love for us. It takes the biblical passage from 1Corinthians 13 that contains “Love is patient, love is kind….” and breaks it down in a way that children can understand. it is a great tale for children to understand the bible a little better, but in a storybook way.
My favorite illustration in the book is Grandpa bear laying on the sofa with baby bear and his sibling cubs spread out on the other end. We’ve all had our toddlers sleep the same way- half upright or with their butt up in the air. This is what makes the books so approachable. It’s everyday life for kids, just with bears in place of people!
God Gave Us Christmas is illustrated by David Holm, and tells the story of how mama bear and baby bear go out on an adventure and find how God gave us Christmas. They experience the bounties of nature and the fellowship of friends.Then they experience the Aurora Borealis and the Evening Star and mama bear explains how they relate to Christmas. She even explains why Jesus had to come to us as a baby, not as a man. She also explains how Santa Claus is out reminder to be generous and to share (a great explanation to combat the commercialism that is bandied about as to why children shouldn’t believe in Santa Claus). It is a sweet tale that would make a great Christmas present
God Gave Us Love and God Gave Us Christmas both by Lisa Tawn Bergren continue her God Gave Us series about a family of bears.
In the original book God Gave Us You, she tells the tale of how baby bear came to belong to Mama and Papa bear, through God’s Love. In the second book, God Gave Us Two, Mama bear has twin cubs and she explains to baby bear how they are further expressions of God’s love.
My favorite illustration in the book is Grandpa bear laying on the sofa with baby bear and his sibling cubs spread out on the other end. We’ve all had our toddlers sleep the same way- half upright or with their butt up in the air. This is what makes the books so approachable. It’s everyday life for kids, just with bears in place of people!
Disclosure: Waterbrook Multnomah sent me these books, at no cost to me, for review purposes. I was not told how to review the books, or what tot put in the book, nor was I compensated in any other way for the review.