"25 Days of the Christmas Story" (Dr. Josh and Christi Straub)

TITLE: 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience
AUTHOR: Dr. Josh and Christi Straub
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2020, (128 pages).

The Advent is the season of roughly four weeks prior to Christmas Day. Depending on the year, this season ranges between 22 to 28 days. The authors of this book use 25 days to average out the typical Advent season. Simply put, this book is about a story of a Bible character for each day of the Advent. Thus, there are 25 stories for each Advent day, leading up to Christmas. Children loved stories and adults never get bored listening to stories that are told over and over again. There are stories of prophets like Isaiah and Zechariah. There are stories of New Testament characters such as  Simeon, Elizabeth, Simeon, Joseph, and Mary. There are also days in which stories are told about the angel Gabriel, Bethlehem, the Manger, the Star, Egypt, Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Nazareth. Each day begins with a statement of a character trait of the person, place, or element of concern. It ends with a life lesson as a result of the story told that day. This life lesson is also accompanied by a section called "Family Activity." This is for families to have their family time. The authors' intent is for parents or guardians to use this book as a way to introduce the meaning of Advent and Christmas to the young child. Through stories, the child gets to learn the relevance of the Bible narrative leading up to the birth of Christ. Christmas is a lot more than just singing about Mary's Boy Child or a Happy Birthday song to Jesus. There are many elements of faith that adults can teach the kids. The Bible is quite economical with details of Jesus' birth. This book fills in gaps in order to make the story more cogent and free-flowing. 

What I like about this book is its simplicity; teaching moment; and family time. The simple and brief stories allow time for parents and adults to be creative in their storytelling. Just looking at the pictures throughout the book is enough to trigger a lively conversation over the topic. There are no complicated maps to see or difficult names to pronounce. By choosing a person, a place, or a symbol each day, parents could help the child to focus on one thing or one person at a time. As for teaching moments, the authors place the character trait right at the beginning to prepare the reader for what is to come. Nowadays, Christmas has become more commercialized than ever. Children could readily remember the names of Santa Claus, the elves, and the reindeers, but what about the Bible truths? Our children are increasingly being educated by commercials, malls, TV programs, and shopping culture. This book is a needed corrective to educate the child on the true meaning of Christmas. For 25 days prior to Christmas, parents can use this book to teach their children in a fun, captivating, and educational manner. 

Joshua Straub, Ph.D. is a husband, dad, and recovering human. By trade, Josh is a speaker, author, and family and leadership coach.

Christi Straub is most famous as a wife and momma to two feisty kiddos. On stage, Christi is a speaker, author, marriage and wellness coach, and a podcast and TV cohost.

Josh and Christi Straub are speakers, authors, and marriage and leadership coaches. Together, they lead Famous at Home, an organization equipping families and leaders to be famous at home, so they can thrive on their stage. 

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing Group and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.