Around the Circle Celebrating the Church Year
This children’s picture book by Laura Alary and illustrated by Claire Westwood, provokes inquiry about the Christian calendar. The rhythmic verse runs through Advent and on through the year to Pentecost and then back again around the circle. It’s less a description of what holidays, celebrations, and events occur and more a teaser of how they cycle annually around Jesus’s life and make up the church year.
It makes for a nice read-aloud in Sunday school, during family gatherings, and at bedtime.
And I imagine the plan is for readers to address all the questions that will surely arise. I think that’s the goal of any story time: to entertain, inform, and provoke discussion. That said, the reader should be prepared in advance.
Another beautifully illustrated story from Beaming Books.
They always find fabulous illustrators to pair with their authors, and this match is no exception. The ethereal images by Claire Westwood are colorful and dimensional, bringing each page to life.
For those seeking to encourage youngsters to learn and dialogue about the church year, this is the perfect book to start with. I believe it would be a great bedtime book for the very young and for children five and up, a conversation starter.
Book and Image Courtesy of Beaming Books and Augsburg Fortress Publishers
