I’d like to thank Christian Focus Publications for sending me The Very First Christmas in return for my honest review.
Do you want to teach your kids about the very first Christmas in a way they’ll understand?
Do you want to raise kids who know that we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day?
Are you looking for a way to explain the gospel to your toddlers and preschoolers?
There are some great resources out there, and I highly recommend The Very First Christmas by Catherine MacKenzie as one you’ll want to have in your home library for the Christmas season.
Story of the First Christmas
The Very First Christmas by Catherine MacKenzie (CF4K, 2015) is a charming storybook for toddlers and preschoolers. The book contrasts the little reader’s first Christmas with the very first Christmas in history, explaining that the real gift of Christmas is Jesus.
“I remember your first Christmas. We said, ‘You’re here at last. We had waited for you for sooo long.
On the very first Christmas another baby was born. The world had been waiting for Jesus, God’s Son, for many years.
Books Make Great Christmas Gifts!
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
Who was Martin Luther? (Who What Why)What was the Gutenberg Bible? (Who What Why)Why did the Reformation Happen? (Who What Why)When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin LutherWonderfully Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Birth
One of the things I always appreciate about Christian Focus 4 Kids books is that they incorporate the gospel message. The book doesn’t just end with Jesus the baby. Catherine MacKenzie explains that baby Jesus became the Savior on the Cross, the perfect Son of God, to save people from their sins.
The illustrations by Tessa Janes are endearing, and perfect for the tone of the book. As is typical of Christian Focus, there are no pictures of Jesus, so if that’s a concern for you (because of the second commandment), worry no more.
Purchase The Very First Christmas
The Very First Christmas is a great gift book, and a sweet read-aloud for your small people.
Your kids can learn about the Bible, who God is and more with this fun daily devotional for kids. With 12-months of Bible verses calendar printable sheets, your family will concentrate on a monthly focus. There are six days of reading each week, each day with it’s own focus within the monthly theme.
Your 12-month Bible verse calendar has themed devotions focusing on:
- The Bible
- Love
- The Church
- Resurrection
- Jesus
- Prayer
- The Holy Spirit
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- Salvation
- Our Father
- Thanksgiving
- Advent
Want a sample calendar? Grab your free Christmas Advent calendar here.
Great Books about Jesus, the Reason for Christmas
30 Prophecies: One Story: How God’s Word Points to JesusThe History of Christmas: 2,000 Years of Faith, Fable and FestivityI Spy At Christmas: Jesus is More Important than Crackers and TinselThe Christmas Story: The Bible VersionThe Very First ChristmasThe Very First Christmas
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
Looking for a family discipleship book that will give you a crash course in leading your kids through God’s Word? I’ve got you covered.
You want your kids to learn and love the Bible.
You want to teach the Bible…
As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right schools, we make them eat right and exercise, and we get them involved in extracurricular activities. We take our job as parents seriously.
But are we also putting our time and energy into
teaching them the Bible? Giving them the life-changing, soul-nourishing words of Scripture is not only doable, it’s an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is, studying God’s Word as a family doesn’t have to be difficult!
2 Timothy 2:15, ESV, says:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Our job, as parents who love Jesus, is to help our kids become approved workers, unashamed and rightly handling the word of truth.
The good news? Teaching the Bible isn’t hard. Your family can learn the Bible together.
…and you can!
A Crash Course in Teaching the Bible to Your Kids
Danika Cooley’s book, Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the guidance you need to set up a family Bible study habit.
You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child’s relationship with the Lord through His Word.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible will equip you with everything you need to know to teach the Bible to your kids!
More Thinking Kids Posts You’ll Love!
More Thinking Kids Posts You’ll Love!
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Feobe loves when the heavenly hosts is with the shepherds. What an amazing sight that must have been! Thanks for the chance to win.
Baby Jesus in the manager
My little guy is 2 1/2 and loves anything to do with animals, so he loves the shepherds out with the sheep and that Jesus was ‘born in a barn’.
Our little one loves to hear about Jesus as a baby.
my child likes the redemptive story of Christmas, the why of Jesus coming and being born
Doing the Jesse Tree and making a nativity out of gingerbread.
Always looking for new resources to teach about the real story
That looks like a great book. My twin girls are in preschool right now, and they would love it!
My children have been focused on the part of the Christmas story during which Mary and Joseph are forced to leave but have no place to stay once they arrive. They are comparing this experience with countries and individual states and cities in the USA turning away the many refugees seeking asylum from the violence and despair in their own countries, including Central America and the Middle East. They never seemed to focus much on this part of the story until the current events of this year.
My children love when the shepherds come to worship baby Jesus!
My five year old’s favorite part was when the shepherds worshipped Jesus. 🙂
In more recent years I’ve enjoyed the part where Mary hears everything and remembers it.
They love when the Angels sing
My 2 toddlers love animals!!!!
This book looks great. My kids enjoy hearing of Jesus birth
Our child loves acting out Mary and Joseph taking the long trip to Bethlehem.
Perfect for our church’s library or nursery with little ones and more on the way in a month. We do need gospel focus book like this. We don’t do Santa in our church. We do keep on pointing them to Christ all the more.
Thank you for this giveaway contest!
My favorite Christmas story is always have been with Linus Van-Pelt explain the true meaning of Christmas!
My little girls love babies, so the idea of Jesus being a baby is their favorite. 🙂 We are expecting a little boy soon, so my girls are talking about acting out the first Christmas with new baby brother. 🙂
My littlest loves Baby Jesus. Before the youngest was born, one of the other boys was quite insistent we name him Baby Jesus. 🙂
What a lovely and adorable book to win. Thank you for the giveaway.
Marion
This is such a beautifully illustrated book! My daughter loves the animals and makes their sounds as we read. I personally love that the story continues after Jesus’ birth.Thank you!
Definitely the place of a stable with animals
The angel!