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Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas
Based on the overwhelming success of "The Greatest Gift," Ann Voskamp has expanded her presentation of the timeless Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree so families can celebrate together. Each day, families can read the provided Scripture passage (in connection with the original book), engage with a specially written devotion to help children of all ages understand the Advent theme for the day, and participate in suggested activities to apply the theme.This special edition is beautifully illustrated. It can serve as a precious guide to help recapture the sacredness of the Advent season and to help the entire family understand and celebrate the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2014
19 people are currently reading
649 people want to read
About the author
Ann Voskamp
92 books1,375 followersAnn Voskamp is a farmer's wife, the home-educating mama to a half-dozen exuberant kids, and author of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, a New York Times sixty-week bestseller..
Named by Christianity Today as one of fifty women most shaping culture and the church today, she's a global advocate for needy children with Compassion International, a loser of library books, a stirrer of soup, a loud laugher, a kid snuggler, a Jesus lover and honestly, a bit of a mess. It’s okay really. Grace is the most amazing of all.
Her online journal, one of the top 10 most widely read Christian blogs online, is a relief of quiet vulnerability and an oasis of sacred, seeing God in the everyday ugly beautiful.
Connect with Ann on:
AnnVoskamp.com
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Named by Christianity Today as one of fifty women most shaping culture and the church today, she's a global advocate for needy children with Compassion International, a loser of library books, a stirrer of soup, a loud laugher, a kid snuggler, a Jesus lover and honestly, a bit of a mess. It’s okay really. Grace is the most amazing of all.
Her online journal, one of the top 10 most widely read Christian blogs online, is a relief of quiet vulnerability and an oasis of sacred, seeing God in the everyday ugly beautiful.
Connect with Ann on:
AnnVoskamp.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
December 16, 2014
I really hate to write a negative review here. As an Amazon reviewer wrote, to do so feels like a betrayal of sorts. Ann Voskamp is a gifted writer with a beautiful heart! I wanted so very much to love this book. But we abandoned it seven days in, concluding that there are far better Jesse Tree reading resources available (for free).
Years ago, we printed off Ann’s Advent devotional (formerly available as a free download on her blog) and used them for our very first Jesse Tree. I didn’t like the readings at all. They were clumsy (her style doesn’t lend itself well to reading aloud), completely over my young children’s heads, and poorly edited to boot. We found other options the following year.
But when this came out, I couldn’t resist—-especially when I had an opportunity to buy it for $8. The endorsements and early reviews were glowing; surely a formally-published hardcover would be far better than those old free printables.
I *love* the concept of this book. It is gorgeous. And I'd so much rather have a keepsake hardcover picture book for Jesse Tree Advent readings, as opposed to a sheaf of papers printed off the Internet! But after a week, we shelved this book in favor of the readings we used last year. It just did not work for our family, and frankly, I am surprised by all the five-star reviews.
The readings are cumbersome. Flowery, verbose, awkward to read aloud. If my husband and I (and other adult friends of mind) had a hard time tracking with it, I can only imagine how little my 7yo and 4yo were absorbing. Trust me, this is not just a matter of disliking Ann's writing style. I realize her unique voice tends to be polarizing; people either love it or hate it. I am actually one who loves it! But not for read-aloud, and not for kids. It seems that when she tried to adjust her level to children, it became less lyrical and more “trying too hard to be lyrical,” resulting in overly complex sentence structure. I also had a couple of theological quibbles with the way she retold stories. And what in the world is “unwrappable” love, anyway?
When we went back to the Story Warren guide, which primarily uses the Jesus Storybook Bible, for our Jesse Tree readings, my husband and I breathed a sigh of relief: "Ah. Now that resonates. And our kids love it. Sally Lloyd-Jones is a children's writer."
If this book introduces more families to the concept of a Jesse Tree (my favorite Christmas tradition), wonderful. I hope it does. But I hope families don't give up the idea altogether when they find that this particular set of readings is difficult to get through.
Years ago, we printed off Ann’s Advent devotional (formerly available as a free download on her blog) and used them for our very first Jesse Tree. I didn’t like the readings at all. They were clumsy (her style doesn’t lend itself well to reading aloud), completely over my young children’s heads, and poorly edited to boot. We found other options the following year.
But when this came out, I couldn’t resist—-especially when I had an opportunity to buy it for $8. The endorsements and early reviews were glowing; surely a formally-published hardcover would be far better than those old free printables.
I *love* the concept of this book. It is gorgeous. And I'd so much rather have a keepsake hardcover picture book for Jesse Tree Advent readings, as opposed to a sheaf of papers printed off the Internet! But after a week, we shelved this book in favor of the readings we used last year. It just did not work for our family, and frankly, I am surprised by all the five-star reviews.
The readings are cumbersome. Flowery, verbose, awkward to read aloud. If my husband and I (and other adult friends of mind) had a hard time tracking with it, I can only imagine how little my 7yo and 4yo were absorbing. Trust me, this is not just a matter of disliking Ann's writing style. I realize her unique voice tends to be polarizing; people either love it or hate it. I am actually one who loves it! But not for read-aloud, and not for kids. It seems that when she tried to adjust her level to children, it became less lyrical and more “trying too hard to be lyrical,” resulting in overly complex sentence structure. I also had a couple of theological quibbles with the way she retold stories. And what in the world is “unwrappable” love, anyway?
When we went back to the Story Warren guide, which primarily uses the Jesus Storybook Bible, for our Jesse Tree readings, my husband and I breathed a sigh of relief: "Ah. Now that resonates. And our kids love it. Sally Lloyd-Jones is a children's writer."
If this book introduces more families to the concept of a Jesse Tree (my favorite Christmas tradition), wonderful. I hope it does. But I hope families don't give up the idea altogether when they find that this particular set of readings is difficult to get through.
December 21, 2015
I plan to get around to writing a full review of this book. For now I will just say that our family did not care for it and abandoned it after about day 7 - and I don't plan on picking it up again when the kids get older (more on that later). As a concept it was good, and the art was good, but it is too verbose and flowery, too obviously straining for a unique 'voice' in its pseudo-poetic prose to be read aloud or to be properly understood by an audience of children. Actually, the poetic-ish writing felt so forced that I found it annoying even though I could understand what she was saying. Plain, simple language with each chapter shrunken by about 50-60% would have served the purpose and intended audience of the book far better.
However, style was the lesser of my two concerns with this book. As mentioned above, I plan to review this more fully at a later date at which time I will (have to) work through the entire book. For now, in the first week or so of readings there are already a number of theological and interpretive concerns that jumped out. I am not trying to be nit-picky here, so I won't mention little things that might be chalked up to artistic license. In the first few readings, the author already demonstrates some suspect interpretation.
For starters, Voskamp tells us that sin entered the world through the choice of Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - Adam eating the fruit is not mentioned. Now, obviously Voskamp's Bible, like mine, goes on to speak of how Eve gave the fruit to Adam to eat and he ate it...but why she doesn't tell that part, but rather speaks of how Eve's choice brought sin into the world is puzzling. It is especially puzzling since, when the Bible does speak specifically about how sin entered the world, it says that it was through Adam's choice to eat the fruit. Paul makes that unquestioningly clear in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. I admit, the original sin was perpetrated in one sense by both Adam and Eve, and Paul includes Eve's transgression in his theology (1 Timothy 2:14). However, like I said, when Paul is spelling out what happened in the fall, he has sin entering the world through Adam's choice rather than Eve's and this isn't a minute detail. Rightly understanding Paul's theology of Christ's redemptive work as the Second or Last Adam requires us understanding the first Adam's choice as the gateway to sin entering the world, and death through sin.
The next thing that stuck out sideways was Voskamp's description of the flood. She says that God wept when he saw the wickedness of humanity on the earth. Fair enough, for Genesis 6:6 tells us that God regretted making man and he was grieved in his heart at the sin he saw upon the earth. But the author goes on to say that God wept and wept until the entire earth was flooded with his tears. Artistic license? Perhaps, but if you are telling the story of redemption to children, which this book purports to do, you need to at least mention the fact of God's wrath being poured out upon the earth in judgment of sin along with his grief over sin. God wasn't just mourning over the sinfulness of humanity, he was actively judging it and choosing to wipe out all living beings upon the earth, aside from Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. It is a dangerous edit of the biblical arch of redemption to state only the love and sorrow of God at the expense of the holiness and wrath of God. Error can enter as much through the true we don't say as the false we do. I won't go too far here, however, until I see if this is a repeated emphasis of the rest of the book.
At about 7 or 8 days in, the costs of misplaced emphasis, theological edits and omissions, and overly flowery (to the point of distracting) and verbose (to the point of laborious to the reader-aloud) writing outweighed the benefits and made us shelve this book. Prior to that, I found myself just holding the book up to show the (admittedly) wonderful artwork and telling the story of the chapter in my own words. Honestly, my wife and I wanted to like this book (it came recommended by some folks). Our kids had coloured the Jesse tree symbols that we printed off the internet last year. But we couldn't do it. And its not because our kids are just too young or not strong enough in their comprehension skills either - we have had none of the comprehension problems with reading the LOTR aloud to our 7, 9 and 11 year olds nor the Jesus Story Book Bible or the Big Picture Story Bible (or even Grimm's Fairy Tales) to our 5 year old.
I would suggest using Sally Lloyd-Jones's Jesus Story Book Bible instead, even though it is not specifically an Advent themed book. The writing is far better both from a style and message perspective. And you can always print the Jesse Tree decorations off the web and have the kids colour them as they listen.
However, style was the lesser of my two concerns with this book. As mentioned above, I plan to review this more fully at a later date at which time I will (have to) work through the entire book. For now, in the first week or so of readings there are already a number of theological and interpretive concerns that jumped out. I am not trying to be nit-picky here, so I won't mention little things that might be chalked up to artistic license. In the first few readings, the author already demonstrates some suspect interpretation.
For starters, Voskamp tells us that sin entered the world through the choice of Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - Adam eating the fruit is not mentioned. Now, obviously Voskamp's Bible, like mine, goes on to speak of how Eve gave the fruit to Adam to eat and he ate it...but why she doesn't tell that part, but rather speaks of how Eve's choice brought sin into the world is puzzling. It is especially puzzling since, when the Bible does speak specifically about how sin entered the world, it says that it was through Adam's choice to eat the fruit. Paul makes that unquestioningly clear in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. I admit, the original sin was perpetrated in one sense by both Adam and Eve, and Paul includes Eve's transgression in his theology (1 Timothy 2:14). However, like I said, when Paul is spelling out what happened in the fall, he has sin entering the world through Adam's choice rather than Eve's and this isn't a minute detail. Rightly understanding Paul's theology of Christ's redemptive work as the Second or Last Adam requires us understanding the first Adam's choice as the gateway to sin entering the world, and death through sin.
The next thing that stuck out sideways was Voskamp's description of the flood. She says that God wept when he saw the wickedness of humanity on the earth. Fair enough, for Genesis 6:6 tells us that God regretted making man and he was grieved in his heart at the sin he saw upon the earth. But the author goes on to say that God wept and wept until the entire earth was flooded with his tears. Artistic license? Perhaps, but if you are telling the story of redemption to children, which this book purports to do, you need to at least mention the fact of God's wrath being poured out upon the earth in judgment of sin along with his grief over sin. God wasn't just mourning over the sinfulness of humanity, he was actively judging it and choosing to wipe out all living beings upon the earth, aside from Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. It is a dangerous edit of the biblical arch of redemption to state only the love and sorrow of God at the expense of the holiness and wrath of God. Error can enter as much through the true we don't say as the false we do. I won't go too far here, however, until I see if this is a repeated emphasis of the rest of the book.
At about 7 or 8 days in, the costs of misplaced emphasis, theological edits and omissions, and overly flowery (to the point of distracting) and verbose (to the point of laborious to the reader-aloud) writing outweighed the benefits and made us shelve this book. Prior to that, I found myself just holding the book up to show the (admittedly) wonderful artwork and telling the story of the chapter in my own words. Honestly, my wife and I wanted to like this book (it came recommended by some folks). Our kids had coloured the Jesse tree symbols that we printed off the internet last year. But we couldn't do it. And its not because our kids are just too young or not strong enough in their comprehension skills either - we have had none of the comprehension problems with reading the LOTR aloud to our 7, 9 and 11 year olds nor the Jesus Story Book Bible or the Big Picture Story Bible (or even Grimm's Fairy Tales) to our 5 year old.
I would suggest using Sally Lloyd-Jones's Jesus Story Book Bible instead, even though it is not specifically an Advent themed book. The writing is far better both from a style and message perspective. And you can always print the Jesse Tree decorations off the web and have the kids colour them as they listen.
June 11, 2023
Fun book to read as a family leading up to Christmas! Not for small kids. About on par for my 9 & 10 yr olds, although some was maybe still over their heads. Voskamp can be too flowery at times, but some great thoughts and family discussion from this. 😊
December 25, 2017
Voskamp's writing is strained, as if she's trying too hard to sound profound/creative. I'm not always convinced of the interpretations/applications either. The cover is cool, and the illustrations are okay. Some of the days were actually pretty good, but they were the exceptions.
Invitation: I prefer the approach of Lewis, who says that the Gospel isn't better than a fairy tale, but rather the best one, because it's true (see Day 17).
1 (stump of Jesse): I like the unpacking of the stump of Jesse, an image that isn't always immediately clear, even though we read Is. 11 frequently during this time of year. I wasn't sure how that passage connects to helping poor or lonely people. Also, I'm not planting wheat today. Sorry.
2 (creation): Sounds as if God the Son (or his voice) hovered over the depths before creation.
3 (fall): Not sure about God's howl of "Where are you?" for Adam and Eve after they sin, but I did like the connection between the first question of the OT and the first question of the NT.
4 (flood): Emphasis on the flood as God's tears seems to minimize God's wrath.
5 (call of Abram): Still emphasizing God's tears.
6 (birth of Isaac): Laughter! Soda pop! Fizzy!
7 (Abraham/Isaac): Sacrifices aren't just "love gifts."
8: Jacob's ladder and Christmas trees.
9: Joseph's coat of many colors and Gen. 50:20. And spinning.
10: The Ten Commandments are "love rules." I think I missed reading this one and the next one with the girls
11 (Rahab): I like the connection to Jesus.
12 (Ruth): I'm so confused about whether or not Ruth is morally upright in this story. I was probably in my late 20s when I first heard that there might be some funny business going on.
13 (David anointed): "People aren't really bodies; they are really hearts. For all our skin, people are really souls." SMH. I just read Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz and realized that the "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." comes from there and elsewhere (but not from C. S. Lewis).
14: People walk in darkness, but Jesus came like exploding sunbursts, and now children can light up like candles.
15 (Elijah and prophets of Baal): "Now every heart beating in every person is made and wired to worship something."
16 (Jonah): "Nineveh? Where there are the meanest people evah?" Just whisper sorry and you too can have the best day evah.
17 (birth of Jesus): My favorite entry by far (true fairy tale). Bethlehem as the back door of the universe. Clear echoes of Lewis and Tolkien.
18 (Esther): Somehow this story has to do with starving children in India.
19: (Habakkuk's watchtower): "Just like the cold can move you closer toward the fire, hard things can move you closer toward God." This book is really hit or miss, but this was a hit.
20: Zechariah and Elizabeth have a child.
21: John the Baptist prepares the way.
22: Mary becomes a safe space. We can be safe spaces too!
23: Something about hammers.
24: Jesus born in a manger.
25: Never-ending Christmas.
Invitation: I prefer the approach of Lewis, who says that the Gospel isn't better than a fairy tale, but rather the best one, because it's true (see Day 17).
1 (stump of Jesse): I like the unpacking of the stump of Jesse, an image that isn't always immediately clear, even though we read Is. 11 frequently during this time of year. I wasn't sure how that passage connects to helping poor or lonely people. Also, I'm not planting wheat today. Sorry.
2 (creation): Sounds as if God the Son (or his voice) hovered over the depths before creation.
3 (fall): Not sure about God's howl of "Where are you?" for Adam and Eve after they sin, but I did like the connection between the first question of the OT and the first question of the NT.
4 (flood): Emphasis on the flood as God's tears seems to minimize God's wrath.
5 (call of Abram): Still emphasizing God's tears.
6 (birth of Isaac): Laughter! Soda pop! Fizzy!
7 (Abraham/Isaac): Sacrifices aren't just "love gifts."
8: Jacob's ladder and Christmas trees.
9: Joseph's coat of many colors and Gen. 50:20. And spinning.
10: The Ten Commandments are "love rules." I think I missed reading this one and the next one with the girls
11 (Rahab): I like the connection to Jesus.
12 (Ruth): I'm so confused about whether or not Ruth is morally upright in this story. I was probably in my late 20s when I first heard that there might be some funny business going on.
13 (David anointed): "People aren't really bodies; they are really hearts. For all our skin, people are really souls." SMH. I just read Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz and realized that the "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." comes from there and elsewhere (but not from C. S. Lewis).
14: People walk in darkness, but Jesus came like exploding sunbursts, and now children can light up like candles.
15 (Elijah and prophets of Baal): "Now every heart beating in every person is made and wired to worship something."
16 (Jonah): "Nineveh? Where there are the meanest people evah?" Just whisper sorry and you too can have the best day evah.
17 (birth of Jesus): My favorite entry by far (true fairy tale). Bethlehem as the back door of the universe. Clear echoes of Lewis and Tolkien.
18 (Esther): Somehow this story has to do with starving children in India.
19: (Habakkuk's watchtower): "Just like the cold can move you closer toward the fire, hard things can move you closer toward God." This book is really hit or miss, but this was a hit.
20: Zechariah and Elizabeth have a child.
21: John the Baptist prepares the way.
22: Mary becomes a safe space. We can be safe spaces too!
23: Something about hammers.
24: Jesus born in a manger.
25: Never-ending Christmas.
December 17, 2023
Started.. got through day 1, but can’t continue. Too much fluffy talk about kissing Jesus. Sorry.. but the romantic God connection is a cultural Christianism that I can’t stand - it was so bad that my kids were looking at each other laughing about how weird it was.
(And.. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils.. not his mouth. So the text really doesn’t go there - unless she’s speaking of a nostril kiss..)
(And.. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils.. not his mouth. So the text really doesn’t go there - unless she’s speaking of a nostril kiss..)
October 23, 2014
Three years ago our family began a new Christmas tradition called the Jesse Tree. During advent, the 25 days preceding Christmas, we read a devotional and add a corresponding ornament to our 4‘ tree. Each devotional reveals the roots of Christ throughout scripture as represented by a key event or person. The object of this tradition is not only to show God’s plan of redemption throughout scripture but also to prepare our hearts for the coming Lord. I was content with the devotional that were using, however, I was very pleased to learn that Ann Voskamp wrote her own version of The Jesse Tree devotional entitled Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. If you follow her blog you may be familiar with her 2010 post - “A Jesus Advent Celebration: A Jesse Tree Journey.” This book draws on the same scriptures, expanding upon the stories and written with young children in mind.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp is entirely Christ-focused and scripture-centered. Every day begins with an excerpt from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Once the audience has centered themselves in scripture, Ann unwraps the simple truths within the verses in a warm and loving way that will speak directly to even the youngest listener. If you have read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp then you are familiar with Ann’s incredible gift of pen. If not, another popular book I could compare the style of writing with and the way it addresses it’s reader would be The Jesus Storybook Bible. It’s a love letter written from God -- our God who has an “unfailing, unbeatable, unstoppable love” for us! Following the devotion/lesson are “Thoughts to Discuss” with your family and “Family Activities” that help emphasize the lesson, put our faith into action, or spur us to worship. Accompanying the text are soft yet colorful illustrations by artist Martina Peluso. Together they form a heart-shaping work.
**I received this book for free as a member of the Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
My review and additional photos will be posted on my blog: http://christianshelfesteem.wordpress...
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp is entirely Christ-focused and scripture-centered. Every day begins with an excerpt from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Once the audience has centered themselves in scripture, Ann unwraps the simple truths within the verses in a warm and loving way that will speak directly to even the youngest listener. If you have read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp then you are familiar with Ann’s incredible gift of pen. If not, another popular book I could compare the style of writing with and the way it addresses it’s reader would be The Jesus Storybook Bible. It’s a love letter written from God -- our God who has an “unfailing, unbeatable, unstoppable love” for us! Following the devotion/lesson are “Thoughts to Discuss” with your family and “Family Activities” that help emphasize the lesson, put our faith into action, or spur us to worship. Accompanying the text are soft yet colorful illustrations by artist Martina Peluso. Together they form a heart-shaping work.
**I received this book for free as a member of the Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
My review and additional photos will be posted on my blog: http://christianshelfesteem.wordpress...
January 3, 2015
5* for aesthetics. This book is beautiful. Seriously.
2* for effectiveness. The ideas are there, but this is long-winded and unnecessarily abstract. My wife and I and three kids had trouble following what was being talked about each night. It seemed like it would have been great to have Voskamp standing in front of us, story telling... but reading it was a confrontation with a riot of Biblical imagery and an overwhelming number of adjectives and adverbs. Also, each night had something like 3 questions and 2-3 activities and it would have been more effective if she had one question and one activity. But that fit the whole problem with the book: too much. A slammed down version of this would probably be 5*.
We won't use this for Advent again, but will probably put the book on a table for looks. :)
**I loved Voskamp's 1000 Gifts, btw.
2* for effectiveness. The ideas are there, but this is long-winded and unnecessarily abstract. My wife and I and three kids had trouble following what was being talked about each night. It seemed like it would have been great to have Voskamp standing in front of us, story telling... but reading it was a confrontation with a riot of Biblical imagery and an overwhelming number of adjectives and adverbs. Also, each night had something like 3 questions and 2-3 activities and it would have been more effective if she had one question and one activity. But that fit the whole problem with the book: too much. A slammed down version of this would probably be 5*.
We won't use this for Advent again, but will probably put the book on a table for looks. :)
**I loved Voskamp's 1000 Gifts, btw.
January 6, 2024
The Jesse Tree concept used for the basis of this book is rich and meaningful, but we were very disappointed with it as a whole. There are many instances of theological error, jumps so far from truth that they can’t really be glossed over as “poetic license.” Even our kids were interrupting and saying things were incorrect! Some of the concept the author shares about God’s love are very beautiful, and there is a lot of truth - but the readings strayed so far from the actual Bible stories that the real point and power was largely lost, IMO. Other reviews here cover these problems in detail so I won’t be more specific here. We will not be keeping this book.
December 26, 2025
I have read this one for many Advent seasons now and at the beginning I remember finding it difficult to read out loud, but I have come to truly appreciate it through the years. There are a few gems scattered throughout and I always appreciate having the curated Scripture passage to read aloud on busy days when we do not have time to read the actual devotional. I also made wooden ornaments out of the published coloring book pages years ago that we still use to adorn our Jesse Tree.
December 25, 2020
2.5 stars. Some really profound thoughts in this that I greatly appreciated, but using artistic license to play fast and loose with Scripture and putting words in God's mouth means a lot (LOT) of discernment is required.
I agree with the other reviews that say she's trying too hard to sound poetic and quite a few times ends up just sounding ridiculous.
I agree with the other reviews that say she's trying too hard to sound poetic and quite a few times ends up just sounding ridiculous.
December 26, 2014
Every page, every story, every word points to Jesus. Beautiful!
December 23, 2019
True to form, Voskamp's poetic prose is braided with truth and beauty. Paula Doherty's original cut paper illustrations complement the text. My heart skipped a beat when I read December 7th's entry entitled Here I Am: "Worry is always belief gone wrong. Because you don't believe that God will get it right. Peace is belief that exhales. Because you believe that God's love is everywhere--like air." This truth at once pierced and provided balm for my soul! In an age where anxiety is endemic, the Prince of Peace prevails! A timeless, must-read family advent devotional for everyone, everywhere!
December 26, 2023
2.5 stars: A lot of reviewers have already pointed out the same issues I had with this book. We will not read it again. Incidentally, my gent told me he really did not like the way she described Jesus as Son-King, "Something about it just doesn't sound right, Mom." Love to see my kid being discerning. We agreed with a lot of the same theological problems as others.
December 24, 2022
Counting this as an audible book, as it was read by my mom in a wonderfully sweet Advent gift and calendar via Marco Polo.
I truly did love the stories and scriptures though, and could easily do this book every year.
I also love the pop-up book that goes with this, as a Christmas tree with a door opening to reveal an ornament to hang on the tree. Truly lovely
I truly did love the stories and scriptures though, and could easily do this book every year.
I also love the pop-up book that goes with this, as a Christmas tree with a door opening to reveal an ornament to hang on the tree. Truly lovely
December 26, 2022
This book has great Bible stories that point toward Advent, but the writing was a little bit hard for our kids to follow and stay engaged with. I’m glad we read this together as a family, though!
December 9, 2024
This is my absolute favorite advent devotional to do with my kids. It’s so rich. I tear up reading it regularly, and this is our third year going through it.
October 10, 2014
A beautiful unwrapping of Who God is, and how His perfect plan came to be from Genesis to the birth of Christ with a focus on God's great love, His plan of salvation, and His delight in each of His people. Written with imagery and analogies as we've come to expect from Ann Voskamp. But clearly it was written with our hearts and our response in mind, many practical images in both picture and word format, discussion questions, and family activities are included with each day's scripture, her story explanation, and her personal application concepts for the listener and the reader alike.
If you are worried that as a busy family, you will not have time for a daily reading, DON'T worry. I was able to read the entire book in just over an hour. I'm sure reading aloud would add a few minutes, but it is achievable. Each day has a scripture reading (in the book), then an explanation and focus on how God's love through the plan that His Son would come to earth to rescue us from our sins and provide salvation. I think that the readings would be most appropriate for elementary age children and above, but even preschoolers would grasp the big truths and connections day to day of God's gift for each of us.
a longer review at my blog: http://whisperingtheword.blogspot.com...
amazon below:
Our family has done the Jesse tree before, but never like this. Be prepared to pause in reflection, thought, and to have your heart held as you recognize through Ann's interpretation, real life examples, and connections to traditional Christmas traditions (lights, singing, celebration, family, ...) intertwined with the truth from God's Word that God's plan is one of love, hope, for each of us from the beginning of time. The ornaments are available for purchase online or you can download a set from her website.
I appreciate that the book gives real scripture from the New Living Translation before a story version with practical application, this makes it unique compared to other storybook Bibles for families. It's definitely a beautiful devotional for an adult as well as our children. Simple, poignant, and relevant to our need to remember Who God is and how He blesses us every day in all things.
I was given this book to review as a part of tyndale's blog network, but the favorable review is my own personal opinion and delight in a new advent book to share with my own family this December! (and I'm even thinking about sharing it with our Sunday School class as it gives a beautiful timeline of God's redemptive plan).
If you are worried that as a busy family, you will not have time for a daily reading, DON'T worry. I was able to read the entire book in just over an hour. I'm sure reading aloud would add a few minutes, but it is achievable. Each day has a scripture reading (in the book), then an explanation and focus on how God's love through the plan that His Son would come to earth to rescue us from our sins and provide salvation. I think that the readings would be most appropriate for elementary age children and above, but even preschoolers would grasp the big truths and connections day to day of God's gift for each of us.
a longer review at my blog: http://whisperingtheword.blogspot.com...
amazon below:
Our family has done the Jesse tree before, but never like this. Be prepared to pause in reflection, thought, and to have your heart held as you recognize through Ann's interpretation, real life examples, and connections to traditional Christmas traditions (lights, singing, celebration, family, ...) intertwined with the truth from God's Word that God's plan is one of love, hope, for each of us from the beginning of time. The ornaments are available for purchase online or you can download a set from her website.
I appreciate that the book gives real scripture from the New Living Translation before a story version with practical application, this makes it unique compared to other storybook Bibles for families. It's definitely a beautiful devotional for an adult as well as our children. Simple, poignant, and relevant to our need to remember Who God is and how He blesses us every day in all things.
I was given this book to review as a part of tyndale's blog network, but the favorable review is my own personal opinion and delight in a new advent book to share with my own family this December! (and I'm even thinking about sharing it with our Sunday School class as it gives a beautiful timeline of God's redemptive plan).
December 30, 2022
I looked through a few advent books for something good to be read aloud with (or without) kids. I wanted to gift a book with daily readings to friends that could be enjoyed along with their kids (or their own) advent calendars. For kids particularly, I thought the reading could be add to the anticipation of the treat...both the chocolate (truth is truth) and Christ's birth. I gifted this to 3 friends and was told the KIDS made a point of reminding the parents to read it. :)
Pros: All readings 1) have a scripture reference (read theirs or your own preference)
2) are just over 2 pages long
3) have beautiful illustrations
4) have a tone similar to "The Jesus Storybook Bible"
5) Tell the overarching story of Jesus' family tree from Genesis through the prophets and ending at the birth of Christ (no spoilers there, right?)
Bonus: You can craft an ornament to go with each day (simple coloring sheets or really pretty options are available). The coloring sheets are free online. Or you can skip it and just try to read 2 pages while listeners await their chocolate.
I recommend creating a pattern of reading the story and then getting the chocolate/toy/whatever from an advent calendar as a tiny reward and incentive. I gifted this to families with kids from infant to age 10. I got a lot of positive feedback with a consistent sense that this was great for kids ages 3 and up. I read a copy (clearly a little slower than the daily advent schedule) and really liked it.
Cons: 1) The first day starts a little slowly. The hook isn't quite where it might be optimal but every day can't blow you away with amazingness. She's trying to set up why the book is structured as it is.
2) At certain points, the repeated affirmations with 5-7 adjectives about God's love seemed forced. I think this might be deliberate. Sometimes saying things aloud and hearing them can feel like its the verge of ridiculous to annoying but later they echo back. It wasn't a huge deal to me but should be noted.
Note: Be sure to read days 2 and 3 if you're curious for the overall feel of the book.
Pros: All readings 1) have a scripture reference (read theirs or your own preference)
2) are just over 2 pages long
3) have beautiful illustrations
4) have a tone similar to "The Jesus Storybook Bible"
5) Tell the overarching story of Jesus' family tree from Genesis through the prophets and ending at the birth of Christ (no spoilers there, right?)
Bonus: You can craft an ornament to go with each day (simple coloring sheets or really pretty options are available). The coloring sheets are free online. Or you can skip it and just try to read 2 pages while listeners await their chocolate.
I recommend creating a pattern of reading the story and then getting the chocolate/toy/whatever from an advent calendar as a tiny reward and incentive. I gifted this to families with kids from infant to age 10. I got a lot of positive feedback with a consistent sense that this was great for kids ages 3 and up. I read a copy (clearly a little slower than the daily advent schedule) and really liked it.
Cons: 1) The first day starts a little slowly. The hook isn't quite where it might be optimal but every day can't blow you away with amazingness. She's trying to set up why the book is structured as it is.
2) At certain points, the repeated affirmations with 5-7 adjectives about God's love seemed forced. I think this might be deliberate. Sometimes saying things aloud and hearing them can feel like its the verge of ridiculous to annoying but later they echo back. It wasn't a huge deal to me but should be noted.
Note: Be sure to read days 2 and 3 if you're curious for the overall feel of the book.
September 29, 2014
Yay! Another Christmas book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked this book so I was amazed when I received it. It's a beautiful book...hardback, lovely illustrations and such a nice cover!
This is one book that will be on our living room table for the month of Christmas.
Each day there is a scripture passage/devotion to be read and then there are activities to do as a family. A great way for a family to connect at the onset/Advent of the season.
As more and families are trying not to get lost in the busyness and materialism of the Christmas season...this book is a great way to bring your family into the "worship" of the season and why we celebrate the birth of the Savior.
I love the title, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Celebration of Christmas, because this is exactly what the book brings to each member of the family...the greatest gift of all!
***From the Back Cover
Unwrap the greatest Gift with your family this Advent season!
Person by person, story by story, retrace the lineage of Jesus. Fall in love with Him all over again as you experience God’s plan of salvation for us—from the Garden of Eden to the manger and beyond.
With vivid, full-color illustrations, downloadable ornaments, and moving scenes from the Bible, this book is a gift your whole family can unwrap each day leading up to Christmas.
Each devotion includes the following:
Scripture readings to go along with each story
Questions and activities to engage the entire family
Beautiful illustrations to further enhance each reading
Celebrate the best love story of all time with your family!
This book would be a great Christmas card to give to a family before the season begins.
*This book was provided for review by Tyndale*
This is one book that will be on our living room table for the month of Christmas.
Each day there is a scripture passage/devotion to be read and then there are activities to do as a family. A great way for a family to connect at the onset/Advent of the season.
As more and families are trying not to get lost in the busyness and materialism of the Christmas season...this book is a great way to bring your family into the "worship" of the season and why we celebrate the birth of the Savior.
I love the title, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Celebration of Christmas, because this is exactly what the book brings to each member of the family...the greatest gift of all!
***From the Back Cover
Unwrap the greatest Gift with your family this Advent season!
Person by person, story by story, retrace the lineage of Jesus. Fall in love with Him all over again as you experience God’s plan of salvation for us—from the Garden of Eden to the manger and beyond.
With vivid, full-color illustrations, downloadable ornaments, and moving scenes from the Bible, this book is a gift your whole family can unwrap each day leading up to Christmas.
Each devotion includes the following:
Scripture readings to go along with each story
Questions and activities to engage the entire family
Beautiful illustrations to further enhance each reading
Celebrate the best love story of all time with your family!
This book would be a great Christmas card to give to a family before the season begins.
*This book was provided for review by Tyndale*
December 25, 2025
Second reading, 2025, 2 stars.
Not a fan. Kids may write this way, and adults may think kids enjoy this writing, but I highly doubt. Regardless, it makes for painful adult reading. Cutesy adjective clusters on endless repeat, a whimsical child pandering tone; if each chapter were half its length, it’d be more manageable, but alas. It’s not the first time adults have missed the right register to speak to kids in. No hard feelings.
First reading, 2024, 3 stars.
A beauty to look at, but execution falls short of its promise. The best thing it does is through the varied nature of its 25 stories—from Bible beginnings to the birth of Christ—it displays how Christmas is more than sentimental trite birthday party baby Jesus gimme cake. The whole Bible—ah, all of Creation—points us upward in awaiting our King. But that big picture stuff is communicated at the organizational/topical level, and then the page by page level, in prose and story… it’s just… eh. Not outstanding, not bad, just eh, missing by half a step.
Not a fan. Kids may write this way, and adults may think kids enjoy this writing, but I highly doubt. Regardless, it makes for painful adult reading. Cutesy adjective clusters on endless repeat, a whimsical child pandering tone; if each chapter were half its length, it’d be more manageable, but alas. It’s not the first time adults have missed the right register to speak to kids in. No hard feelings.
First reading, 2024, 3 stars.
A beauty to look at, but execution falls short of its promise. The best thing it does is through the varied nature of its 25 stories—from Bible beginnings to the birth of Christ—it displays how Christmas is more than sentimental trite birthday party baby Jesus gimme cake. The whole Bible—ah, all of Creation—points us upward in awaiting our King. But that big picture stuff is communicated at the organizational/topical level, and then the page by page level, in prose and story… it’s just… eh. Not outstanding, not bad, just eh, missing by half a step.
December 25, 2014
This is a beautiful book, but it is not what I was hoping for. As a book to read to one's self, it is fine. As a read-aloud, it is tedious. Voskamp's writing style is lyrical and poetic, but for a book meant to be read aloud as a family, the editors should have helped her make things more concise.
Voskamp repeatedly used the term "Son King" for Jesus throughout the book, and this also caused problems for reading aloud. It sounds the same as sun king. By the end of the book, I edited the readings as I read them. There are great nuggets of wisdom buried in all the adjetives and adverbs.
If you are hoping to find an advent book in a similar formet to the Jesus Storybook Bible, this is not it.
Voskamp repeatedly used the term "Son King" for Jesus throughout the book, and this also caused problems for reading aloud. It sounds the same as sun king. By the end of the book, I edited the readings as I read them. There are great nuggets of wisdom buried in all the adjetives and adverbs.
If you are hoping to find an advent book in a similar formet to the Jesus Storybook Bible, this is not it.
December 26, 2014
The pictures are beautiful, but I would agree with some of the other reviewers, the language is pretty verbose for little ones to follow. The writing also isn't great for reading aloud. After about a week or so our family stopped reading it together and I just read it on my own. It was great for personal reading, just not aloud with children. I also had a few theological quibbles with parts of the book.
December 18, 2016
Too flowery. This style of writing may be for some but not for me. Compromises scripture in order to paint her picture. I cannot say this I would want to read more from this author, even though she has been recommended to me by women I respect and trust.
December 27, 2017
The subtitle is "a family celebration of Christmas" but I can't fathom what type of family this book would actually work for. I love the Jessie Tree concept and the illustrations are beautiful, but the language is far too flowery to appeal to any man I know and the word pictures too advanced for young kids.
Just as an example, on day 1: "And in failing God, they fell away from closeness with God. They failed and fell and were like a fallen tree. Their family was like a fallen tree. When their family tree crashed to the ground, it crushed all of their hearts. The stump - and all of their days - felt utterly hopeless. Like their hearts had been cut right out of them."
Call me optimistic, but I hope my kids can't identify with utter hopelessness, the feeling of their hearts been cut out of them, or "tears of sadness flood(ing) the world" for many, many years. The idea that little children in loving, Christian homes (or any home, for that matter) would read about "some horrible, awful, miserable, very bad days" and know exactly the feeling the author is talking about is depressing.
An adult woman may appreciate this book (if they like the flowery) but this is NOT A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL.
On the other hand, we did like doing the daily scripture readings, so if you skip over everything Voskamp wrote, read the scripture, look at the pictures, and explain the stories in your own words, the book could provide a good structure to following the Jessie Tree with your family.
Just as an example, on day 1: "And in failing God, they fell away from closeness with God. They failed and fell and were like a fallen tree. Their family was like a fallen tree. When their family tree crashed to the ground, it crushed all of their hearts. The stump - and all of their days - felt utterly hopeless. Like their hearts had been cut right out of them."
Call me optimistic, but I hope my kids can't identify with utter hopelessness, the feeling of their hearts been cut out of them, or "tears of sadness flood(ing) the world" for many, many years. The idea that little children in loving, Christian homes (or any home, for that matter) would read about "some horrible, awful, miserable, very bad days" and know exactly the feeling the author is talking about is depressing.
An adult woman may appreciate this book (if they like the flowery) but this is NOT A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL.
On the other hand, we did like doing the daily scripture readings, so if you skip over everything Voskamp wrote, read the scripture, look at the pictures, and explain the stories in your own words, the book could provide a good structure to following the Jessie Tree with your family.
January 13, 2025
This was great overall. In many of the niche bubbles I've been in, there's much critique for the soundness of this book. I'll just say that Voskamp's writing is flowery and her theology as warm and soft. These are nice adjectives for Christmas time and children's stories, but it's not like this is a supplement to the actual Bible, nor is it trying to be. I found the imagery and emphases to be really helpful as I reflected on the whole scripture story in the light of Christmas. The book is not a primer on God's wrath, but it's an excellent way to sit deeply with some of the key stories in the Bible.
I think this gears well for a mixed age group. The pictures and headings are great for littles. The writing would be great for elementary schoolers, and I think the poetic, contemplative tone makes it really fit for teens and adults. I love the tactile elements. I can picture red ribbons everywhere at Christmas and now I'm cued in to think about Rahab. I see the sparkly, colorful Christmas lights and I think of Joseph's coat and God's provision to preserve his people amidst Joseph's great suffering. I like the activity prompts and the feasibility of those ideas. You don't need money or much time to actualize a lot of the things which is refreshing.
Favorite days were: December 3 & December 6
I think this gears well for a mixed age group. The pictures and headings are great for littles. The writing would be great for elementary schoolers, and I think the poetic, contemplative tone makes it really fit for teens and adults. I love the tactile elements. I can picture red ribbons everywhere at Christmas and now I'm cued in to think about Rahab. I see the sparkly, colorful Christmas lights and I think of Joseph's coat and God's provision to preserve his people amidst Joseph's great suffering. I like the activity prompts and the feasibility of those ideas. You don't need money or much time to actualize a lot of the things which is refreshing.
Favorite days were: December 3 & December 6
January 3, 2019
I picked this book up for Advent due to many recommendations online. Lesson learned regarding online recommendations. I would not recommend this, especially if you have sons and plan on reading it to them. I have four sons, and found myself cringing while reading many of the selections, even stopping mid-sentence several times and closing the book to finish the stories extemporaneously. Even my wife laughed out loud several times due to how ridiculous some of the language is in this book is. It is excessively flowery, emotional, and sappy. In a few sections it also felt wrong (the section dealing with Noah comes to mind), requiring me to apologize to the kids for what I had just "said" to them because it wasn't true.
Parts also felt like a not-so-subtle attempt to mirror the language of the Jesus Storybook Bible, but without the theological underpinnings that made Sally Lloyd-Jones' book work so well.
I did like many of the questions and activities that followed each daily reading, which is why I gave the book two stars instead of one.
Parts also felt like a not-so-subtle attempt to mirror the language of the Jesus Storybook Bible, but without the theological underpinnings that made Sally Lloyd-Jones' book work so well.
I did like many of the questions and activities that followed each daily reading, which is why I gave the book two stars instead of one.
December 8, 2024
I tried reading this three years ago, when my kids were 7 and 10. It was too wordy for them back then, so we put it down. I still couldn’t imagine reading it aloud with them. While it is still too wordy, there’s something about the writing that feels too oversimplified. And while the selected verses are important, I feel like a lot of them are hard to unpack and analyze, even as an adult reading this. (For example, child sacrifice!) The discussion questions and family activities feel like a lot too. They might be manageable if I were homeschooling and writing them into my curriculum, but most evenings after long school/work days, it would be unrealistic to accomplish many of these. I don’t think reading this book will ever become an Advent tradition in our house.
I did like the theme of December 9, which included a focus on these verses from Genesis 50:19-20: “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’”
I did like the theme of December 9, which included a focus on these verses from Genesis 50:19-20: “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’”
December 26, 2022
4.4 - My SIL gave this to me a handful of years ago, this year was the year!! I tried a couple other years, but it was packed away with the Christmas items. By the time I dug it out I was two weeks behind, lol!! The last two years I’ve packed it with the Thanksgiving stuff so it’s out d as I’d ready.
My daughter is 4, soon to be 5 and this book was good for both of us. Granted she didn’t, nor could grasp all that the book had to offer; however, she got the Jesus part. Jesus’ gift to us is love, unbeatable, unfailing, unstoppable. She also knew enough to find the coordinating ornament to hang from the Jesse tree.
My only hang up is that as you got your grove in knowing the authors writing, things changed. I feel as if the last 4-5 days didn’t have the same rhythm. I maybe me, but things felt different.
Enjoyed.
My daughter is 4, soon to be 5 and this book was good for both of us. Granted she didn’t, nor could grasp all that the book had to offer; however, she got the Jesus part. Jesus’ gift to us is love, unbeatable, unfailing, unstoppable. She also knew enough to find the coordinating ornament to hang from the Jesse tree.
My only hang up is that as you got your grove in knowing the authors writing, things changed. I feel as if the last 4-5 days didn’t have the same rhythm. I maybe me, but things felt different.
Enjoyed.
November 29, 2020
The God & Glam Bible Study Christmas 2020!
➡️ Join us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/godandglam
If we want Christmas to really stand wondrous and full of meaning, the tree we really need to understand and be astonished by is the family tree of Jesus Christ. Because, this is our story — your story.
Jesus comes right to your Christmas tree and says, "I'll be the Gift."
Who wants to wake up on Christmas morning with a heart that wants the Greatest Gift the most? Who wants Jesus more than anything else?
Come, and don't miss Jesus. Come, and unwrap His story, the most unbeatable, unstoppable, unfailing love story — a story that is better than the best fairy tale, because it's all true.
➡️ Join us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/godandglam
If we want Christmas to really stand wondrous and full of meaning, the tree we really need to understand and be astonished by is the family tree of Jesus Christ. Because, this is our story — your story.
Jesus comes right to your Christmas tree and says, "I'll be the Gift."
Who wants to wake up on Christmas morning with a heart that wants the Greatest Gift the most? Who wants Jesus more than anything else?
Come, and don't miss Jesus. Come, and unwrap His story, the most unbeatable, unstoppable, unfailing love story — a story that is better than the best fairy tale, because it's all true.
December 25, 2023
This is a good, ecumenical, nicely illustrated book of Advent readings that can be used with children of all ages. It can be open-and-go or you can add Jesse Tree ornaments as well. It was a very easy and enjoyable Advent plan for both me and my kids. If you like the Jesus Storybook Bible, this was very much along the same lines.
Some caveats, though. I do not know what Bible translation was used, but I did not think it was the best choice. It was very modern and lacking the power and beauty some other translations. The other is that the daily readings were occasionally too focused on works and feelings, and it was a bit too reliant on fancy adjectives and emotional appeals. I did a lot of editing aloud, but it was really mostly quite good and I'd use it again despite these issues.
Some caveats, though. I do not know what Bible translation was used, but I did not think it was the best choice. It was very modern and lacking the power and beauty some other translations. The other is that the daily readings were occasionally too focused on works and feelings, and it was a bit too reliant on fancy adjectives and emotional appeals. I did a lot of editing aloud, but it was really mostly quite good and I'd use it again despite these issues.
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