The Parable of the Lily

The Parable Series

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Bestselling author Liz Curtis Higgs shares a joyful Easter story about grace, forgiveness, and the true meaning of Easter. Maggie, the farmer’s daughter, can’t wait to unwrap her gift that arrived in the mail. But her delight turns to disappointment when she doesn’t receive a toy or a doll or a game. Instead, she’s gifted a plant bulb. After forgetting to water the plant, Maggie gets frustrated and tosses the bulb outside—where something amazing happens on Easter morning! This hardcover picture book for 3-to-7-year-olds Help your children develop the character trait of generosity, teach them about God’s grace, and remind them that God can make beautiful things out of our mistakes by making The Parable of the Lily a family Easter tradition. Don't miss the other books in the Parable series by Liz Curtis

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Christian, Holiday, Faith, Christian Fiction, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 1997

About the author

Former Bad Girl, grateful for the grace God offers. Happy wife of Bill, one of the Good Guys. Proud mom of two grown-up kids with tender hearts. Lame housekeeper. Marginal cook. Pitiful gardener. Stuff I love? Encouraging my sisters in Christ—across the page, from the platform, online, in person. Unpacking Scripture. Traveling wherever God leads. Listening to His heart. Leaning into His embrace.

Reviews

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this sweet little story. Through a child’s anticipation and love of gifts, the author helps us see the anticipation of the coming Messiah, the initial disappointment of many over a gift that didn’t meet their expectation, and ultimately the glory and joy of a gift accepted.
Once the story gets going, there are Bible verses on the pages that help us see the parallels between this story and the Salvation story throughout the Bible. They are very well chosen and will be a wonderful conversation starter with young children.
The illustrations are colorful, lively, and very engaging.
I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Olivia Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this book when i was a kid. Still so sweet.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only vaguely remember this book from when I was little, but I know I liked it. Now I want to get it for my son.

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great message for Easter and super cute artwork!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the Parable Series, the stories are great tools for teaching various Christian concepts. This book explains the idea that we are in need of forgiveness (and a Savior) and that Christ provided for that need.

Ages: 4 - 9

#easter #christian

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Clwseattle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Parable Of The Lily is not what I expected. As I was looking for Easter books, I just assumed it was an Easter Book. Although The Parable Of The Lily takes place during the dark days before Easter and ends on Easter morning it is more a story of gifts unappreciated as gifts until their true beauty is revealed. I really appreciate the bible verses lightly visible on the pages that refer to the particular parts of the story as it develops.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars from me.

5 stars from my 4 year old grandson.

Grandson enjoyed the illustrations - very colorful and simple. He was able to follow the story. He didn’t think Maggie was a very nice girl until the end.

I enjoyed the story and the accompanying bible verses at the bottom of the pages. This delightful tale allows for discussion of what Easter is about and what it means.

[Kathryn Mcilwraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected this book to be based on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 about God providing for the lilies, but it’s actually a unique story that teaches about gratitude, patience, and God’s active role in nature. Higgs includes Bible verses on most pages, which parents can use to connect the story to God’s Word. This is a perfect story for springtime.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
Such a cute book. I really like the scriptures that go along with this story. The colorful and fun pictures are engaging for kids. And the allegory is such a great opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about the Gospel.

[Rachel Mellema · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is delightful and engaging. The illustrations are adorable and filled with warmth. It does a great job of integrating biblical values & principles in a way that resonates with both young kids and adults. Highly recommend reading!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet story how a ugly gift can turn to be the very best gift of all :)

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Easter read

[Della Tingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book so much!!!!!! Incorporating scripture throughout, this story uses a simple lily to share the gift of Jesus. ❤️

[Sydney Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book itself was [mostly] okay, but I'm not too keen on the author's theology, so I won't be passing this one onto my children.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly clear as a "parable".

[April]

More tolerable than most of the Easter children’s genre, but the illustrations are so annoyingly cheery.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet. Loved it.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Liz Curtis Higgs, I love giant lap board books. What could be a better book for this Easter season than a parable story we already love?! There are four books in the Parables Series from Liz, and now this spring we have a third one republished as a lap board book. (Last Christmas we got The Pine Tree Parable and before that for Thanksgiving we had The Pumpkin Patch Parable.) I cannot wait for the fourth one The Sunflower Parable to come as a board book - I can only assume that will be our summer surprise!

Each page has a verse and statement that allows the reader to open up the scripture to a child's mind. A gift neglected and forgotten might provide a lesson and surprise and that's what my daughters can learn while reading this one. I absolutely love this format. I honestly cannot elaborate enough to tell you how great these lap board books are. My toddler can lay on her belly and just stare at the pictures on her own (she's now in the stage of retelling bits of stories to herself that she remembers from when I read to her) and she goes over the story. I know that she does not get all of it at this stage, but she's getting some of it and it's all a blessing.

*Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing a copy for review.*




posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you like to give your child something special for Easter this year? Would you like to give them a gift that would have lasting value and would have a definite impact on his or her life?

Easter is not so much a time of bunny rabbits and Easter eggs as it is a time of forgiveness and rebirth. The Parable of the Lily is a beautiful Easter story written by Liz Curtis Higgs. The author has written several entertaining fiction books, non-fiction books, and children's books. In The Parable of the Lily, she reveals the true spirit of Easter in an entertaining tale that everyone, children and adults, will love to hear.

Maggie is a little girl who love to receive gifts. On one cold, snowy winter day she receives a letter that tells her a very special gift is on its way to her. She is so excited. Could it be a new doll? Maybe it is a new game. Or it could be something even better, something she wants even more. She has no clue who the gift is coming from or why it is being sent to her, but that doesn't matter. It is a gift!

Her excitement quickly turns to disappointment when the gift arrives and she finds it to be just a box of dirt. The instructions included say to water it every day and wait, but it is just a box of dirt. She takes the box down to the cellar and hides it away in the darkest corner she can find. As disappointed as Maggie is, will she ever discover what is hidden away in the dirt?

That is as much as I'm telling of the story. But something wonderful happens, something that is such a perfect picture of what our Lord and Savior experienced. How you share this story with your children is up to you, but there are Bible verses at the bottoms of the pages to help you tell the story of the death and resurrection of Christ as you read about the parable of the lily.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Parable of the Lily is a wonderful children’s book. It would be perfect to read to children on Easter evening before bed. It would also be a great story to read at a children’s chapel, the priest or pastor could follow it up with a little sermon, or in Sunday school. I love a Christian children’s book, there are not that many good ones out there. This book is also nice because it has appropriate bible verses on the bottom of the pages.

The book has beautiful pictures that will keep any child’s attention. There are many things you can point out in the pictures to make the story come alive to kids you are reading it to. It would be appropriate for pre-school- probably 3rd or 4th grade. It really depends on the child. Even though younger children may not get the deeper meaning, you could still ask them something like, was there ever a time you received a gift that you were not happy with? What did you do with it? How do you think it made the person who gave it to you feel that you did not like their gift?

I received this book as an ARC. I am not paid to review books, I do so to help parents and other adults get an idea of would be a good book for their child.

[Susan M (MomBlogger) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful lesson related to the Easter holiday. Teaches young ones that receiving a gift that may not be exactly what they wanted, might not be a bad thing after all. Sometimes the gifts we don't think to ask for are the best ones to receive. I love the way this story is written, and how fun it was to read with my kiddos. Even my 10 year old son liked the story. Great for ages infant through young child (with the older ones pretending not to listen, but enjoying it too).



*I received a free digital copy of this book for my review through Netgalley.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little story about Maggie who receives a box of dirt for her birthday. Disappointed she throws it away only to discover that it contained a bulb that sprouted and grew into a lovely lily. The story compares Jesus as a flower. We don't appreciate Him as our Gift until He is revealed to us. Bible verses are woven through out the story bringing it to life. It is a charming story to be read at Easter or any time of the year. It will be enjoyed by both children and adults.

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a religious book about patience and hidden blessings. The little girl in the story is told that she is going to receive a special gift, when it comes, it is not what she was expecting, its a crate of dirt with a flower bulb in it. She is impatient and upset that it wasn't some thing more grand. In the end she can see the wonder of her gift. Many times that is how we see our gifts from God, we don't see the grandeur of the gift until later.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Easter story about a girl who gets a gift she doesn't appreciate and then in the end realizes what a beautiful thing is has become and who it's from. There are Bible verses noted at the bottom of most pages, but they were very small and after I read the first one, my 5 yr old requested I just skip them.

[Neuharth Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty nice book, a little advanced for us right now, as it is a parable, but I think we'll be learning from this book for a very long time into the future. There are Bible verses which accompany every page, and all the concepts presented are sound.

It is SO hard to find quality Easter books, and this is just plain excellent compared to most.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great picture book, about Maggie the Farmer's daughter. She gets a winter letter in the mail that says a gift will come soon. She struggles with the gift because its something to grow, little does she know the surprise awaiting her.

[Mollywainio · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe when they get to be school age and have sinned more i will reconsider reading it but puts too many bad ideas in a toddlers mind

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Liz Curtis Higgs. Her Parable of the Pumpkin Patch was a favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint. Great read for easter season. Love the scripture and analogy of the lily.

[Tracy Ralston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about Easter.

[Christal Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME children Christian book. It give scripture with every page to back up every reaction/scenario or action that is taken by the characters. Both my boys loved this book!