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Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time ― Part of the "Circle of Wonder" Series
Imbued with a sense of wonder, and a strong connection to the natural world, Laura Alary’s books invite young readers to engage with the liturgical seasons of the church year. Breathe is a journey through Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. “The day of Pentecost is coming. The church is changing color. The white and gold of Easter will soon burst into flaming red, then cool to green.” So begins A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time.
In the warm, thoughtful style that has made her books so popular with families who want to encourage their children to think deeply and engage their spiritual imaginations, Laura Alary presents the third book in a trilogy (previous books include Look! A Child’s Guide to Advent and Christmas and Make A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter ) that explores the church’s liturgical seasons. At the heart of Breathe lies a How can Jesus go away, yet promise to be with us always? Can we trust someone who comes and goes so mysteriously? Moving beyond long ago and far away events, Breathe invites children to wonder about and watch for the presence and work of the Spirit here and now, in practices of prayer and mindfulness, and through acts of justice, generosity, and kindness. Slowly but surely, we discover that we are the body of Jesus now, his way of being in the world. And that whenever we choose the way of love, Jesus is there. Always.
In the warm, thoughtful style that has made her books so popular with families who want to encourage their children to think deeply and engage their spiritual imaginations, Laura Alary presents the third book in a trilogy (previous books include Look! A Child’s Guide to Advent and Christmas and Make A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter ) that explores the church’s liturgical seasons. At the heart of Breathe lies a How can Jesus go away, yet promise to be with us always? Can we trust someone who comes and goes so mysteriously? Moving beyond long ago and far away events, Breathe invites children to wonder about and watch for the presence and work of the Spirit here and now, in practices of prayer and mindfulness, and through acts of justice, generosity, and kindness. Slowly but surely, we discover that we are the body of Jesus now, his way of being in the world. And that whenever we choose the way of love, Jesus is there. Always.
32 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2021
23 people want to read
About the author
Laura Alary
38 books39 followersMany years have passed since Laura used to make her own books with manila paper, mucilage and crayons. Nowadays her books look much more professional, but the process of creating them is as much fun as it always was!
In her writing , Laura draws upon her background in Classics, theology and biblical studies, as well as her long-standing interest in ancient history, folklore, mythology, and science.
Her books are meant to teach and to entertain, but most of all, to encourage children to wonder about the world and to ask really big questions.
Laura's books include: All the Faces of Me (Owlkids, 2023); Here: The Dot We Call Home (Paraclete Press, 2022); Sun in My Tummy (Pajama Press, 2022); The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything (Kids Can Press, 2022); Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time (Paraclete Press, 2021); What Grew in Larry's Garden (Kids Can Press, 2020); Read, Wonder, Listen: Stories from the Bible for Young Readers (Wood Lake Books, 2018); Look! A Child's Guide to Advent and Christmas (Paraclete Press, 2017); Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter (Paraclete Press, 2016); How Do I Pray for Grandpa? (CopperHouse, 2014); Mira and the Big Story (Skinner House, 2012); Victor's Pink Pyjamas (CopperHouse, 2013); Jesse's Surprise Gift (CopperHouse, 2012); and Is That Story True? (CopperHouse, 2010).
In her writing , Laura draws upon her background in Classics, theology and biblical studies, as well as her long-standing interest in ancient history, folklore, mythology, and science.
Her books are meant to teach and to entertain, but most of all, to encourage children to wonder about the world and to ask really big questions.
Laura's books include: All the Faces of Me (Owlkids, 2023); Here: The Dot We Call Home (Paraclete Press, 2022); Sun in My Tummy (Pajama Press, 2022); The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything (Kids Can Press, 2022); Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time (Paraclete Press, 2021); What Grew in Larry's Garden (Kids Can Press, 2020); Read, Wonder, Listen: Stories from the Bible for Young Readers (Wood Lake Books, 2018); Look! A Child's Guide to Advent and Christmas (Paraclete Press, 2017); Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter (Paraclete Press, 2016); How Do I Pray for Grandpa? (CopperHouse, 2014); Mira and the Big Story (Skinner House, 2012); Victor's Pink Pyjamas (CopperHouse, 2013); Jesse's Surprise Gift (CopperHouse, 2012); and Is That Story True? (CopperHouse, 2010).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 17, 2021
We all need a deep breath of peace this year and so do our children. This book not only tells the story of peace but offers our children valuable faith practices. Alary weaves in essential mindfulness practices of deep breathing, faith practices of breath prayers with the story of the church year. Breathe teaches us how to stay fully present to this abundant life with a deep breath of peace. Essential for all ages!
February 20, 2021
Anyone who is interested in nurturing a child's spirituality will inevitably be drawn to this lovely new title from the pen of Laura Alary. One only needs to read the opening words to know that Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time will cause the reader or listener to wonder about the mystery and meaning of this liturgical season.
"The day of Pentecost is coming.
The church is changing color.
The white and gold of Easter
will soon burst into flaming red,
then cool to green."
In this poetic, thoughtful text, Laura deftly interweaves biblical stories with subtle invitations for readers to consider how the gentle wind of the Holy Spirit might be at work in their lives today. Although much of this book revolves around 'Ordinary Time,' there is nothing ordinary about the text. It is imaginative, insightful and thoroughly inspirational- a must for every parent, pastor and children's minister.
"The day of Pentecost is coming.
The church is changing color.
The white and gold of Easter
will soon burst into flaming red,
then cool to green."
In this poetic, thoughtful text, Laura deftly interweaves biblical stories with subtle invitations for readers to consider how the gentle wind of the Holy Spirit might be at work in their lives today. Although much of this book revolves around 'Ordinary Time,' there is nothing ordinary about the text. It is imaginative, insightful and thoroughly inspirational- a must for every parent, pastor and children's minister.
March 25, 2021
Following her lovely seasonal guides for Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter, Laura Alary takes us through Ascension, Pentecost and the long, green "growing season" of Ordinary Time with colorful scenes from scripture, nature, and a child's daily life. In gentle words that seem to float, Breathe reassures, encourages, and inspires even the youngest followers of Jesus, helping them understand how the Spirit is at work in and through us all.
March 16, 2021
“There are no big holidays during Ordinary Time, but life in the Spirit is not ordinary. Amazing things are happening.” Not ordinary—and amazing—is how I would describe this book by Laura Alary. Through language which is as colorful as the illustrations, she helps us to see the sacred in the everyday. The weaving together of scripture and contemporary examples of the Spirit at work helps us make beautiful connections between their story and ours. This book inspires me to slow down, breathe, and keep mindful of the Spirit at work in the world, and of our role in that sacred work. Children (and adults) who read this book cannot help but be transformed. I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages.
March 18, 2021
With lyrical writing and beautiful illustrations, Breathe brings readers along as the Holy Spirit moves through them and the church year. Laura Alary seamlessly connects Biblical themes and stories with relatable examples of how they are lived out in our daily lives. She demonstrates how "Ordinary time," the bulk of the church year, is anything but ordinary when we pay attention to the movement of the Spirit. I can't wait to share this book with my congregation. Breathe is a must-have for parents and Christian Educators alike.
March 21, 2021
Laura Alary beautifully weaves Biblical stories, poetic language, personal experience, and wonder to capture the essence of the Spirit--"within us and beyond us."
This beautiful book walks us through Ascension, Pentecost, the spirit of the Lord's Supper, the Fruit of the Spirit-- and how we are all moved and connected through the Spirit.
Breathe is the perfect complement to her books: "Look" and "Make Room".
I highly recommend this book for children (and adults!) :)
This beautiful book walks us through Ascension, Pentecost, the spirit of the Lord's Supper, the Fruit of the Spirit-- and how we are all moved and connected through the Spirit.
Breathe is the perfect complement to her books: "Look" and "Make Room".
I highly recommend this book for children (and adults!) :)
August 6, 2021
A wonderful way to engage children with the liturgical year, from Ascension through Ordinary Time. Breathe contains several poems that mark the seasons, emphases, and practices of the Christian calendar. It's written with Western practices in mind, but is appropriate for both Protestant and Catholic use. Besides referring to the church in a general/historical way, and noting that the colors of worship change in this season, Breathe is not about worship in church, but about prayer and worship in daily life, making this useful for different traditions.
The poems aren't cutesy or rhyme-heavy, making this a read-aloud to savor slowly. I really appreciated Alary's heavy use of physical imagery and incorporation of historical prayer practices at an age-appropriate level for children. There's a sophistication to her poetry not often found in children's books, especially not in most Christian books. The foci on slowing down, noticing the natural world, practicing kindness, and the fruits of the Spirit can lead to great conversations with kids. While there isn't a practical application section or list of activity ideas, the text itself gives some ideas for things to do during Ordinary Time.
Cathrin Peterslund's illustrations are wonderful, worthy of close study and repeated viewing. She makes diversity effortless in her illustrations, and depicts Jesus, the disciples, and the early church with historically accurate ethnicities. Since Ordinary Time begins in spring and ends in autumn (in the northern hemisphere), she displays the beauty of each season through the book.
I'm looking forward to reading Alary's other books for children about the liturgical year!
The poems aren't cutesy or rhyme-heavy, making this a read-aloud to savor slowly. I really appreciated Alary's heavy use of physical imagery and incorporation of historical prayer practices at an age-appropriate level for children. There's a sophistication to her poetry not often found in children's books, especially not in most Christian books. The foci on slowing down, noticing the natural world, practicing kindness, and the fruits of the Spirit can lead to great conversations with kids. While there isn't a practical application section or list of activity ideas, the text itself gives some ideas for things to do during Ordinary Time.
Cathrin Peterslund's illustrations are wonderful, worthy of close study and repeated viewing. She makes diversity effortless in her illustrations, and depicts Jesus, the disciples, and the early church with historically accurate ethnicities. Since Ordinary Time begins in spring and ends in autumn (in the northern hemisphere), she displays the beauty of each season through the book.
I'm looking forward to reading Alary's other books for children about the liturgical year!
March 26, 2021
When I heard that Paraclete Press was publishing another book by Laura Alary, I was excited! I loved her previous books Make Room: A Child’s Guide for Lent and Easter and Look! A Child’s Guide to Advent and Christmas. They stand head and shoulders above other children’s books on those topics, combining explanations of the special days of the church with a deep spirituality and connection to the ordinary parts of a child’s life.
Alary’s latest gift to children and those who minister to them is Breathe: A Child’s Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time. It’s gorgeously illustrated by Cathrin Peterslund with the theme of breathe woven throughout the stories of the Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time (referred to in the book as the “Growing Time”).
At the Ascension, Jesus promises his friends he will never leave them alone and will send a helper. Rather than simplifying the Bible’s account of the coming of the Spirit, the narrator explains that it is told in two different ways which both start the same and then split in two, like branches of a tree. We are told how the church today celebrates Pentecost and this is followed by the narrator’s personal account of “learning new ways to pray with the wind and my own breath.”
As the Spirit flowed through Jesus’ friends, they said and did the things that Jesus did. The speaker in the story sees the work of the Spirit continuing in their life too, in the growing plants of their garden, the wind at the beach, their creativity, and the sharing of their food with their neighbors and the community food bank. Alary brings the work of the Spirit full circle from Jesus to his friends and to his followers today. Like her other books, this is one which will be enjoyed not just by children but by those of all ages.
Alary’s latest gift to children and those who minister to them is Breathe: A Child’s Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time. It’s gorgeously illustrated by Cathrin Peterslund with the theme of breathe woven throughout the stories of the Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time (referred to in the book as the “Growing Time”).
At the Ascension, Jesus promises his friends he will never leave them alone and will send a helper. Rather than simplifying the Bible’s account of the coming of the Spirit, the narrator explains that it is told in two different ways which both start the same and then split in two, like branches of a tree. We are told how the church today celebrates Pentecost and this is followed by the narrator’s personal account of “learning new ways to pray with the wind and my own breath.”
As the Spirit flowed through Jesus’ friends, they said and did the things that Jesus did. The speaker in the story sees the work of the Spirit continuing in their life too, in the growing plants of their garden, the wind at the beach, their creativity, and the sharing of their food with their neighbors and the community food bank. Alary brings the work of the Spirit full circle from Jesus to his friends and to his followers today. Like her other books, this is one which will be enjoyed not just by children but by those of all ages.
March 21, 2021
Once again, Alary brings us a story of the liturgical seasons that is anchored in a child's experience and invites curiosity. I also appreciate the acknowledgement of the grief of the story--Jesus comes back only to leave again--and the wonder about what this means for his followers.
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April 13, 2021I'm a big fan of Laura Alary's books for children. They are always thoughtful, quiet books that end up being family favorites, so I was so excited to read and review "Breathe" for her. Like her two other books about the liturgical season, this one connects the season of Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time so practically with our lives. Her previous book, "What Grew in Larry's Garden" has been read countless times in my house and my kids keep asking for it. It is beautifully connected to this new book, which is all about growing, and specifically, growing in the Spirit.
There are so few children's books about Ascension and Pentecost, so this is a lovely addition. I love how Laura considers how the disciples felt when Jesus left them at the Ascension. They had 40 days with Him after the Resurrection, and then at Ascension He leaves again, even while promising that He would be with them always. So there is a period of uncertainty and maybe even sadness before the Holy Spirit comes in power at Pentecost, and Laura describes this so beautifully, alongside beautiful illustrations!
This is a longer book with several sections. My favorite section is the "Breathe Out" section, where she describes how the Holy Spirit worked through the Apostles and then how it works through us as well. There is always an emphasis on community - church community and local community - in Laura's books, and this is no exception. Here she writes about how the Holy Spirit connects us, and how we can grow, connect, and express the fruit of the Spirit with each other, too.
[Note: as a Coptic Orthodox Christian, we don't really have something called "Ordinary Time" - we have the "Annual Tune" which is the tune we use in between all the feasts. In this book, Laura mentions that there are no big feasts during "Ordinary Time" between Pentecost and Advent, but in my church there are several big feasts: the Apostles Feast, the Dormition of the Theotokos, and the Feast of Nayrouz. So if I were reading this book with my children I would mention that these are differences in church practices. There are also places where Laura writes about the Holy Spirit being with Christ in the past tense; in those sections, I would replace them with the present tense when reading aloud to my children.]
There are so few children's books about Ascension and Pentecost, so this is a lovely addition. I love how Laura considers how the disciples felt when Jesus left them at the Ascension. They had 40 days with Him after the Resurrection, and then at Ascension He leaves again, even while promising that He would be with them always. So there is a period of uncertainty and maybe even sadness before the Holy Spirit comes in power at Pentecost, and Laura describes this so beautifully, alongside beautiful illustrations!
This is a longer book with several sections. My favorite section is the "Breathe Out" section, where she describes how the Holy Spirit worked through the Apostles and then how it works through us as well. There is always an emphasis on community - church community and local community - in Laura's books, and this is no exception. Here she writes about how the Holy Spirit connects us, and how we can grow, connect, and express the fruit of the Spirit with each other, too.
[Note: as a Coptic Orthodox Christian, we don't really have something called "Ordinary Time" - we have the "Annual Tune" which is the tune we use in between all the feasts. In this book, Laura mentions that there are no big feasts during "Ordinary Time" between Pentecost and Advent, but in my church there are several big feasts: the Apostles Feast, the Dormition of the Theotokos, and the Feast of Nayrouz. So if I were reading this book with my children I would mention that these are differences in church practices. There are also places where Laura writes about the Holy Spirit being with Christ in the past tense; in those sections, I would replace them with the present tense when reading aloud to my children.]
March 26, 2021
The author personally entered the story in a way that touched me and added new depth to the story with a delightful weaving of the Liturgical Season with the Calendar Season, personal memories and impressions.
"The Wind blows where it will and we know not where it goes"; the author makes it clear where the Wind comes from and leaves it up to the reader to chase it. The descriptions of movements of The Spirit are succinct and unmistakable. This book is a more mature departure from previous offerings but without leaving it's youthful audience behind.
Beautiful and delicate illustrations added to the story in a way that speaks of the essence of the story on each page; love of Trinity, love of The Spirit, as an appetizer for those seekers.
Thoughtful, thought-provoking, awe-filled, gently stirring just like the kiss of the Spring breeze on one's cheeks. Thank you so much, Laura.
"The Wind blows where it will and we know not where it goes"; the author makes it clear where the Wind comes from and leaves it up to the reader to chase it. The descriptions of movements of The Spirit are succinct and unmistakable. This book is a more mature departure from previous offerings but without leaving it's youthful audience behind.
Beautiful and delicate illustrations added to the story in a way that speaks of the essence of the story on each page; love of Trinity, love of The Spirit, as an appetizer for those seekers.
Thoughtful, thought-provoking, awe-filled, gently stirring just like the kiss of the Spring breeze on one's cheeks. Thank you so much, Laura.
April 12, 2021
I have always loved the idea of Ordinary Time. It has a growing, green feel to it. Breathe opens up this time and highlights the wonders of Pentecost for children and indeed for all ages, as it explores through the Biblical story and life examples, the wonders of the Spirit at work in the world. Laura makes the scriptures of the early church come alive through the language and illustrations presented. She encourages me to experience, to reflect, to breathe!
This is a book that invites us all in to experience nature, the seasons, working and learning together in this “the Growing Time”
This is a book that invites us all in to experience nature, the seasons, working and learning together in this “the Growing Time”
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews