All Creation Waits ― Gift Edition: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings

by Gayle Boss, David G. Klein (Illustrations)

A special gift edition of the bestselling book for Advent that reveals the wisdom and wonder of animals in the natural world   In twenty-five portraits depicting how wild animals of the northern hemisphere ingeniously adapt when darkness and cold descend, we see and hear as if for the first time the ancient wisdom of The dark is not an end but the way a new beginning comes. 
 
Short, daily reflections capture in vivid detail the intricate and astonishing ways that familiar animals, from the honeybee to the porcupine, prepare for winter. Each day’s reading is paired with a charming original woodcut illustration. Anyone who feels tired of the consumer hype of “the holiday season” will be refreshed and awakened to the eternal truth the natural world reveals.  This special gift   Written with quiet passion and backed by extensive research, All Creation Waits has captured the minds and hearts of thousands of readers of all ages, from children to adults. Gayle Boss invites us to realize that God can be known in all creatures, and that paying attention to these creatures makes us more fully human, more fully ourselves.  “The practice of Advent has always been about helping us to grasp the mystery of a new beginning out of what looks like death. Other-than-human creatures—sprung, like us, from the Source of Life—manifest this mystery without question or doubt. The more I’m with animals and the more I learn about them, the more I know they can be more than our companions on this planet. They can be our guides. They can be to us ‘a book about God...a word of God,’ the God who comes, even in the darkest season, to bring us a new beginning.” —from All Creation Waits 

Learn more about  All Creation Waits  and find free resources at 

Genres: Christmas, Nature, Nonfiction, Animals

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2022

About the author

Gayle Boss writes from West Michigan, where she was born and raised. Her lifelong love of animals and her immersion in spiritual texts and practices have melded in writing that explores how relationships with animals specifically, and an attentive presence in the natural world generally, restore us to our deepest selves. Also the mother of two grown sons, Gayle shares her home with her husband and Welsh corgi rescue.

Reviews

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an advent read, but I purchased it for the meditations on nature. Love the lessons we can learn from the beautiful creatures that surround us, if we just take the time to slow down and really look.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book whose title gave me ideas for another topic altogether instead of a Christmas read until I had a chance to look over it more closely. The most important thing I would have to say that I got out of the book was perhaps the concept of how to celebrate the Christmas holiday without needing to decorate which is made worse by the fact that we have a small place compounded by the addition of two crazy cats.

The concept although kind of newish with the holidays was actually inspiring in a bit while got me truly interested in the book. Unfortunately the more I got into the book it didn't really inspire me as much of a Christmas read but rather something you may see put together by something more closely related to a Christian Wiccan group or something else a bit more New Age.

Here the reader will discover the set-up of each chapter is very formulaic. Each chapter has its own title page with the Advent number and name of the animal subject. This is then followed by a quote on the next page from a person of faith or other notable person followed by a black-and-white woodcut of said animal. Finally the reader comes upon the actual text which is anywhere from two to six pages although the majority are about two to four pages.

What bugged me the most about this book is the fact that although the entries are supposed to be focused on the animals it sure felt like there were more author experiences included in the pages while I just wanted to hear about the animals without human intervention. And the last chapter didn't really focus on any particular wild animal although the message is relevant if you look at it from an all-compassing view.

In the end I would say that I could see myself giving this a run for one of the holiday seasons just to give it another chance as perhaps a straight cover-to-cover read wasn't the way to enjoy this book. But what I really, really would like to see more than this book, though, would be the calendar that was the start of this book being offered to readers who are interested in it.

[Kelsey Cobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always struggled with daily devotionals. This 25-day journey through nature was an exception. Each scene was beautifully written, cultivating a deep curiosity about the natural world in my heart. The introduction was especially helpful for setting the scene and helping me know where the author is coming from as each animal was captured on the pages. For awhile, I was unsure of how these scenes pointed to day 25. Often, it felt more like a reflection on the seasons as we experience them in North America. But it’s possible that cultivating wonder and delight from creatures of all sizes and varieties is exactly the kind of thing we need to embrace day 25. I hope to revisit this book again next year.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this unique Christmas meditation with the Lord. Something stood out ti me almost every day.

Took off a star for the fact that a couple of quotes are off Biblically (all creation not just reflecting God but being Divine, etc) And the fact about bears sleeping thru birth is inaccurate. All other facts i checked were accurate.

[Wesley Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful little book of meditations on the natural world and the way that different animals adjust to and survive winter, practicing advent in their own ways.
I gave it five stars for the wood cut illustrations, which are stunning.
I can’t wait to read this book to my children one day and make it a family Advent tradition.

[Emily Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're looking for an Advent devotional about Jesus, this ain't it. If you're looking for a theologically stout Advent devotional, this also isn't it. In fact, if you're looking for a book that's at all relevant to Advent and the awaiting of Christ's coming, look elsewhere.

This is a book that has "Advent" entries about animals and their hibernation habits. Fascinating and informative of those animal facts? Yes. Clearly anticipatory of Christ's coming? No.

While the entries themselves aren't outright theological, each one features a quote. Almost all of the quotes are from people described as "mystics" or "philosophers". Many of the quotes have a very New Age vibe to them.

So it should come as no surprise that there is next to no Scripture to be found in this book. The Christmas day entry (surprisingly) did mention Jesus and feature a Bible verse, but that's the extent of it. They just barely got by within taking Christ out of Christmas entirely.

That vaguely "New Age" feel was there throughout the Advent entries, though not explicitly so. The epilogue confirmed my suspicions. The author went on to talk about how warmly the book had been received around the world...by people of all religions. A book that truly proclaims Christ's coming in a theologically sound way wouldn't be a beloved, comfortable read for people who claim other faiths. Universalism advocate that all religious roads lead to Heaven, while Jesus proclaims, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

If this book shares any gospel at all, it's a phony, foggy, false one. There's more that could be said about this travesty of a book that very much had the potential to be written in a great, God glorifying way, but this majorly missed the mark. In fact, it didn't hit the dartboard, or even the wall the dartboard was hanging on.

[Sarah Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book. It had been on my TBR last Advent also. I love when theology is shown through nature. (After all the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in it.)

I was disappointed with this book though! For one, she references evolution throughout the book which doesn’t align with my view of Creation. I could overlook this, but I found it lacking. It didn’t point to how God has made Himself known in creation. It talked about how animals make it through the winter, which was interesting, but it lacked the theological lessons that could be drawn from this.

She also quotes “theologians” at the beginning of each chapter and some of the theology is questionable. Richard Rohr, for example, a New Age teacher. Some quotes were good, others conveyed ideas that are not Biblical. (Seemed to point to panentheism - the idea that God is in all things, they are all part of Him.)

Lastly, her epilogue talks about climate change and political unrest following the 2016 election and the pandemic. So I know this book comes from a liberal worldview.

I am not sure if I will keep it for the facts about creatures surviving winter. It is fascinating how they’ve been designed to do so! Or if I will trash this one.

[Lilibeth Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

a precious advent book with a concept that has permanently etched itself onto my psyche.

each day offers a portrait of a different animal found in northern michigan, observed by the author during december. the profiles invite reflection on the spirit of winter and the advent, via a technique that the author calls "lectio divina" (used to read sacred texts) that reminded me of reading poetry.

as the weather grows more hostile to life, the animals survive by waiting, hoping, trusting, slowing down, burrowing, sleeping, dreaming, preparing, watching. these stories serve as metaphors for how we, humans, too endure winter.

i read this as a bedtime story, but if i could reread it—and i’d like to one day—i'd choose to read it during my morning coffee instead. it was so cozy it knocked me out every time. turns out, reading about animals slowing their heart rates to the brink of death while snow forms a noise-canceling blanket above them can lull you to your own deep sleep.

the 24th passage, about a fish returning home to where it was born to give birth, reminded me of jesus.

it also made me want to meditate on how wild animals around me survive southern california winters—though mild, they are still perilous, with their wildfires and dry wind storms.

moreover, it’s beautifully designed and a visual treat to hold in one's hands or display as a holiday coffee table book. it made my holiday season very special.

[Erin Maxson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s, rounded up to 5!

A beautiful read for the month of December. As someone who is more “nature spiritual” than anything else, I am pleasantly surprised at how open-minded this book is.

If you’re someone who struggles with organized religion or religious books, the foreword and some of the quotes might give you pause, but for me I replaced those thoughts with how I feel about the world instead and it felt just as good.

Each chapter is short, sweet, and inspiring. To be reminded that we are all where we’re supposed to be, even in our darkest & coldest days, with such care is a true talent.

I loved the structure, the imagery, and the thoughts this book provoked. I also appreciated the acknowledgements at the end — a very thoughtful way to wrap up a book for all audiences all over the world. We are all just people hoping to find the door out of darkness, a new beginning and perspective on life.

Thank you, Gayle, for opening my mind through these pages, for finding a new way to demonstrate that we are all a part of the same connected lives and seasons.

[Judy Bawks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature is amazing, wonderous, and I love the wild birds and animals that we see around our home. And so I picked this book up because the author is from my state and she created an advent calendar for her children with the wild animals that she herself sees throughout the year.
Each chapter features an animal, bird, or reptile and explains how they survive during our long cold winters. I was touched deeply by many of the stories, as I had never really thought of how close to death they spend each day, trying simply to survive.
Animals are not human. They can't think or feel as we do. And yet, doing what they do by instinct only - only living in the moment they have - I was reminded that God has created these creatures and given them special physical abilities that allow them emerge renewed in the spring. And, although the animals cannot understand the concept of hope, hope for all of us (both two- and four-legged) was what I felt after reading this book.

[R.G. Ziemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book, for the interesting nature facts, the sweet woodcuts, and definitely the beauty and precision of the language. Every entry is a prose poem of sorts, but also illuminating the inner lives--including their biology and behavior--of these somewhat ordinary animals, especially as it relates to their adaptations to winter. Amazing that these creatures have adapted in so many different ways, though they may be similar and share the same Midwestern landscape. Animals that I figured I knew about--squirrel, vole, chipmunk, raccoon, etc.-- all find different ways to survive and thrive. And the adaptations of the non-mammals, such as garter snakes and frogs, can be surprising. Easy to read in a sitting, you might still want to spread this out over the whole advent season, just to continue your enjoyment of Boss's lovely prose.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-warming meditation highlighting one woodland animal for each of the twenty-four days of the Advent season. Gayle Boss's love and respect for the natural world we inhabit and share with our fellow animals is evident in every beautiful sentence she pens. The poetry of life and survival are depicted in each animal's dance with darkness and light, warmth and cold, torpor and bursts of activity, as the various woodland inhabitants follow the circadian rhythms of the earth and their own little bodies. Painted turtles, chickadees, wood frogs, whitetail deer, and opossums, to name a few, all participate in the winter rituals as the days grow short, temperatures plunge, and all creatures bed down--some solitary, some in tightly knit balls of fellow travelers that cling to one another for warmth--as all creation waits for the world to be reborn in the spring.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful and the prose is beautifully worded. It's a nice wintery book for an animal and nature lover. However, I personally feel that calling this an advent devotional is misleading. There were 2 pages in the entire book with Bible verses: on Day 1 a quote from Job and on Day 25 a quote from Isaiah. That's it. This is not an advent devotional that goes deep into Christian theology. This works more as a Winter nature book and as that, it is just beautiful. I wouldn't call it a devotional, though. Giving this a rating is difficult: I'd give it 5 stars for a beautiful winter nature book, 1 star for calling it a devotional.

[Erica Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as a series of natural history pieces, but it was not at all what it claimed to be. It had a very weak connection to Advent and virtually no scripture, and only one vague reference to Jesus in the very last chapter. I wish I had chosen something else as an Advent devotional to read with my kids, but we did learn a lot of fascinating things about the animals in our backyard, and it was beautifully written and illustrated. It would make a great natural history read-aloud for winter—just needs to be differently titled/marketed.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unusual Advent book, and one--as we read in the Afterword--that has proven remarkably flexible and inclusive in its appeal. It certainly has many diverse elements I found appealing: the quotations for each day are unusual and thought-provoking; the animal illustrations in black and white are exquisite; the factual information about each species' coping with winter is fascinating; and the prose is beautifully, poetically evocative. I recommend it as an excellent addition to a more Scripture-focused devotional.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book - both in art and in words. Each day of Advent introduces a different animal, presented in gorgeous woodblock illustration, with a reflection that shares thoughtful facts about the animal and how it not only exists, but thrives in nature. The scientific information is fascinating, and the descriptions of the animals' biological adaptations are purely awe-inducing. I deeply enjoyed navigating Advent with this devotional.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Advent book for all ages. We learned a lot of wonderful facts about animals around us and what they do during the winter. We were surprised by the Painted Turtle, Oppossum, Red Fox, and Chickadee. We started a bit early and ended before the 25th but an epic journey that culminated in the birth of Yeshua.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is probably 3.5 stars. I appreciated this book as an opportunity to focus on patience and intentionality during the Christmas season. I didn't love all the chapters equally, but found them all interesting (still not sold on snakes being a part of Advent for me!). My favorite part was the quotes the author pulled in from poets, theologians, and other great thinkers.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the information on the animals. Great fun facts. The quotes were good too. My issue is with the birth of Jesus. It's not captured as the miracle it is, the whole reason for the season. He's the Savior of the World! This a good book about animals, but not a read to prepare me for Christmas.

[Michelle Pasos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this edition and the children’s one as well. Both books kept us anchored in what Advent is about as well as preparing us for a time of wintering. What a gift it is to get to witness creation all around us amidst the chaos of grind culture and consumerism during this time of year especially. I’d like to add this book to our list of traditions as my kiddos continue to grow.

[Lisa Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to see whether this book was appropriate for the children on my Christmas list this year. Boss spends each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas pondering the significance of various animals. Boss approaches faith and nature with the soul of a poet.

[Sarah M. Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most beautiful and unusual advent books I’ve read—accessible for a wide range of faiths, quiet and meditative, Gayle Boss opens a door into the world and welcomes us into the secret places of wild things. I will surely return to it again and again in future advent seasons.

[Jessica Brickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book in a home boutique shop in my hometown. I used it as a compliment to reading the book of Luke in the Bible this December. It evoked wonder at the natural and supernatural world and calm in a sometimes overwhelming season.

[Lindsey Kuipers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the sentiment of this book, but sometimes the writing is so flowery in its word choice, that I feel like we missed some of the significance. (side note: I was reading it with our kids. It might have hit different if I was reading it as a personal devotional)

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book with beautiful pictures.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly delightful.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not really for children as I initially thought. It's a rather somber book, a little like the season.

[Gretchen Biere · Rating 5 out of 5]

excited to return to this year after year... several entries made me cry. a perfect picture of hope in darkness.

[Samantha Baruzzini · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful way to walk through Advent.

[Ronald Schoedel III · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and unique daily read through advent. The idea of “waiting” as experienced in winter by 24 different animals brought a new perspective.