Tabitha's Travels: A Family Story for Advent

Advent Adventures #3

by Arnold Ytreeide

Following in the footsteps of the immensely popular Jotham’s Journey and Bartholomew’s Passage , this captivating story will take families through Advent to Christmas as they share in Tabitha’s adventures. Curious, competent, and courageous Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd who is taking his family on caravan to his birthplace. Along the way, she meets and becomes friends with Jotham and Bartholomew, watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zechariah and Elizabeth, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ’s birth, and ends her travels at the stable in Bethlehem. With day-by-day readings, reflections for family devotions, and advice for making Christmas a meaningful season of worship, Tabitha’s Travels continues the beloved tradition of celebrating Advent with your family.

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Devotional

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

Arnold Ytreeide loves to make people feel. "My second film I ever made was for a high school history project. It made the teacher cry, right there in front of all the students. That wouldn't be a big deal except that my history teacher was also the varsity football coach. That was the moment I decided I love telling stories." He's been telling stories ever since, in film, television, books, radio, stage plays. And he tells them in all sorts of genres -- historical fiction, adventure, and books that make you think. Sometimes Christian - like his popular Jotham’s Journey Christmas series - sometimes for those not so inclined - such as Under My Teacher’s Desk and The Twelfth Privilege. He pours a “life of a thousand episodes” into every story. Next up? “More Mike Danford books, more Amon books, and I’m starting a new series about a girl who lives on the moon.” Former cop, former film & TV creator, and Professor Emeritus, Arnold and his wife Elsie Jo live to hang out with their two children and five grandchildren. “And their dogs. And cats.” He's always looking for the next story he can tell that will help people "feel the wonder of this wonderful life."

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard good things about this book, so I was looking forward to reading it with my 3 daughters for Advent. Unfortunately, from the first to the last page this book was full of feminist attitudes.

Tabitha is a young girl who is the focal character in the story. The book follows her through a number of adventures in an effort to save her father from the Romans.

On page 1, I read, "That her brothers got to be those shepherds while she herself had to cook, clean, and take care of donkeys always frustrated Tabitha. "I can do as much as any boy," she thought."

On pages 2-3 I read, "Even though she wasn't allowed to watch a flock herself, she liked traveling from this place to that, seeing new sights and meeting new people. Of course, it was usually her brothers who got to have the really fun adventures - fighting off wild animals and thieves, going inside the walls of the biggest cities, and best of all, entering the temple in Jerusalem. "As a girl, I don't get to do any of that," she thought again with a sigh."

On page 91, Tabitha is in conversation with Elizabeth about the Jewish temple:
"You mean men can go farther into the temple than women?" Tabitha exclaimed.
"Yes, child, that is how it must be." The heat of anger rose in Tabitha's cheeks, and she thought to herself that she was every bit as good as any boy, but she kept her lips tightly sealed.

In almost every chapter, Tabitha has some thought or comment to make about how she is unhappy with how she is treated as a girl, and how she believes girls should be able to do everything boys do. As this theme was so heavy in the book, my disappointment with it grew as we continued reading. I was hoping that Tabitha's poor attitude about her own sex would be addressed somewhere, and it was at one point (The priest Zechariah told her, "It is not the way of our people. And we must each humble ourselves to the place to which God has appointed us."), but then it seemed to be forgotten again.

Even at the very end of the story, this was Tabitha's response to the fact that her father didn't understand about the baby in the stable: "Tabitha just shook her head and wondered why boys are so dumb, but didn't say anything."

Is this the sort of role model I want for my daughters? Someone who thinks her father is dumb because he's a boy? Someone who is unhappy with the role that God has given her as a future helpmeet to her husband? Someone who is bitter against the God who made her, for making her female? No, it is not.

I would like to say that if these elements were taken out of the story (and they were completely unnecessary to the story), I would have liked this book very much. As it stands, I will not be keeping it in my home.

There will probably be people who read this review and take issue with it. I have no interest in debating God's will for women. I wanted to put this review up here so that others like myself, who care about this issue, will be aware that it is throughout this book. If you would like more information about where I'm coming from, Google "What is Feminism" (in quotes) and "Chancey" and click on the first link for the article "What is Feminism?" by Jennie Chancey.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book to our kids (ages 7, 6, and 4) for Advent 2023. This was the second Advent book we’ve read by this author. Each book is telling the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth, but tracking it from a different angle through the eyes of the title character.

In my opinion, the story is better than the writing. The author’s voice feels way too pronounced in the story. In this particular book, the author uses the title character (Tabitha) to push forward his view that girls are just as “good/capable” as boys. While I have no issue with the view, the author makes it such a prevailing theme throughout the book that it quite honestly became increasingly annoying and distracting for me as the reader.

[Rachel {bibliopals} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best of the series.
Tabitha's complaining about being a girl or her mocking of boys got a bit old.

[Annabelle Valadez · Rating 4 out of 5]

a super sweet advent story, the whole family enjoyed it!

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Tabitha's Travels has become a cherished tradition for our family during Advent. While I might personally favor Jotham's Journey slightly more, every book in this series earns a solid 5 stars. The storytelling is engaging and keeps the kids captivated, making it a highlight of our holiday season. More importantly, the book serves as a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, offering moments of reflection and connection for the whole family. Highly recommend for families looking to bring the spirit of Advent alive through a mix of storytelling and meaningful reflections.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone if you cant get your hands on the other two. (But trust me, get your hands on the other two.)

These stories are so relate-able to kids. They teach a good, moral lesson. While also reminding us of the reason for the season.

And the nightly cliffhangers are genius. There is not a child (or adult) in the house who does not love these books.

[Myersandburnsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read 2023: too much “girl power” in this one. I heavily edited as I read aloud. Skipped the devotional questions as well.

Tabitha learns that every human has dignity, boy or girl. Also she finds baby Jesus! My least favorite of the series so far, but my kids loved it!

[Kate Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this series. These stories really hold my kids attention and help our family focus on Christ during Advent.

[Brooke Kinabrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have loved reading a new book in this series each year. Out of the three (of four) that we have read this is my least favorite so far. From the very first chapter all the way to the end it leaned heavily into a feminist mindset. Where Tabitha’s inner dialog and attitude were always leaning heavily in the direction of bemoaning how she was just as good, or better, than boys and how she was being treated unfairly. My husband and I had to edit the phrasing quite a bit as we read. I was hopeful that as the end drew to a close that there would be a leason learned on that score but there never really was. At one point, in a conversation between the Preist Zachariah and Tabitha he talked about choosing to be a servant, which highlighted that we are all called to love and serve one another. Whether we are a man or a woman we should be humble and consider others more important than ourselves. Other than that, we still loved the story and the connections made as the characters from the two previous advent stories paths crossed and intertwined. The cliff hangers and plot made certain the boys were begging for “just one more chapter”. ❤️✨

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My family and I enjoy Ytreeide's Advent books. Having three sons, we chose the male-protagonist books first. We finished the series with Tabitha this year, and they boys enjoyed it very much. I imagine we will start over with Jotham next year.

[Hannah Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but still loved!

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Love it. Very good family book. (My family finished it a little later after Christmas lol)

Recommended ages 10 & up (as a read-aloud).

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankful to my friend Melissa for loaning this to us for the holiday. The family thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Kerry Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another action-packed trek through the Holy Land just before the birth of Jesus, Tabitha's Travel's gave us a girl's perspective of the Messiah's arrival and life in Israel 2000 years ago. We read all four books over the past four Advent seasons, and are sad to say goodbye to this exciting and thoughtful Advent series.

Arnold Ytreeide does a wonderful job amping up the action while tying important biblical truths and events into an enjoyable Advent story for the whole family. The only aspect of the story that we didn't care for was Tabitha's resentment that she wasn't treated like the boys were. A little of it would go a long way, and it almost bogged the story down.

As with the other three stories, I wouldn't recommend these for children under the age of five or six because of intense action and peril (at times). Otherwise, these make for a great nightly/daily read with kids in the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022 - our second Christmas read of this book. Finished on Christmas morning around our advent wreath. My favorite part of the day. We had 4 people that could be readers this year. Lovely being read to by my girls! One of my easiest ways to keep christmas about Jesus was reading this book together as a family after supper on December nights.




2020- One of my favorite Christmas traditions is reading this advent Christmas series. This our families second book we have read together over the course of advent.

The stories overlap but each told from a different 1st person point of view. It is meant to be read each day at a time until Christmas morning but we would sometimes catch up on the weekends. A meaningful and action filled Christmas story leading up to the arrival of Baby Jesus. The main characters are historical fiction but the author weaves in many people from the the Bible it is fun to see who the character will encounter next.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tabitha’s travels is an excellent children’s storybook for advent. Depending on kids personalities and how used to sitting through non-picture books, I would recommend this storybook for approximately ages 5-8. My four year old had a hard time paying attention, my six year old really enjoyed it, and my husband and I were slightly upset if we had to miss a day because it is pretty entertaining even for adults. It’s fun to read aloud and the prompt to light the advent candles each day are very helpful because it fits a very neglected area: good advent storybooks that lead families through an experience of the season of advent. The setting and context seem to help put the readers in the story of the nativity. The only negative part of it was the reflections at the end. Some of them are great, but there is a very strong substitutionary atonement theology in some of them. As an ordained minister, I don’t teach or ascribe to this theory of atonement and think that it is harmful in our context. I would recommend parents reading the reflections ahead of time and picking and choosing the ones they want to use. You can always prompt discussion after a story by asking the Godly Play (Jerome Berryman) wondering questions: 1. I wonder what your favorite part was? 2. I wonder what the most important part was? 3. I wonder which part of the story you like the least? 4. I wonder if there is a part of the story we could leave out and still have all of the story? 5. I wonder which part of the story is most about you?

Solid book. 4 stars.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second of the series we've read (Jotham was the first). It was our Advent family read-aloud. We really liked how the stories intertwined together, and even though we knew what happened in Jotham, it doesn't feel like it spoiled too much of this one.

For me, I got lost with some of the characters since there were a few in the middle to which we were introduced in rapid succession with not a lot of time for development.

I have mixed feelings about the focus on "girls are just as good as boys." We had to pause frequently to call out the sexism by some of the characters and affirming Tabitha's feelings around it. While we agreed with the underlying sentiments, I don't feel that it was ever appropriately addressed until the last few pages and even then it was all something of a distraction from what I would have hoped the main point of the story. It could have been incorporated in a slightly less awkward way and still accomplished the same thing.

All told, we're looking forward to adding this to our Christmas book collection and then continuing with Bartholomew next Advent!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up reading "Tabitha's Travels." I actually grew up with the previous two stories of Jotham and Bartholomew. For Advent, I just knew I had to go back to that world again. While I remembered the story so much that I was guilty of skimming, I still remember why I loved these stories. They engaged me as a youngster and I look forward to reading them with my own children.

It is such fun to see the fictional characters interact with Zechariah, Elizabeth, etc. etc. And then to see the storylines intersect between all three books.....I love it! Tabitha is also a strong female protagonist that young girls can get behind.

"Tabitha's Travels" always ended with though provoking discussion questions. Topics about peace and faith and trust. Those are always applicable no matter how old you are.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Tabitha's Travels and Jotham's Journey last January at a thrift store. I've never read either, and I assumed they were for slightly older ages than my boys currently are (almost 7 and 4), but I decided to try one this year for Advent anyway. Our family really enjoyed it! The story is written in a way that each day ends on a cliffhanger, and there were many nights I was asked/begged to read another portion. For myself, the devotional at the end of each day was exactly what I needed many nights, and it made the holiday season a little more meaningful for me this year. I also found the section with Elizabeth and Zechariah interesting and thought-provoking (my husband and I stayed up late one night talking about what we had read). I look forward to reading either Jotham or Bartholomew next year.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one in the series. This series has been our family advent reading for the last two years. The kids love it. The discussion questions are okay: some led to good conversations, most we just breezed past. The writing isn't spectacular but our kids look forward to it every December.

Initially I was annoyed by the overlap in the stories, but after a few days, Tabitha's story diverged from Jotham's (who we'd read last year) and it was new and exciting. The kids often begged me to read one more day.

I did not care for some of the comments "boys are stupid" Tabitha made in regards to her father. It didn't add anything to the story and was disrespectful. Just not how our family rolls. I ad-libbed around it on the fly to adjust it for our family. This was only one minor thing.

[Joshua · Rating 1 out of 5]

The storytelling is actually alright in places, but the messages for Christmas at the end of each chapter are pretty exegetically wrong and I ended up having to take my children directly to the Word rather and make my own connections than use his talking points. In addition, this particular version contained a soft embrace of feminism and an open embrace of egalitarianism that, again, flies far of Biblical truth. We made it work for the kids, but it was in spite of the narrative, not as a result of it.

I wouldn't recommend these as a resource for children for Advent.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD. My family read one every year for Advent -- until the year we decided we wanted to hear ALL THREE and made my poor mother read a chapter from each one!! I love how all the books are interconnected. The stories are weaved with Scripture and with each other and the characters just jump off the pages and have lives of their own. SO well done -- perfect cliffhanger endings, the right amount of suspense/action, and the BEST ending ever. Of course. <3

[Joe Koehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very clever how the author has tied together all of these different books storylines together with the birth of Christ and with one another's stories. A very fund read-aloud series.

Not 100% in sync with every devotional/doctrinal application the author makes, but lots of good things to chew-on and EXCELLENT story telling! Our boys never want to stop after one day's worth of reading (i.e. one day = one chapter).

Good read.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did you ever read a book that had an obvious agenda? I'm all for putting messages in books, but this felt like we were bludgeoned with an inconsistent message.
After reading Jotham's Journey last advent, I was excited to read this one to the kids. I had recommended Jotham to a lot of people. Unfortunately, even having an interesting and imaginative story was not enough to make up for the agenda, so I will be recommending this one be avoided.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I just need to accept that I don't like Ytreeide's writing style; sorry to my friends who love this series! Even so, for this one in particular, the main character's arrogant and ignorant feminism (which was unrepentant even up to the point of holding baby Jesus!!) was a major pain point for me.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book of the series (though probably my favorite storyline). The few mentions of girls are not as important as boys and boys are dumb weren’t necessary and eventually I just skipped the parts while reading aloud. It has a good story line that tied in with the other books in the series.

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed other books in this series. While this book has had some good talking points, I do not enjoy the overarching theme of feminism. The book was much less relatable for my children than others Ytreeide has written.

[Sara Hollar · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series, but still a decent Advent read aloud. The storyline wasn't as rich as the others. My boys enjoyed it, but not as much as the others (and I don't think it had a lot to do with Tabitha being a girl).

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advent read for the whole family! Could be a little scary at times for younger kiddos, but this whole series is a wonderful way to focus on remembering the coming of Jesus during the busy holiday season.

[Elsa Bruffett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 from pure nostalgia. (We re-read one of the books every year) I love all the boys stories but what the feminist was that? How did I not catch that the first time?! Saying your DAD is dumb? Missy how about you get a pop in the mouth?