Book Recommendation, Pentecost

To be honest, I was going to recommend this book this week even if it wasn’t Pentecost this coming Sunday (May 23) because it is one of my absolutely favorites. Not only is it just beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written, but it tells the story of the most beautifully family, of my family, the worldwide church. So the fact that it coincides with Pentecost makes it even better!

Pentecost on the church calendar marks the beginning of the early church. It is when the Holy Spirit descended on the early church leaders and they were able to tell all about Jesus in all different languages! As my friend, blogger, and writer Tamara Murphy says,

“At Pentecost, we get to act out with our everyday lives what the Holy Family embodied at Epiphany, the good news that the gift of Christ is for all people. All of the longing, doubt, grief, and the sins of the world we held up in the dark nights of Advent and Lent, all of the bright hope and relief that resurrected to life with the Risen Christ is channeled into this great movement of Spirit and Church at Pentecost.”

If you want to know what that means, then pick up this book. It is excellent, it is beautiful, and if you are a Christian, it is about your family, too.

God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia J. Newbell
(The other books in this series are amazing, too.)

Book Recommendations, Dinosaur Day

Did you know that National Dinosaur Day is celebrated twice annually, on May 15 and June 1? I guess that’s just how important the dinosaurs are (were?)! So in celebration of this important day, I am recommending some of our favorite dinosaur children’s books.

All the Dinotrux books, by Chris Gall

How to Catch a Dinosaur, by Adam Wallace

Bang! Boom! Roar! A Busy Crew of Dinosaurs (not pictured), by Nate Evans

These are just a few of the great children’s books on dinosaurs. Do you have any to recommend?

Book Recommendations, Mother's Day

Because I love children’s books so much, I thought I’d add a weekly feature to my blog on book recommendations for kids and parents, while trying to keep the books relevant to the times and season as well!

This week, I’m featuring one of my favorites to buy for new moms:

I Love you, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt and Illustrated by Cyd Moore.

Now it’s your turn, what are your favorite books featuring a mother’s love?

This book is one of my son’s favorites (and mine!) because it is so silly and so heartfelt. What could be more normal (and more beautiful) than a son dreaming up all kinds of scary creatures and a mother’s reassurance of unconditional love?

I cried through Cars 3.

David in some of his Lightning McQueen gear.

I cried all the way through Cars 3. And then I came home and cried some more. My husband looked at me like I was crazy, so I decided to try to put all the feelings into words. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose son is a Lightning McQueen fanatic. We've been fans of his for over two years now, and frankly, I couldn't be happier. In fact, I'd say they were the happiest few years of my life. Now I am not saying it is because of Lightning McQueen, but I don't think I'll ever be able to separate my fondness for these years from Lightning McQueen. And that's the reason Cars 3 hit me right in the gut: he represents something to me.

My husband and I frequently discuss our favorite Pixar movies. His are Wall-E, Up, and Ratatouille (the worst ones, in my opinion, but by that I don't mean bad!) Mine had been Brave and The Incredibles. But then my son, David, made me watch Cars over and over and over again. And something changed. After watching it the tenth time, I really enjoyed it. After the fiftieth time, I loved it. And after the one hundredth time, it became my favorite Pixar (and probably kids' movie) of all time! How often do you hear of that happening? 

The themes of Cars and Cars 3 are both very poignant and moving. The ends of both are sweet and surprising. Not perhaps how you want them to end upon first watch, but better when you realize the message that is being sent. (And I'm not a hater of Cars 2 like most people. It's a fun side-story.)

Cars 3, though, has Lightning McQueen getting older, slower, and considering retirement. And he's not particularly happy about it. (Who is?) I found myself identifying with Lightning McQueen, as newer, younger cars began to replace him and become more relevant. And not only that, but in saying goodbye to Lightning McQueen's racing career, I found myself recognizing an end of an era: David's toddlerhood. Days I will never get back that have been so happy for me and him, as I watch him line up his Cars characters, call them his "guys", and give them all kisses. Soon, I was picturing myself an old women, seeing an old Lightning McQueen die cast toy car, and remembering all those sweet days with my little boy!

Overreaction? Yes.

But that's why I cried through Cars 3.