Book of The Day ~ Don't Waste the Miracle...

Book of The Day ~ Don't Waste the Miracle by Mary Engelbreit

Hello members of Christmas Magic and anyone else who stumbles upon this review.

"Christmas is, of course, the time to be home - in heart as well as body."

Garry Moore

One of the things I really enjoy is collecting miniature, or at least very small, books. Most of them are about two and a half inches by three inches, are hardcover, and have a dust jacket. Many of them are full texts of larger books, while some just contain excerpts. I have so many that my Househusband had to build me a bookcase to hang on the wall which holds these treasures. Over the years, I have received many of them as gifts for birthdays, Mother's Day, or Valentines, and a great deal of them have been found in my Christmas stocking like "Don't Waste the Miracle" by Mary Engelbreit.

Story

The left hand pages each hold a verse of a poem about the miracle of Christmas. The verses are all beautifully illustrated with Mary Engelbreit's Christmas pictures. My favorite three pages are, "There's a reassuring comfort in the joy glad tidings bring..." with a picture of the shepherds, "...and an inner peace from honoring..." with a picture of a dove hovering above a girl holding a heart-shaped container spilling out gold starts, and "...and praising Christ the King." with a girl playing a violin with her dogs singing along.

Illustrations

Over the years, Mary Engelbreit has created hundreds of images about Christmas to grace her calendar pages, greeting cards, and other items, and at one time or another, I have bought many of them. She brings together some of her best Christmas art for this little book.

The story is primarily centered on the religious celebration of the season. Though a few illustrations of Santa and presents are included, most include doves, angels, the Christmas star, or wise men. My favorite painting is of a lion and lamb walking upright in Christmas coats, holding hands. It is entitled, "Peace on Earth." The funniest picture is "The Harold Angel" where a little boy sings in a children's choir, dressed as an angel.

Who is the Intended Reader?

Although this story can be understood by young children, it will need to be read by older children or adults since the words are a little on the big side. In addition, these little books are hard for small hands to manipulate.

Final Recommendation

This book is the perfect size to fit into a Christmas stocking and would be appreciated by anybody who loves Christmas, art, or Mary Engelbreit. It is a great companion to "Merrily Merrily."

If you liked this book review, you might like to read some of my other book reviews which you can find by clicking on this link.

2008 © Susan K Barton

Book Description
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (1993)
ISBN-10: 0836246098
ISBN-13: 978-0836246094
Product Dimensions: 3.8 x 3.3 x 0.4 inches