I’ve had a number of emails recently asking if I could post an updated book list for Lent and Easter, similar to my Advent & Christmas Booklist. Even though we don’t have nearly as many books for this Liturgical season, our collection has continued to grow over the past 12 years. I haven’t had a chance to go through and highlight our favorites, but at least this gives you a little closer peek at what is in our book baskets.
Update: I went through the list with the kids and we highlighted some of our favorites in bold and added an *asterisk.
.: Planning Books & Daily Reading :.
New Catholic Picture Bible (Lent – for with Jesus Tree)
Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Families by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
.: Lenten Picture Books :.
*Little Rose of Sharon: A Story of Self Sacrifice by Nan Gurley
*The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children by Mary Joslin
The Stations of the Cross by Fr. Lovasik
Children’s Stations of the Cross by Susan Andrews Brindle
Jesus by Brian Wildsmith
My Path to Heaven: A Young Person’s Guide to the Faith by Geoffrey Bliss
*Little Colt’s Palm Sunday by Michelle Medlock Adams
The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith
*The Easter Story illustrated by Gennady Spirin
The Story of Easter by Aileen Fisher
Petook by Caryll Houselander
Amon’s Adventure: A Family Story for Easter
.: Easter Picture Books :.
*The Easter Cave by Carol Wedeven
*The Jesus Garden: An Easter Legend by Antoinette Bosco
*Easter in the Garden by Pamela Kennedy
A Tale for Easter by Tasha Tudor
The Birds’ Gift: A Ukranian Easter Story by Eric A. Kimmel
*The Easter Swallows by Vicki Howie
The Story of the Easter Robin by Dandi Daley Mackall
*Easter by Fiona French (Be sure to get the Ignatius Press version and not the one “with words from the King James Bible)
Simon and the Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale for Easter by Mary Joslin
The First Easter Bunny by Frrich Lewandowski
The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs
Happy Easter Day! by Wendy Watson
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Marjorie Flack
Easter by Miriam Nerlove
*The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Easter Bunny’s Amazing Day by Carol Benoist & Cathy Gilmore
*Easter Eggs for Anya: A Ukranian Celebration of New Life in Christ by Virginia Kroll
*Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco
.: Board Books for Baby :.
I will continue adding to this list as our collection grows!
Thanks for the wealth of info:)
I do have many of these titles, but still so enjoy perusing your baskets as you share.
Have a wonderful day:)
Jessica, speaking of books… I was wondering what books you like to read. I have many books by christian authors but very few that are written by Catholic authors. If you had to choose your top 3 Catholic books that you recommend a friend read what would they be? Thanks, Michelle
Thank you for this book list. My oldest daughter is three, my son two, and my youngest daughter is one. Would you mind making some recommendations from your list for their ages. I don't have any of these books. God Bless!
I've been meaning to start working on a book list with some of my own personal favorites! I really need to just begin/publish a post and then add to it as I can. I usually have a few books going at the same time – something enriching and/or challenging (spiritual reading, sermons, etc), something motivational/inspirational (books on mothering, homeschooling, organization, weight loss/health, etc), and something fun/light (classics, historical novels, biographies, mysteries, etc) that I can just pick up and read when I need a break (over the weekend I read and enjoyed Betrayal by a christian author). I also love to read cookbooks, and any books on celebrating the liturgical year.
It's hard to choose my top three… Off the top of my head, if I was to try and suggest one from each of my three categories, by Catholic authors, I would probably recommend:
1) Archbishop Fulton Sheen's A Treasured Love Story and/or Sermons of the Curé of Ars
2) We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home
3) I haven't read them in awhile, but I own and enjoyed almost all of the novels by author Louis de Wohl. Great books! When looking for the link I ran across one of his books that I don't have yet and it is going on the list of books I want to read. 🙂 I have also enjoyed the Fairy Tale's Retold by Regina Doman.
Right now I am starting Frozen Footprints (by another Catholic author) which I was sent to review. And I haven't purchased it yet, but this new release has also made it's way on to my wish list at the recommendation of a friend.
Anyways, I will have to go take a look at my bookshelves and start working on a post! 🙂
My three year old daughter really loves listening to The Easter Cave (which is written the same style rhyme as "This is the house that Jack built"). She also really likes An Easter Gift for Me (which also has rhyming text). My littlest one loves touch and feel books (and lift-the-flaps) so I think he will like the new book I ordered… We'll see!
Though it might be a little advanced, I really love The Jesus Garden: An Easter Legend. It is one that I look forward to reading to my children each year!
I just love your book lists so much! I'm always excited to go through them. I just got the last shipmen of books for our Easter baskets today–the best mail! I'm sure you've seen Maite Roche's "My First Pictures of Easter", but I got this for my 2 year old. I flipped through it when it arrived today and it's very sweet. Lots of simple words and pictures… no flaps or touch and feel like your Bud enjoys, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. 🙂
JennyM
Thank you so much! Can't wait to read these to them.
I would love to get The Jesus Garden, but the price on Amazon is unbelievably expensive. I may see if I can find it somewhere else.
Oh, wow! It wasn't anywhere near that expensive last night when I grabbed the link… It was only $11 something with Prime shipping! That's too bad…
Jessica, thank you for the books you would recommend. I have put those into my Amazon wish list. I look forward to seeing the list you compile for your favorites. Also do you have a daily Catholic devotional that you read daily? I mean for your personal use but if you want to include one you use with your children that would be great as well. Thank you for all the great information. Your blog is a blessing to my whole family! Michelle
Thanks Jessica! This is great, and I have added all of them to my Amazon wishlish (I will remember to come back here though when I go to order any). To help us start building our collection, do you have a list of your (or your kids) favorites?? Maybe like a Top 10 to help us get started?? Thanks for everything!
I found out that it is out of print now, I hope one day to find it again.
Jessica
Love looking at book baskets:) Have just written a Lenten/Easter list myself
http://sevenlittleaustralians.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/mega-lenteneaster-book-post.html
have some chapter book suggestions there as well. I think you have most(and more) of the picture books I have.
Okay I had the kids go through the list with me and we highlighted our favorites in bold type preceeded by an asterisk. I hope that helps!
Thanks Erin! I do need to get a few more Chapter books. Last year we added Amon's Adventure to our collection. I also have both The Spear and The Robe from when I was younger, and loved them both, but my children haven't read them yet. Maybe in a year or two! 🙂
It is nice to see that you liked Simon and the Easter Miracle. I had looked at that for our son (age 5), but it got some poor reviews on Amazon about "watering down" Easter. However, we LOVE Joslin's station's of the cross book– perfect for young ones. So, I've been on the fence about what to get.
I recently noticed those reviews… We have so many books about the actual Easter story, so that didn't bother me. The illustrations are gorgeous and it is a sweet little tale. I don't regret purchasing it at all.
I posted a little more about it last year here: Simon and the Easter Miracle {and other New Books for Easter!}
Thanks– I either forgot about or missed the review from last year–it does look lovely. I think you're right- when the story is read in the context of what is known about Easter, not everything has to be fully stated.
By the way, have you seen this sweet little book, The Donkey that No One Could Ride by Anthony DeStefano?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okOhohwTSIw
My son enjoyed listening to it today on Youtube and we'll be look forward to purchasing it for lent next year.
Jessica
Whilst you have most of the books I shared here
http://sevenlittleaustralians.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/mega-lenteneaster-book-post.html
thought I'd let you know I have some chapter books there.
Kari– Call your local Catholic book seller. Most of the Catholic bookstores I go in have this book:)
I would love for you to do a future blog post on the statues of some of the Saints in your home and those that you frequently place as a centerpiece on your family table or on your kitchen island. I enjoy some of them, like the St. Lucia (ornament) link. How creative! Please, please, consider do a post on that and continuing to update it. I love your originality and creativity and just the way you think to keep our one, Universal, True Church fresh and alive, A Truly Living Church! I have started to use my Pieta again that my mother-in-law gave me when she moved back to the Philippines in 2003. I got that idea from your post Our Family Lenten JourneyThank you, again!
As a retired librarian of 44 years, I LOVE to see you include so many "classics" of kids' literature as well as keep me (now gift giving grandma) updated on new ones. I know how much time you spend on this & I appreciate it.
Hi Jessica,
Do you keep the Easter books out during Lent in your book basket or do you wait to put them out until after Easter?
For Advent we have our Advent and Christmas books out but for some reason it felt strange to put out our Easter ones during Lent. Does that make sense? I just thought I'd ask what your family does!
No, I pull them out for Easter. And that completely makes sense. I feel the same with Advent/Christmas books compared to Lent/Easter.
I don’t recommend the book by Chad Daybell. He was an LDS turned to Doomsdayer turned to now convicted murdered of two children in Rexburg IDaho. I highly recommend taking him off the list!
Thanks for filling me in on about the author. That is just horrible… I believe I originally found the book through Catholic Mosaic. I'll remove the link now.
On the plus side I love that there are so many more Catholic picture books being published now compared to ten years ago! Definitely time to comb through our original collection and decide what to keep and what to remove! That book had never been a favorite.