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heidihaverkamp's review against another edition
4.0
The first Advent devotional that I've like better than my own (Advent in Narnia) - the powerful Advent imagery in the winter habits for survival, hibernation, cold, and rejuvenation of a variety of animals that are found around Boss's home in western Michigan. As she puts it, "The practice of Advent has always been about helping us to grasp the mystery of a new beginning out of what looks like death" (p. xiii). She is indirect about making connections to Jesus or God in most chapters, but they are there behind the words, nonetheless.
famousthecat's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
tlindhorst's review against another edition
5.0
I loved everything about this sweet, joy-inducing book. The stories reflect a deep awareness of nature (in Michigan) & draw the connection between humans and the rest of the world. Although framed in the Christian story of advent, this treasure pulls its wisdom from the work around us to connect to spirit. The illustrations are beautiful. Worth a long, slow savor in a winter December clime.
blaire_thornton's review against another edition
5.0
I can’t say it better than Richard Rohr so I won’t try: “Each of the beautiful creatures in this little book is a unique word of God, it’s own metaphor, all of them together drawing us to the One we all belong to. Adapting to the dark and cold they announce in twenty-four different ways the Good News of Advent, that through every dark door the creating Love of the universe waits.”
avec_la_fleur's review against another edition
1.0
I really didn’t care for this book. We are using it for advent this year (along with a coordinating curriculum), and I’ve been regretting my choice all month. The animal facts are interesting, but the writing is painful. It’s too flowery and wordy and comes off as pretentious. A lot of it is so overdramatized and long-winded that my 8 year old doesn’t even know what I just read by the end. It doesn’t flow well and is difficult to read aloud, and there’s a lot of dark language and focus on death. I feel like I’m narrating a National Geographic documentary where the gazelle is about to be attacked by the lion. I wish she would have used simple language to share these interesting tidbits. Here’s an example where saying it the simple way would have been better: “Sitting up, he tucks the unfurred patch of his rump beneath him so it won’t leak heat.”
celeste57's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
Of the four books I read for Advent this year, this was my least favorite. Not because there was anything wrong with the book itself; it featured lovely illustrations and some truly interesting facts about the wintering habits of 25 different animals. However, based on the biblical tone of the title and the fact that this was billed as “twenty-five fresh images of the foundational truth that lies beneath and within the Christ story” in the synopsis, I was expecting more in terms of spiritual insight and application. For the most part, this just read as nature observations. Which is absolutely fine, and would make for great reading in its own right. I simply felt misled.
tinylittlehobbit's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
I found the pictures absolutely beautiful, and the descriptions of the lives of the creatures involved interesting. It seemed a little disparate and hodgepodge as far as choice in animals to follow went though, which made the central message a bit confusing until the end.