I’m fussy about children’s books. And especially fussy when it comes to children’s books that include themes of faith. But every now and then a Christian children's book comes along that I not only like, but totally love.  Julie and David Lavender’s Children’s Advent Stories for Bedtime: celebrate the true meaning of Christmas is one of those books. And because I love it so much, I made sure I posted this review quickly so you’ve got time to grab a copy for your family before December arrives!
But, ‘What’s so great about it?’ I hear you ask. ‘Isn’t this just another sickly sweet advent book for kids?’ Well, I can assure you there's nothing gimmicky about this book.

It was a real treat having April Graney as my featured author for this month! April is a US based children's writer I 'met' as a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). She is real about faith and life, and her kids books are focused on helping kids grow in compassion no matter their context. Her newest book is also available here in Australia - something I was very excited to discover! 

I used to be a quilter. I made bed quilts, wall quilts, table runners.
Then I jumped to knitting and crochet. I made dish cloths, dinosaurs and rugs. 
In between all of that, I've tackled my outside spaces with varying degrees of success. I call myself a wanna-be-gardener because I don't really know what I'm doing. What I grow well seems to have more to do with the plant itself than my skills as a gardener. And watering regularly would probably help a lot (a lesson I'm learning the hard way as my favourite lychee tree dies. Waaaaa!).
But even without developing my expertise, there's a promise in gardening that has nothing to do with me. A promise of growth, of new things, of hope perhaps. And ​I think it's pottering with this promise that keeps me at it. 

Dienece Darling is a 'former Georgia Belle' who now lives (and writes) in Australia. She's an historical fiction author who loves learning about regency England and incoporating what she learns about life, faith and history into the stories she write. She's also part of Australia's Christian Writing Network, Omega Writers, which is how I heard about her. I enjoyed interviewing Dienece for my monthly author interview series to hearing more about her work and that fascinating way the very act of writing can help us grow.

​God’s love in a Nutshell is a brightly illustrated book about Chitter, an adorable junior squirrel, who is doing their best to understand God’s love. The story begins with Chitter asking Chatter (the equally adorable grown-up squirrel), ‘Can I keep God’s love in my nutchell?’. The answer is obviously no because, ‘God’s love is too big to fit in your nutshell’. This sends Chitter on a quest to figure out how to keep God’s love close all the time. It’s such a cute story opening with an important and relevant question, but there was one line in this adorable book (can you tell I liked the squirrels?) that made me pause...